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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Internet posting of localized health and safety |
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alerts by a municipality or county. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 370, Local Government Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 370.011 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 370.011. REQUIRED POSTING OF LOCALIZED HEALTH AND |
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SAFETY ALERTS ON INTERNET WEBSITE. (a) In this section, "public |
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health and safety alert" means a weather or emergency alert, |
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warning, or watch issued by the National Weather Service, the |
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National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the Texas |
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Division of Emergency Management or a successor federal or state |
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agency. |
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(b) On notification of a public health and safety alert that |
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impacts or will likely impact a municipality or county and if the |
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municipality or county maintains an Internet website, the |
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municipality or county shall post on the municipality's or county's |
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Internet website in a clear and conspicuous location a localized |
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health and safety alert in accordance with Subsection (c). |
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(c) A localized health and safety alert must include: |
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(1) each area affected by the weather event or |
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emergency described by the public health and safety alert that is |
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the basis for the localized health and safety alert, including a |
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geographic display of the severity of the threat posed by the |
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weather event or emergency; |
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(2) a link to an Internet website or other message |
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system that maintains current information on each affected area; |
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(3) the projected movement, if any, of the weather |
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event or emergency; and |
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(4) instructions for the protection of human life, |
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including safe zones for evacuation and other resources. |
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SECTION 2. Section 370.011, Local Government Code, as added |
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by this Act, applies only to a public health and safety alert, as |
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defined by that section, received by a municipality or county on or |
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after the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the |
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last day of the legislative session. |