BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 76

By: Hall

State Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are concerns that state and national power grids are vulnerable to both foreign and domestic actors and negative impacts from natural occurrences like weather and solar storms. To gain better perspective on the issue and study it directly from the state's perspective, S.B. 76 seeks to establish the grid security council.

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

S.B. 76 amends the Utilities Code to establish the grid security council. The bill requires the governor to appoint members of the council, which must include a representative of each of certain specified entities, and to designate a presiding officer. The bill requires the council to monitor economic, environmental, regulatory, and technological developments that may affect the security of the electric grid and to prepare and submit a report to the legislature not later than the November 1 preceding each regular session of the legislature beginning in 2022 analyzing those developments and the progress made toward implementing the council's previous grid security recommendations. A council member is expressly not entitled to compensation.

S.B. 76 requires the council to evaluate security vulnerabilities of the electric grid and strategies for securing the grid against cyber threats, physical threats, weather threats, solar storm threats, threats of sabotage, and threats relating to electromagnetic pulses. The bill requires the council to prepare and submit a report to the legislature not later than November 1, 2020, with recommendations for addressing those threats, including recommendations for state agency rule changes, legislation, and management changes at the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Texas Military Department, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and the State Office of Risk Management.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.