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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to resources to facilitate disaster mitigation, response, |
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and recovery. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 16, Water Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 16.061 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 16.061. FLOOD MITIGATION AND RESILIENCY. The board |
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shall: |
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(1) create an inventory of flood mitigation and |
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resiliency projects; |
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(2) develop a method of prioritizing projects |
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described by Subdivision (1); and |
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(3) coordinate with the Institute for a Disaster |
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Resilient Texas, created under Section 86.82, Education Code. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 86, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 86.82 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 86.82. INSTITUTE FOR A DISASTER RESILIENT TEXAS. (a) |
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In this section, "institute" means the Institute for a Disaster |
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Resilient Texas. |
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(b) The Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas is a |
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component of Texas A&M University. |
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(c) The institute is under the management and direction of |
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the board. |
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(d) The institute shall: |
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(1) develop data analytics tools to support disaster |
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planning, mitigation, response, and recovery by the state, its |
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political subdivisions, and the public; |
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(2) create and maintain web-based analytical and |
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visual tools to communicate disaster risks and ways to reduce those |
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risks, including tools that work on the level of individual parcels |
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of land; |
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(3) provide evidence-based information and solutions |
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to aid in the formation of state and local partnerships to support |
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disaster planning, mitigation, response, and recovery; |
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(4) collect, display, and communicate comprehensive |
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flood-related information, including applicable updated inundation |
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maps, for use by decision-makers and the public; |
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(5) discuss, study, and test ideas for flood planning |
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and mitigation; and |
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(6) collaborate with other components of The Texas A&M |
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University System, institutions of higher education, as that term |
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is defined by Section 61.003, state agencies, local governments, |
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and other political subdivisions to accomplish the purposes of this |
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section. |
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(e) The institute may employ personnel, including experts |
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in planning, engineering, hydrology, ecology, and economics. |
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(f) The institute may accept a gift or grant from any public |
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or private source for the benefit of the institute. |
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SECTION 3. (a) In this Act, "committee" means the Flood |
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Event Partnership Options Special Study Committee. |
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(b) The Flood Event Partnership Options Special Study |
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Committee is established and consists of nine persons appointed by |
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the governor to represent the flooding-related interests of the |
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following: |
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(1) state agencies; |
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(2) federal agencies; |
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(3) local governments, including counties and |
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municipalities; |
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(4) conservation and reclamation districts and other |
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special purpose districts with authority over water resources or |
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waterways; and |
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(5) nonprofit entities. |
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(c) The governor shall appoint persons to serve on the |
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committee not later than October 1, 2019. |
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(d) The committee shall conduct a study of the appropriate |
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structure, means of administration, and membership of state-local |
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partnerships to address flooding events in this state. |
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(e) The study must address: |
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(1) which state and local entities are interested in |
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and capable of participating in effective partnerships to prevent, |
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mitigate, or address flooding events in this state; |
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(2) the role that flood planning at the watershed |
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level may play in a state-local partnership's efforts to prevent, |
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mitigate, or address flooding events in this state; |
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(3) the possible negative effects efforts in a local |
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area to prevent, mitigate, or address flooding events may have in |
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neighboring areas; |
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(4) whether state-local partnerships to prevent, |
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mitigate, or address flooding events in this state may function |
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more effectively on a required basis or voluntary basis and how the |
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organization and structure of the partnerships may differ according |
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to whether it is a required or voluntary relationship; |
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(5) what incentives are available or may be made |
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available to encourage effective state-local partnerships to |
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prevent, mitigate, or address flooding events in this state; |
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(6) what manner of funding is available or may be made |
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available to foster effective state-local partnerships to prevent, |
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mitigate, or address flooding events in this state; |
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(7) appropriate roles for various partners in |
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state-local partnerships to prevent, mitigate, or address flooding |
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events in this state; |
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(8) the most effective types of projects a state-local |
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partnership could propose to prevent, mitigate, or address flooding |
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events; and |
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(9) which information is best applied by state-local |
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partnerships to prevent, mitigate, or address flooding events and |
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how that information may most effectively be gathered and shared. |
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(f) On the request of the committee, The Texas A&M |
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University System shall provide the committee with assistance, |
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necessary support staff, and facilities to conduct meetings. |
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(g) The committee shall deliver to the governor, the |
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lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, |
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and each member of the legislature a report on the determinations of |
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the committee based on the study conducted under this section not |
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later than December 1, 2020. The committee shall deliver to the |
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governor, the lieutenant governor, or a member of the legislature |
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related information on request. |
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(h) The committee is abolished, and this section expires May |
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1, 2021. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |