BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1307
86R21285 AAF-D	By: Hinojosa et al. (Huffman)
	State Affairs
	5/10/2019
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

There are concerns that the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) faces a major challenge in the amount of data it has to process during and after disasters concerning issues most often faced by relief programs and first responders during and after these events. H.B. 1307 seeks to address these concerns by requiring TDEM to develop and maintain an electronic disaster case management system.

H.B. 1307 amends current law relating to the creation of a disaster case management system by the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Division of Emergency Management in SECTION 1 (Section 418.054, Government Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, by adding Section 418.054, as follows:

Sec. 418.054. DISASTER CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. (a) Requires the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), subject to the availability of funds, to contract with a vendor to develop and maintain an electronic disaster case management system.

(b) Authorizes the system developed under Subsection (a) to be used for case management during and after a disaster by persons selected by TDEM, including:

(1) a person affected by a disaster;

(2) a municipality or county affected by a disaster;

(3) the Health and Human Services Commission;

(4) the Texas General Land Office;

(5) the Department of State Health Services;

(6) the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles;

(7) the Texas Workforce Commission;

(8) the Texas Department of Insurance;

(9) the Texas Department of Agriculture;

(10) appropriate federal agencies; and

(11) any other appropriate entity.

(c) Authorizes the system developed under Subsection (a) to include the capability for a person affected by a disaster to apply for assistance from multiple sources. Requires the system to allow the person to control which other users of the system have access to information submitted by the person to the system.

(d) Provides that information collected or maintained by the system developed under Subsection (a) that could identify a person affected by a disaster is confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552 (Public Information). Authorizes the information to be disclosed to a governmental body described by Subsection (b) for the purpose of disaster relief or recovery.

(e) Requires TDEM to adopt rules necessary to implement this section.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2019.