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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to notice provided by a public water system regarding a |
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water outage in an area served by a provider of fire protection |
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services. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 341, Health and Safety |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 341.03561 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 341.03561. NOTIFICATION OF WATER OUTAGE TO PROVIDER OF |
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FIRE SUPPRESSION SERVICES. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Fire department" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 795.001. |
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(2) "Hydrant" has the meaning assigned by Section |
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341.03571. |
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(3) "Regulatory authority" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 13.002, Water Code. |
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(4) "Public safety answering point" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 772.001. |
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(b) The regulatory authority for a public water system |
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responsible for a hydrant shall by rule or ordinance require the |
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public water system to provide to each fire department that |
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provides fire suppression services in the area in which the hydrant |
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is located notice of an unplanned water service interruption that |
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results in the hydrant being temporarily unavailable for use in a |
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fire emergency as soon as possible, but no later than: |
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(1) one hour from the first notification that a |
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hydrant is unavailable for use when the outage impacts multiple |
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hydrants; or |
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(2) three hours from the first notification that a |
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hydrant is unavailable for use when the outage impacts a singular |
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hydrant. |
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(c) The regulatory authority for a public water system |
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responsible for a hydrant shall by rule or ordinance require the |
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public water system to provide to each fire department that |
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provides fire suppression services in the area in which the hydrant |
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is located notice of a planned water service interruption that |
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results in the hydrant being temporarily unavailable for use in a |
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fire emergency prior to a disruption of service. |
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(d) The regulatory authority for a public water system |
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responsible for a hydrant shall by rule or ordinance require the |
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public water system to provide to each fire department that |
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provides fire suppression services in the area impacted by a water |
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service interruption under Subsections (b) or (c) notice of a |
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resumption of service within two hours. |
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(e) For the purposes of this section, a hydrant is |
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unavailable for use in a fire emergency if it is unavailable for |
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pumping directly from the hydrant or is unavailable for use in |
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filling a water tank on a fire truck used for fire suppression |
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services. |
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(f) The regulatory authority may approve the use of a |
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dynamic information database described by Section 418.192, |
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Government Code, to satisfy the requirements of Subsections (b), |
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(c), and (d). |
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(g) The regulatory authority may instead provide notice to a |
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public safety answering point that relays information to a fire |
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department that provides fire suppression services in the area in |
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which an affected hydrant is located, to satisfy the requirements |
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of Subsections (b), (c), and (d). |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2023. |