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BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

 

C.S.H.B. 4350

By: Bohac

County Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Concerns have been raised regarding the challenges faced in coordinating efficient emergency response among public and private entities. C.S.H.B. 4350 seeks to address these concerns by revising provisions relating to emergency communications districts.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

 

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

 

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. 4350 amends the Health and Safety Code to specify and make uniform across certain acts that the authority for certain public safety answering points to transmit emergency response requests to private safety entities is contingent on the approval of the applicable communication district's board of managers and the consent of each participating jurisdiction and emergency services district serving the relevant area and that such consent may be withdrawn at any time. The affected acts are:

·       the 9-1-1 Emergency Number Act;

·       the Emergency Communication District Act;

·       the Emergency Telephone Number Act;

·       the Regional Emergency Communications District Act; and

·       the Regional Emergency Communication Districts Act.

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

 

While C.S.H.B. 4350 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

 

The substitute does not include emergency services districts in the definition of "public agency" for purposes of provisions relating to local management of emergency communications, but the substitute includes a separate definition for "emergency services district" and includes each emergency services district serving the relevant area as an entity whose consent is required for certain public safety answering points to transmit emergency response requests to private safety entities and whose consent may be withdrawn at any time.