BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1287
	By: Campbell
	Veteran Affairs & Border Security
	3/12/2019
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

S.B. 1287 would add the Health and Human Service Commission (HHSC), the State Office of Risk Management (SORM), the Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC), and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to the list of Texas Homeland Security Council (HSC) member agencies in Section 421.021 of the Government Code. HHSC, SORM, and TxSSC all support the change.

This bill has a low impact, though it is important to formally recognize the homeland security roles of these agencies through making their membership in the HSC official. Each of these agencies has an important role in homeland security. HHSC (various services for at-risk groups), SORM (state agency continuity planning), and TxSSC (school safety standards and assistance) have participated in HSC meetings and business for over four years. TDCJ has not been solicited to participate, but prison gangs, radicalization, and the potential for riots and evacuations are significant homeland security issues. Adding these four agencies as formal members would recognize their roles.

The change would encourage more active participation in HSC meetings and coordination efforts on documents like the Homeland Security Strategic Plan, THIRA, and SPR. Formal membership could encourage senior leader support of these and related efforts in the partner agencies.

As proposed, S.B. 1287 amends current law relating to the composition of the Homeland Security Council.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Reenacts Section 421.021(a), Government Code, as amended by Chapters 93 (S.B. 686), 616 (S.B. 1393), and 1217 (S.B. 1536), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, and amends it as follows:

(a) Provides that the Homeland Security Council (HSC) is composed of the governor or the governor's designee, the speaker of the house of representatives or the speaker's designee, the lieutenant governor or the lieutenant governor's designee, and one representative of each of the following entities, appointed by the single statewide elected or appointed governing officer, administrative head, or chair, as appropriate, of the entity:

(1)�(16) makes no changes to these subdivisions;

(17) Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and Border Security, rather than the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs and Military Installations;

(18) the committee of the senate having jurisdiction over homeland security, rather than the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Rural Affairs and Homeland Security;

(19) makes no changes to this subdivision;

(20) the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over homeland security, rather than the House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety;

(21)�(26) makes no changes to these subdivisions;

(27)�(28) makes nonsubstantive changes to theses subdivisions;

(29)� Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC);

(30)� State Office of Risk Management (SORM);

(31)� Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC); and

(32)� Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).

Redesignates existing Subdivisions (17) and (18) as Subdivisions (18) and (20).

SECTION 2. Requires the governing officer, administrative head, or chair, as appropriate, of HHSC, SORM, TxSSC, and TDCJ, not later than the 90th day after the effective date of this Act, to appoint a representative to HSC, as required by Section 421.021(a), Government Code, as amended by this Act.

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2019.