| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to creating the Texas Interoperability Council and a grant |
|
|
program administered by the council. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Chapter 421, Government Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subchapter G to read as follows: |
|
|
SUBCHAPTER G. TEXAS INTEROPERABILITY COUNCIL; GRANT PROGRAM |
|
|
Sec. 421.121. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
|
|
(1) "Council" means the Texas Interoperability |
|
|
Council established under this subchapter. |
|
|
(2) "Division" means Texas Division of Emergency |
|
|
Management. |
|
|
(3) "Local government" means a municipality, county, |
|
|
special district or authority, or any other political subdivision |
|
|
of this state. |
|
|
Sec. 421.122. TEXAS INTEROPERABILITY COUNCIL. (a) The |
|
|
Texas Interoperability Council is established to: |
|
|
(1) develop and coordinate the implementation of a |
|
|
statewide strategic plan for governing the interoperability of |
|
|
emergency communication equipment and infrastructure in this |
|
|
state, develop and implement, as advisable, emergency alert |
|
|
systems, and incorporate as necessary communication technologies |
|
|
into the emergency communications network of this state; and |
|
|
(2) administer a grant program to assist local |
|
|
governments with acquiring emergency communication equipment that |
|
|
is interoperable with other emergency communication equipment and |
|
|
infrastructure in this state and with constructing additional |
|
|
emergency communication infrastructure to ensure that the first |
|
|
responders of this state have access to equipment and |
|
|
infrastructure that is interoperable to the extent necessary to |
|
|
effectively communicate during an emergency. |
|
|
(b) The council is composed of the chief of the division and |
|
|
six members appointed as follows: |
|
|
(1) two members appointed by the governor; |
|
|
(2) two members appointed by the lieutenant governor; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(3) two members appointed by the speaker of the house |
|
|
of representatives. |
|
|
(c) Appointed council members serve staggered terms of six |
|
|
years, with the terms of two members expiring September 1 of each |
|
|
odd-numbered year. |
|
|
(d) A majority of the voting members of the council |
|
|
constitutes a quorum to transact business. If a quorum is present, |
|
|
the council may act on any matter within the council's jurisdiction |
|
|
by a majority vote. |
|
|
(e) The chief of the division serves as the council's |
|
|
presiding officer. |
|
|
Sec. 421.123. MEETINGS. The council shall meet as often as |
|
|
necessary at the call of the presiding officer to perform the |
|
|
council's duties. |
|
|
Sec. 421.124. APPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAW TO COUNCIL. (a) |
|
|
Chapters 551 and 2001 do not apply to the council. |
|
|
(b) Information held by the council is excepted from |
|
|
required public disclosure under Chapter 552. |
|
|
Sec. 421.125. STRATEGIC PLAN. (a) The council, in |
|
|
collaboration with any state agency or private entity as the |
|
|
council determines appropriate, shall develop a statewide |
|
|
strategic plan to govern the interoperability of emergency |
|
|
communication equipment and infrastructure in this state. |
|
|
(b) The strategic plan must include: |
|
|
(1) a plan for the construction of communication |
|
|
infrastructure necessary to ensure effective emergency |
|
|
communications among first responders in this state, including the |
|
|
acquisition of land as necessary for construction; |
|
|
(2) training programs necessary to ensure that state |
|
|
and local governments have the skills and resources necessary to |
|
|
access and effectively use the emergency communication equipment |
|
|
and infrastructure available in this state; |
|
|
(3) a plan to ensure that first responders throughout |
|
|
this state are equipped with emergency communication equipment that |
|
|
is interoperable with other emergency communication equipment in |
|
|
this state; and |
|
|
(4) a plan to ensure that any new emergency |
|
|
communication equipment and infrastructure acquired or constructed |
|
|
under the plan can be adapted to or integrated with any existing |
|
|
emergency communication equipment and infrastructure. |
|
|
(c) The council shall consider including in the strategic |
|
|
plan under Subsection (b): |
|
|
(1) the use of outdoor warning sirens; |
|
|
(2) implementing an emergency alert system to alert |
|
|
the public of fire and any related evacuation recommendations or |
|
|
orders that has the capability of alerting persons in an affected |
|
|
geographic area through messages sent to those persons' |
|
|
communication devices; and |
|
|
(3) the use of broadband service as part of the |
|
|
emergency communications network of this state. |
|
|
Sec. 421.126. IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAN; NETWORK |
|
|
COORDINATION. The council, in collaboration with state agencies as |
|
|
needed, shall implement the statewide strategic plan developed |
|
|
under Section 421.125 and coordinate the emergency communications |
|
|
network of this state to ensure interoperability for first |
|
|
responders. |
|
|
Sec. 421.127. GRANT PROGRAM. (a) The council shall |
|
|
establish a grant program to provide grants to local governments |
|
|
for the purchase of emergency communication equipment and |
|
|
infrastructure, the construction of emergency communication |
|
|
infrastructure, and the expenses of training employees of the local |
|
|
government for the effective use of the equipment during an |
|
|
emergency. |
|
|
(b) To be eligible for a grant under the grant program, an |
|
|
applicant must be a local government, submit a proposal to the |
|
|
council, and comply with the rules established by the council for |
|
|
the administration of the grant program. |
|
|
(c) The council shall establish procedures to administer |
|
|
the grant program, including: |
|
|
(1) eligibility criteria for a grant recipient; |
|
|
(2) guidelines relating to grant amounts; and |
|
|
(3) procedures for submitting and evaluating |
|
|
proposals. |
|
|
(d) The council shall enter into a contract that includes |
|
|
performance requirements with each grant recipient. The council |
|
|
shall monitor and enforce the terms of the contract. |
|
|
(e) The council may require as a condition of a grant |
|
|
awarded under this section that: |
|
|
(1) the officers or employees of the recipient |
|
|
successfully complete one or more training programs, as determined |
|
|
by the council, which may include incident command system training; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(2) the recipient adopt standardized procedures for |
|
|
incident command or management. |
|
|
(f) The council may delegate to a state agency the |
|
|
administration of the grant program. |
|
|
Sec. 421.128. USES OF GRANT MONEY. Money awarded under the |
|
|
grant program may be used only to: |
|
|
(1) purchase emergency communication equipment, |
|
|
including radios, spare parts, and accessories, for use by first |
|
|
responders that is interoperable with the other emergency |
|
|
communication equipment and infrastructure in this state or enables |
|
|
interoperability; |
|
|
(2) construct emergency communication infrastructure, |
|
|
including radio towers, that is interoperable with the other |
|
|
emergency communication equipment and infrastructure in this state |
|
|
or enables interoperability, including the acquisition of land |
|
|
necessary for the construction; |
|
|
(3) cover the cost of adapting existing emergency |
|
|
communication equipment or infrastructure to, or otherwise |
|
|
integrating the equipment or infrastructure with, new emergency |
|
|
communication equipment purchased or infrastructure constructed; |
|
|
(4) cover the operational or maintenance cost of the |
|
|
equipment or infrastructure described by Subdivision (1), (2), or |
|
|
(3); or |
|
|
(5) attend or provide the training to first responders |
|
|
on the effective use of the equipment and infrastructure described |
|
|
by Subdivisions (1), (2), and (3). |
|
|
Sec. 421.129. GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING. The council may use |
|
|
any available funds to implement the grant program. |
|
|
Sec. 421.130. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The council |
|
|
may accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source, including |
|
|
private and nonprofit organizations, for the purpose of |
|
|
implementing this subchapter. |
|
|
Sec. 421.131. RULES. The division may adopt rules to |
|
|
administer this subchapter. |
|
|
SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
|
|
of this Act, the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the |
|
|
house of representatives shall appoint members to the Texas |
|
|
Interoperability Council, as required by Section 421.122, |
|
|
Government Code, as added by this Act, in the manner required by |
|
|
that section, as follows: |
|
|
(1) the governor shall appoint two council members to |
|
|
a term expiring September 1, 2027; |
|
|
(2) the lieutenant governor shall appoint two council |
|
|
members to a term expiring September 1, 2029; and |
|
|
(3) the speaker of the house of representatives shall |
|
|
appoint two council members to a term expiring September 1, 2031. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |