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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the next generation 9-1-1 service fund. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 771.0713, Health and Safety Code, is |
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amended by amending Subsections (b), (c), (f) and (g) and adding |
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Subsections (c-1), (c-2), (c-3) and (c-4) to read as follows: |
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(b) Notwithstanding any other law and except as provided by |
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federal or state law, the comptroller shall transfer to the credit |
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of the next generation 9-1-1 service fund any amount available (i) |
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from federal money provided to this state from the Coronavirus |
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State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under Section 9901 of the |
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American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 117-2) or from any |
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other federal governmental source, or (ii) from any state |
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governmental source, for purposes of this chapter. The comptroller |
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shall transfer the money as soon as practicable following the |
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receipt by this state of a sufficient amount of federal money for |
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the transfer or as soon as practicable after the effective date of |
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the most recent appropriation of state funds by the legislature for |
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this purpose. |
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(c) Money deposited to the credit of the next generation |
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9-1-1 service fund may be used only for the purpose of supporting |
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the deployment and reliable operation of next generation 9-1-1 |
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service, including the costs of equipment, operations, and |
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administration. |
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(c-1) Money in the fund from federal sources may be |
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distributed to only the commission and emergency communication |
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districts and must be used in a manner the complies with federal |
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law. |
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(c-2) For any money in the fund resulting from the |
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appropriation of state funds, except as provided by Subsection |
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(c-3), after the money is deposited into the fund, the commission |
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shall distribute to each emergency communication district that does |
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not participate in the state system a portion of the money that |
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bears the same proportion that the population of the area served by |
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the district bears to the population of the state. |
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(c-3) For each emergency communication district created |
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under Chapter 772 that is entitled to a portion of the money |
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distributed under Subsection (c-2), the commission shall: |
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(1) reduce the portion to which that district is |
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entitled by an amount equal to [nine percent] of that portion and |
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distribute that amount in equal shares to all the emergency |
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communication districts created under Chapter 772; and |
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(2) distribute to that district the remainder of the |
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portion to which the district is entitled under Subsection (c-2) |
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that is not distributed under Subdivision (1). |
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(c-4) The remaining money in the fund appropriated from |
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state funds that is not otherwise distributed under Subsection |
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(c-2) or (c-3) shall be deposited to the 9-1-1 services fee account. |
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(f) All money in the fund from the Coronavirus State and |
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Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under Section 9901 of the American |
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Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 117-2) shall be distributed in |
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accordance with this section not later than [December 31, 2022] |
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August 31, 2024, and all money distributed under this section from |
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the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under Section |
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9901 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 117-2) |
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shall be spent not later than [December 31, 2024]December 31, 2026, |
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for the deployment and reliable operation of next generation 9-1-1 |
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service. |
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(g) This section expires [September 1, 2025]December 31, |
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2026. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |