BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3096

By: Thompson, Senfronia

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Public entities use emergency notification systems to provide information to the public regarding events ranging from flood warnings to notices that water will be turned off for maintenance work. These systems communicate via phone messages, text messages, and e-mail, and modern telecommunications advances allow for rapid, efficient deployment of messages to quickly deliver information. Critics assert that legislative changes made last session imposed requirements on public service providers regarding the content of providers' emergency notification systems and made it more difficult and costly for smaller municipalities and utility districts to contract with providers on specific services for the particular area. C.S.H.B. 3096 seeks to address this concern by exempting certain smaller public service provider systems from current provider requirements during disasters and emergencies.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3096 amends the Government Code to exempt a public service provider serving 250,000 or fewer customers from the requirements of statutory provisions relating to communications by public service providers during disasters and emergencies.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 3096 differs from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways by conforming to certain bill drafting conventions and by making a technical correction to the effective date.