By: Ashby (Senate Sponsor - Kolkhorst) H.B. No. 4609
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2023;
  May 5, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Water,
  Agriculture & Rural Affairs; May 19, 2023, reported favorably by
  the following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 19, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
 
  COMMITTEE VOTE
 
 
         YeaNayAbsentPNV
         PerryX
         HancockX
         BlancoX
         FloresX
         GutierrezX
         JohnsonX
         KolkhorstX
         SparksX
         SpringerX
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to a study by the Texas A&M Forest Service of the potential
  effects of wildfires in this state.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
               (1)  "Fuel loading" means the amount of combustible
  material in a defined space expressed quantitatively in terms of
  weight of fuel per unit area.
               (2)  "Service" means the Texas A&M Forest Service.
         SECTION 2.  STUDY. (a) The service shall conduct a study to
  determine the status and condition of fuel loading in wildfire risk
  zones in this state and the corresponding risk of wildfire to the
  residents, homes, businesses, and ecology of this state.
         (b)  In conducting the study, the service shall:
               (1)  establish wildfire risk zones based on fuel
  loading and the risk of wildfire to the residents, homes,
  businesses, and ecology of this state within geographic areas
  defined by the service; and
               (2)  solicit and consider information from:
                     (A)  the Department of Public Safety;
                     (B)  the Department of Agriculture, including the
  Prescribed Burning Board;
                     (C)  the Texas Division of Emergency Management;
                     (D)  the Parks and Wildlife Department;
                     (E)  the Texas Commission on Environmental
  Quality;
                     (F)  the State Soil and Water Conservation Board;
                     (G)  the comptroller of public accounts; and
                     (H)  other natural resource representatives as
  necessary.
         (c)  The study must:
               (1)  for each wildfire risk zone established under
  Subsection (b)(1) of this section, consider:
                     (A)  the risk that fuel loading poses;
                     (B)  the projected loss of life, property, and
  natural resources should a wildfire occur in the zone;
                     (C)  the financial impact of costs associated
  with:
                           (i)  reconstruction in the zone after a
  wildfire;
                           (ii)  potential loss of production in the
  natural resource and agricultural industries in the zone after a
  wildfire; and
                           (iii)  fuel loading mitigation and asset
  hardening in the zone; and
                     (D)  whether the money invested in fuel loading
  mitigation in the zone exceeds or is less than the value of property
  protected by the investment and the amount of the excess or
  shortage;
               (2)  assess the overall economic benefits to this state
  of:
                     (A)  prescribed burning;
                     (B)  fuel loading control for wildfire
  prevention; and
                     (C)  public investment in fuel loading reduction
  projects; and
               (3)  recommend changes to existing law to ensure that
  public and private natural resource managers have the authority and
  ability to appropriately mitigate fuel loading risks in each
  established risk zone.
         SECTION 3.  REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2024, the
  service shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the
  speaker of the house of representatives, and each standing
  committee of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over the
  service or another state agency from which information is solicited
  under this Act a written report that includes a summary of the study
  and any legislative recommendations based on the study.
         SECTION 4.  EXPIRATION. This Act expires May 1, 2025.
         SECTION 5.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act takes effect
  immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members
  elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas
  Constitution.  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for
  immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
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