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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the confidentiality and disclosure of certain |
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information relating to emergency management and governmental |
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functions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 418.004, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subdivision (1) and adding Subdivision (1-a) to read as |
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follows: |
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(1) "Critical infrastructure" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 421.001. |
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(1-a) "Disaster" means the occurrence or imminent |
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threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or |
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property resulting from any natural or man-made cause, including |
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fire, flood, earthquake, wind, storm, wave action, oil spill or |
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other water contamination, volcanic activity, epidemic, air |
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contamination, blight, drought, infestation, explosion, riot, |
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hostile military or paramilitary action, extreme heat, other public |
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calamity requiring emergency action, or energy emergency. |
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SECTION 2. Section 418.176, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c) to read as |
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follows: |
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(b) In this section and Sections 418.177-418.183, |
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"governmental entity" includes: |
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(1) the governing body of a nonprofit corporation |
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organized under Chapter 67, Water Code, that: |
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(A) provides a water supply or wastewater |
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service, or both;[,] and |
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(B) is exempt from ad valorem taxation under |
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Section 11.30, Tax Code; and |
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(2) an emergency service organization as defined by |
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Section 101.001, Civil Practice and Remedies Code. |
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(c) In this section, "staffing requirements" includes |
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scheduling information for any fire-fighting, emergency medical |
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services, emergency dispatch, or law enforcement personnel. |
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SECTION 3. Section 418.181, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 418.181. CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN INFORMATION |
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RELATING TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. Those documents or portions |
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of documents in the possession of a governmental entity are |
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confidential if they identify the technical details of [particular
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vulnerabilities of] critical infrastructure [to an act of
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terrorism]. |
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SECTION 4. Section 418.182, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
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(d) In this section, "security system" includes station |
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alert systems used as part of a dispatching system for |
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firefighting, emergency medical services, and law enforcement |
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personnel. |
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SECTION 5. Section 552.024, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (g) to read as follows: |
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(g) For purposes of this section, a volunteer fire fighter, |
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as defined by Section 78.101, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is |
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considered an employee of a governmental body who begins employment |
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on the date the volunteer fire fighter commences providing services |
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to the governmental body. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |