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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Investing in emergency preparedness is critical to |
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lessening the economic and human impact of disasters, and the first |
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week of September is being set aside as Resiliency Week to |
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highlight the importance of advance planning in coping with such |
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events; and |
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WHEREAS, Since 1908, natural disasters in the United States |
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have inflicted a total of more than $1 trillion in damage; they have |
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affected local and state economies in lost payrolls, lost sales and |
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income tax, and delayed economic recovery; of all the small |
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businesses impacted by natural disasters, it is estimated that 25 |
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percent never reopened their doors; and |
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WHEREAS, Hazard mitigation is the effort to reduce the loss |
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of life and property from disasters, and it is most effective when |
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implemented under a comprehensive, long-term mitigation plan; and |
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WHEREAS, The Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program |
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administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency is designed |
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to assist states and local communities in developing such plans; |
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the Disaster Recovery Reform Act, a piece of federal legislation |
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recently signed into law, makes available new funding for states |
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and communities to undertake pre-disaster mitigation measures and |
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creates new incentives for states to prioritize resiliency; and |
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WHEREAS, According to a FEMA-commissioned study conducted by |
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the National Institute of Building Sciences, every dollar spent on |
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hazard mitigation provides the nation with $6 in future benefits; |
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effective pre-disaster mitigation reduces the demand for relief |
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services provided by rescue and recovery teams, food banks and |
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homeless shelters, and other organizations, and it helps break the |
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cycle of vulnerability that can leave communities prone to future |
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hazards; and |
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WHEREAS, The task of building strong, secure, and resilient |
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communities is essential to the long-term prosperity of the Lone |
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Star State, and Resiliency Week in September serves to remind us of |
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the need to take action now to ensure that the infrastructure of our |
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state is ready for whatever tomorrow may bring; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby designate the first week of September as Resiliency Week; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section |
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391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remain in effect |
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until the 10th anniversary of the date that this resolution is |
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finally passed by the legislature. |