BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

S.B. 1393

By: Estes

Homeland Security & Public Safety

Committee Report (Unamended)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

The United States Department of Homeland Security establishes the framework for the development of state and local homeland security plans, and each state is responsible for creating a plan to address that state's unique homeland security environment.  This bill creates a more generic reference to federal guidance to avoid the perception that the state is basing its plans on outdated documents, as the name of the prevailing document has changed several times.

 

The current guiding document, the National Preparedness Goal, contains five mission areas: prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery.  The five key mission areas are generally accepted across the nation for purposes of homeland security and emergency management, and will likely continue to be incorporated into future federal guidance documents. 

 

S.B. 1393 streamlines the state's application process for United States Department of Homeland Security grants by aligning the state's strategic planning efforts with current federal guidance, ensuring that each priority action item falls under one of the five mission areas.

 

S.B. 1393 amends current law relating to homeland security strategy.

 

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

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Sections 421.002(a) and (c), Government Code, as follows:

 

(a) Requires the governor to direct homeland security in this state and to develop a statewide homeland security strategy that improves the state's ability to:

 

(1) protect against, rather than detect and deter threats to, homeland security threats and hazards;

 

(2) respond to homeland security emergencies;

 

(3) recover from homeland security emergencies;

 

(4) mitigate the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of future disasters; and

 

(5) prevent significant criminal and terrorist attacks.

 

Makes nonsubstantive changes. 

 

(c) Requires that the governor's homeland security strategy complement and operate in coordination with federal strategic guidance on homeland security, rather than in coordination with federal homeland security strategy.

 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 421.021(a), Government Code, as follows:

 

(a) Provides that the Homeland Security Council is composed of certain members, including one representative each of certain entities, including the Texas Military Preparedness Commission, the senate committee having jurisdiction over homeland security, the house of representatives committee having jurisdiction over homeland security, and the Texas A&M Forest Service, rather than the Texas Strategic Military Planning Commission, the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security, the House Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs, and Texas Forest Service.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2013.