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SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Our food and water supplies, communications, |
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banking, hospitals, law enforcement, and countless critical |
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functions depend on the electric grid, and its protection is vital |
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to homeland security; and |
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WHEREAS, Numerous national publications have reported on the |
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great danger to the electric grid from an electromagnetic pulse, or |
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EMP; national experts regard a potential attack on our electric |
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grid system, whether natural or manmade, as a grave threat to our |
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American way of life; and |
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WHEREAS, The risk of an EMP attack has been acknowledged |
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since the 1960s, and the congressional EMP Commission warned in its |
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2004 and 2008 reports that terrorists or state actors using |
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relatively unsophisticated missiles armed with nuclear weapons |
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could stage such an attack; in 2009, the congressional Commission |
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on the Strategic Posture of the United States, led by former |
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Secretaries of Defense William Perry and James Schlesinger, urged |
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immediate action to protect the electric grid; and |
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WHEREAS, Although the federal government has thus far |
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neglected to take action, Texas is fortunate to have its own power |
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grid; the state is thus capable of hardening its own electric system |
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to ensure reliable electricity in a hostile environment for |
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residents, businesses, and state and local government, as well as |
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for U.S. military bases; and |
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WHEREAS, Even if an EMP threat never materializes, protecting |
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the grid would provide substantial economic benefits; as the |
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federal government closes military bases around the country, Texas |
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bases would likely survive closure, due to their enhanced energy |
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security; moreover, companies considering relocation or expansion |
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would clearly find the assurance of secure power immensely valuable |
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and look to the Lone Star State; and |
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WHEREAS, The protection of the electric grid is essential to |
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the security and continued prosperity of our state and nation, and |
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Texas is prepared to do its part to ensure that citizens can rely |
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completely on the power system that sustains our society; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house |
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of representatives to create a joint interim committee to study the |
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security of the Texas electric grid, including critical |
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infrastructure and its vulnerability to electromagnetic pulse, |
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geomagnetic disturbance, and cybersecurity threats; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee include members of the Electric |
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Reliability Council of Texas and other relevant stakeholder groups; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee coordinate with the Commission |
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to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic |
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Pulse (EMP) Attack, the United States Department of Defense, the |
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United States Department of Energy, and the United States |
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Department of Homeland Security to apply research and information |
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on electromagnetic, geomagnetic, physical, and cyber-attack |
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threats; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee submit a full report, including |
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findings and recommendations, to the 86th Texas Legislature in |
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January 2019; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the committee's proceedings and operations be |
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governed by such general rules and policies for interim committees |
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as the 85th Texas Legislature may adopt. |