H.R. No. 3430

R E S O L U T I O N

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State of Texas, 84th Legislature, Regular Session, 2015, That House Rule 13, Section 9(a), be suspended in part as provided by House Rule 13, Section 9(f), to enable the conference committee appointed to resolve the differences on Senate Bill 1465 (creating limited purpose disaster declaration authority for the governor and a search and rescue task force in each disaster field response region) to consider and take action on the following matter:

House Rule 13, Section 9(a)(4), is suspended to permit the committee to add text on a matter which is not included in either the house or senate version of the bill by adding the following new SECTION to the bill:

SECTION 2. Section 418.043, Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 418.043. OTHER POWERS AND DUTIES. The division shall:

(1) determine requirements of the state and its political subdivisions for food, clothing, and other necessities in event of a disaster;

(2) procure and position supplies, medicines, materials, and equipment;

(3) adopt standards and requirements for local and interjurisdictional emergency management plans;

(4) periodically review local and interjurisdictional emergency management plans;

(5) coordinate deployment of mobile support units;

(6) establish and operate training programs and programs of public information or assist political subdivisions and emergency management agencies to establish and operate the programs;

(7) make surveys of public and private industries, resources, and facilities in the state that are necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter;

(8) plan and make arrangements for the availability and use of any private facilities, services, and property and provide for payment for use under terms and conditions agreed on if the facilities are used and payment is necessary;

(9) establish a register of persons with types of training and skills important in disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery;

(10) establish a register of mobile and construction equipment and temporary housing available for use in a disaster;

(11) assist political subdivisions in developing plans for the humane evacuation, transport, and temporary sheltering of service animals and household pets in a disaster;

(12) prepare, for issuance by the governor, executive orders and regulations necessary or appropriate in coping with disasters;

(13) cooperate with the federal government and any public or private agency or entity in achieving any purpose of this chapter and in implementing programs for disaster mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery;

(14) develop a plan to raise public awareness and expand the capability of the information and referral network under Section 531.0312;

(15) improve the integration of volunteer groups, including faith-based organizations, into emergency management plans;

(16) cooperate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to create uniform guidelines for acceptable home repairs following disasters and promote public awareness of the guidelines;

(17) cooperate with state agencies to:

(A) encourage the public to participate in volunteer emergency response teams and organizations that respond to disasters; and

(B) provide information on those programs in state disaster preparedness and educational materials and on Internet websites;

(18) establish a liability awareness program for volunteers, including medical professionals;

(19) define "individuals with special needs" in the context of a disaster;

(20) establish and operate, subject to the availability of funds, a search and rescue task force in each field response region established by the division to assist in search, rescue, and recovery efforts before, during, and after a natural or man-made disaster; and

(21) [(20)] do other things necessary, incidental, or appropriate for the implementation of this chapter.

Explanation: This addition is necessary to authorize the Texas Division of Emergency Management to establish and operate a search and rescue task force.

Phillips

______________________________ Speaker of the House

I certify that H.R. No. 3430 was adopted by the House on May 31, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 135, Nays 6, 2 present, not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House