| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to emergency and disaster management, response, and |
|
|
recovery. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 418.005, Government Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows: |
|
|
(c-1) The training course provided under this section |
|
|
related to the emergency management responsibilities of officers of |
|
|
political subdivisions must include training based on the disaster |
|
|
response guide as required by Section 418.054(b). |
|
|
SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Sections 418.054, 418.055, 418.056, and 418.057 |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 418.054. DISASTER RESPONSE GUIDE. (a) The division |
|
|
shall develop a model guide for local officials regarding disaster |
|
|
response and recovery. The guide must provide a comprehensive |
|
|
approach to disaster recovery by local officials and include |
|
|
information on: |
|
|
(1) contracting for debris removal; |
|
|
(2) obtaining federal disaster funding; |
|
|
(3) coordinating the availability and construction of |
|
|
short-term and long-term housing; and |
|
|
(4) obtaining assistance from local, state, and |
|
|
federal volunteer organizations. |
|
|
(b) The division, in coordination with the Texas A&M |
|
|
AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas A&M Engineering Extension |
|
|
Service, shall provide training based on the disaster response |
|
|
guide as a part of the emergency management training course |
|
|
provided under Section 418.005. |
|
|
Sec. 418.055. CATASTROPHIC DEBRIS MANAGEMENT PLAN AND |
|
|
TRAINING. (a) The division, in consultation with any other state |
|
|
agencies selected by the division, shall develop a catastrophic |
|
|
debris management plan and model guide for use by political |
|
|
subdivisions in the event of a disaster. |
|
|
(b) The plan must: |
|
|
(1) provide a guide for clearance and disposal of |
|
|
debris caused by a disaster, including information on preparing for |
|
|
debris removal before a disaster; and |
|
|
(2) include: |
|
|
(A) provisions for the use of trench burners and |
|
|
air curtain incinerators of vegetative debris, including |
|
|
identifying sources of equipment for use immediately following a |
|
|
disaster; and |
|
|
(B) contracting standards and a model contract |
|
|
for use in procuring debris removal services following a disaster. |
|
|
(c) The division shall consult with the comptroller about |
|
|
including a contract for debris removal services on the schedule of |
|
|
multiple award contracts developed under Subchapter I, Chapter |
|
|
2155, or in another cooperative purchasing program administered by |
|
|
the comptroller. |
|
|
(d) The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, in |
|
|
coordination with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, |
|
|
shall establish a training program for state agencies and political |
|
|
subdivisions on the use of trench burners in debris removal. |
|
|
Sec. 418.056. WET DEBRIS STUDY GROUP. (a) In this |
|
|
section, "study group" means the wet debris study group established |
|
|
under this section. |
|
|
(b) The wet debris study group is established and composed |
|
|
of representatives of the division, any other state agencies |
|
|
selected by the division, and local and federal governmental |
|
|
entities. |
|
|
(c) The chief of the division serves as chair of the study |
|
|
group. |
|
|
(d) The study group shall study issues related to preventing |
|
|
the creation of wet debris and best practices for clearing wet |
|
|
debris following a disaster, including: |
|
|
(1) the creation of maintenance programs for bodies of |
|
|
water in this state; |
|
|
(2) issues related to the clearance of wet debris on |
|
|
private property following a disaster; and |
|
|
(3) potential sources of funding for the clearance of |
|
|
wet debris following a disaster. |
|
|
(e) Not later than November 1, 2020, the study group shall |
|
|
submit a report containing recommendations on the issues described |
|
|
by Subsection (d) to each member of the legislature. |
|
|
(f) The study group is abolished and this section expires |
|
|
January 1, 2021. |
|
|
Sec. 418.057. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WORK GROUP. (a) In |
|
|
this section: |
|
|
(1) "Emergency management director" and "emergency |
|
|
management coordinator" mean the director and coordinator, |
|
|
respectively, designated under Section 418.1015. |
|
|
(2) "Work group" means the work group established |
|
|
under this section. |
|
|
(b) The division shall establish a work group of persons |
|
|
knowledgeable on emergency management to study and develop a |
|
|
proposal for enhancing the training and credentialing of emergency |
|
|
management directors, emergency management coordinators, and any |
|
|
other emergency management personnel. |
|
|
(c) As part of the study and proposal under Subsection (b), |
|
|
the work group shall: |
|
|
(1) assess the training and credentials necessary for |
|
|
emergency management directors, emergency management coordinators, |
|
|
and any other emergency management personnel to effectively oversee |
|
|
the response to and recovery from a disaster; |
|
|
(2) review training courses that are required for |
|
|
emergency management directors, emergency management coordinators, |
|
|
and any other emergency management personnel in this state on |
|
|
September 1, 2019; and |
|
|
(3) consult with institutions of higher education as |
|
|
defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, on the development of |
|
|
degree programs in emergency management in addition to the programs |
|
|
that exist in this state on September 1, 2019. |
|
|
(d) In conducting the assessment required by Subsection |
|
|
(c)(1), the work group shall consider: |
|
|
(1) whether the differences in geography, population, |
|
|
and critical infrastructure between emergency management |
|
|
directors' or emergency management coordinators' jurisdictions |
|
|
warrant different levels of training and credentialing; |
|
|
(2) whether the legislature should enact laws |
|
|
requiring an emergency management director or emergency management |
|
|
coordinator to participate in emergency management training and |
|
|
credentialing before overseeing the response to and recovery from a |
|
|
disaster; |
|
|
(3) whether to include in any recommended emergency |
|
|
management training under Subdivision (2) information on disaster |
|
|
finance, damage assessment, disaster contracting, debris |
|
|
management, and the skills needed to participate in federal |
|
|
emergency management programs; |
|
|
(4) whether to implement incentives for emergency |
|
|
management directors, emergency management coordinators, and any |
|
|
other emergency management personnel to complete additional |
|
|
training and continuing education; and |
|
|
(5) proposals for paying the cost for training for |
|
|
emergency management directors and emergency management |
|
|
coordinators that is more rigorous than the training required by |
|
|
law for the directors and coordinators on September 1, 2019. |
|
|
(e) Not later than November 1, 2020, the work group shall |
|
|
submit the proposal required under this section to the governor, |
|
|
lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of representatives, and |
|
|
members of the legislature. |
|
|
(f) The work group is abolished and this section expires |
|
|
January 1, 2021. |
|
|
SECTION 3. (a) In this section: |
|
|
(1) "Commission" means the Health and Human Services |
|
|
Commission. |
|
|
(2) "Division" means the Texas Division of Emergency |
|
|
Management. |
|
|
(b) The commission and the division shall conduct a study to |
|
|
determine the feasibility of developing: |
|
|
(1) a single intake form that would compile all |
|
|
information needed to obtain disaster assistance from multiple |
|
|
state and federal programs for an individual who needs assistance |
|
|
as a result of a disaster; and |
|
|
(2) an automated intake system for collecting the |
|
|
information. |
|
|
(c) The commission and the division shall coordinate with |
|
|
the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other appropriate state |
|
|
and federal agencies to conduct the study under Subsection (b) of |
|
|
this section. The commission and the division must determine |
|
|
whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other |
|
|
appropriate state and federal agencies will accept the single |
|
|
intake form. |
|
|
(d) Not later than September 1, 2020, the commission and the |
|
|
division shall prepare and submit a written report to the |
|
|
legislature containing the findings of the study conducted under |
|
|
Subsection (b) of this section and any recommendations to the |
|
|
legislature. |
|
|
(e) This section expires January 1, 2021. |
|
|
SECTION 4. Not later than January 1, 2020, the Texas |
|
|
Division of Emergency Management shall develop the catastrophic |
|
|
debris management plan and model guide required by Section 418.055, |
|
|
Government Code, as added by this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |