| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to training and credentialing requirements for certain |
|
|
emergency management coordinators and officers of this state or a |
|
|
political subdivision of this state who have emergency management |
|
|
responsibilities. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. The heading to Section 418.005, Government Code, |
|
|
is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 418.005. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TRAINING AND |
|
|
CREDENTIALING. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 418.005, Government Code, is amended by |
|
|
amending Subsections (a), (c), and (f) and adding Subsections |
|
|
(e-1), (e-2), and (e-3) to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) This section applies only to: |
|
|
(1) an elected law enforcement officer or county |
|
|
judge, [or] an appointed public officer of the state, or an elected |
|
|
or appointed public officer of a political subdivision, who has |
|
|
management or supervisory responsibilities and: |
|
|
(A) whose position description, job duties, or |
|
|
assignment includes emergency management responsibilities; or |
|
|
(B) who plays a role in emergency preparedness, |
|
|
response, or recovery; and |
|
|
(2) an emergency management coordinator designated |
|
|
under Section 418.1015(c) [by the emergency management director of |
|
|
a county with a population of 500,000 or more]. |
|
|
(c) The division shall develop and provide a training course |
|
|
related to the emergency management responsibilities of |
|
|
state-level officers and a training course related to the emergency |
|
|
management responsibilities of officers and emergency management |
|
|
coordinators of political subdivisions. The division shall ensure |
|
|
that the training courses: |
|
|
(1) satisfy the requirements of Subsection (b); and |
|
|
(2) include information regarding the National |
|
|
Incident Management System (NIMS). |
|
|
(e-1) The division shall develop a credentialing system |
|
|
that, for each recipient of a certificate of course completion |
|
|
under Subsection (e): |
|
|
(1) requires the recipient to complete continuing |
|
|
education hours at regular intervals as prescribed by division |
|
|
rule; |
|
|
(2) verifies the recipient's completion of the |
|
|
required continuing education hours; and |
|
|
(3) confirms the recipient's identity and, if |
|
|
applicable, the recipient's compliance with criminal background |
|
|
checks and deployment readiness requirements. |
|
|
(e-2) The division may provide the continuing education |
|
|
courses required by Subsection (e-1) or may contract with a |
|
|
third-party provider for the continuing education courses. The |
|
|
continuing education may include training regarding: |
|
|
(1) disaster coordination and incident command; |
|
|
(2) legal and regulatory updates; |
|
|
(3) mass casualty and shelter management; |
|
|
(4) risk communication and public information; |
|
|
(5) radio and wireless operations and operability; and |
|
|
(6) region-specific hazard preparedness and response. |
|
|
(e-3) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, the |
|
|
continuing education courses required by Subsection (e-1) may be |
|
|
presented in-person, online, or in a hybrid format. Continuing |
|
|
education courses demonstrating evacuation techniques, tactical |
|
|
rescue coordination, physical response drills, and other skills |
|
|
requiring in-person demonstration and evaluation must be presented |
|
|
in-person. |
|
|
(f) The failure of one or more public officers of the state |
|
|
or a political subdivision to complete the training or continuing |
|
|
education required by this section does not affect the validity of |
|
|
an action taken by the state or the political subdivision. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the |
|
|
last day of the legislative session. |