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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a work group on enhancing the training and |
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credentialing of emergency management personnel. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
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(1) "Disaster" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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418.004, Government Code. |
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(2) "Emergency management director" and "emergency |
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management coordinator" mean the director and coordinator, |
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respectively, designated under Section 418.1015, Government Code. |
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(3) "Work group" means the work group established |
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under Section 2 of this Act. |
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SECTION 2. WORK GROUP. The Texas Division of Emergency |
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Management shall establish a work group of persons knowledgeable on |
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emergency management to study and develop a proposal for enhancing |
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the training and credentialing of emergency management directors, |
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emergency management coordinators, and other emergency management |
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personnel on the state or local level. |
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SECTION 3. STUDY AND PROPOSAL. (a) As part of the study and |
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proposal under Section 2 of this Act, the work group shall: |
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(1) assess the training and credentials necessary for |
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emergency management directors, emergency management coordinators, |
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and other emergency management personnel on the state or local |
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level to effectively oversee the response to and recovery from a |
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disaster, including reviewing current required training courses; |
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and |
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(2) consult with institutions of higher education, as |
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defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, on the development of |
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degree programs in emergency management in addition to the programs |
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that exist in this state on the effective date of this Act. |
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(b) In conducting the assessment required by Subsection |
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(a)(1) of this section, the work group shall consider: |
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(1) whether the differences in geography, population, |
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and critical infrastructure between emergency management |
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directors' or emergency management coordinators' jurisdictions |
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warrant different levels of training and credentialing; |
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(2) whether the legislature should enact laws |
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requiring an emergency management director or emergency management |
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coordinator to participate in emergency management training and |
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credentialing before overseeing the response to and recovery from a |
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disaster; |
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(3) whether to include in any training required under |
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Subdivision (2) of this subsection information on disaster finance, |
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damage assessment, disaster contracting, debris management, and |
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skills needed to participate in federal emergency management |
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programs; |
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(4) whether to implement incentives for emergency |
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management directors, emergency management coordinators, and any |
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other emergency management personnel to complete additional |
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training and continuing education; and |
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(5) proposals for paying the cost for training for |
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emergency management directors and emergency management |
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coordinators that is more rigorous than the training required by |
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law for the directors and coordinators on the effective date of this |
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Act. |
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(c) Not later than November 1, 2020, the work group shall |
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submit the proposal required under this section to: |
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(1) members of the legislature; and |
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(2) the governor. |
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SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. The work group is abolished and this |
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Act expires January 1, 2021. |
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SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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1, 2019. |
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