S.B. No. 36
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the homeland security activities of certain entities,
  including the establishment and operations of the Homeland Security
  Division in the Department of Public Safety.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 411.002(a), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas is
  an agency of the state to enforce the laws protecting the public
  safety and provide for the prevention and detection of crime. The
  department is composed of the Texas Rangers, the Homeland Security
  Division, the Texas Highway Patrol, the administrative division,
  and other divisions that the commission considers necessary.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 411, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter S to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER S.  HOMELAND SECURITY DIVISION
         Sec. 411.551.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Chief" means the chief of the division appointed
  under Section 411.552.
               (2)  "Division" means the Homeland Security Division of
  the department established under this subchapter.
               (3)  "Local government" means any municipality,
  county, special-purpose district or authority, or other political
  subdivision of this state.
               (4)  "State agency" means a board, commission, council,
  committee, department, office, agency, or other governmental
  entity in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of state
  government. The term includes an institution of higher education
  as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code.
         Sec. 411.552.  HOMELAND SECURITY DIVISION; CHIEF.  (a)  The
  Homeland Security Division is established in the department to lead
  multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional, and public-private efforts to
  enhance law enforcement initiatives and operations in support of
  homeland security objectives in this state.
         (b)  The director shall appoint the chief with the consent of
  the commission.
         (c)  The chief acts as the chief administrative officer of
  the division and is under the supervision and direction of the
  director, and to the extent the director determines, a deputy
  director of the department.
         Sec. 411.553.  DEPUTY CHIEFS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES;
  DELEGATION.  (a)  The chief may employ deputy chiefs and other
  employees as necessary to perform the duties or exercise the powers
  of the division or perform any duty or exercise any power of the
  department assigned to the division.
         (b)  The chief may delegate any power or duty assigned to the
  division or chief unless prohibited by statute or rule.
         Sec. 411.554.  BORDER SECURITY: PLANNING AND COORDINATION.  
  (a)  The division shall, in collaboration with any other person who
  by law performs similar duties:
               (1)  provide the strategic and operational planning for
  border security operations of this state; and
               (2)  support the border security operations of this
  state by coordinating the law enforcement efforts of federal and
  state agencies, local governments, and private organizations and by
  ensuring clarity and alignment on the law enforcement priorities
  and responsibilities of each stakeholder.
         (b)  The division shall assist as necessary the department,
  including each department region, with the department's tactical
  planning of border security operations.  The division shall produce
  intelligence and similar reports as necessary to provide the
  assistance required by this subsection.
         Sec. 411.555.  BORDER SECURITY: INTELLIGENCE.  (a)  The
  division shall coordinate the collection, dissemination, and
  analysis of intelligence for this state's border security
  operations and shall operate intelligence centers dedicated to this
  purpose.
         (b)  The division shall establish policies and procedures
  relating to the collection and management of intelligence,
  including establishing collection priorities and assigning the
  management responsibilities, for state agencies, local
  governments, and any private organizations participating in border
  security operations.
         (c)  With respect to the border security operations of this
  state, the division shall analyze and assess collected intelligence
  to produce information bulletins and other similar reports
  considered advisable.
         (d)  The division shall manage the program for the
  installation and monitoring of cameras and surveillance equipment
  along the Texas-Mexico border, known as Operation Drawbridge.
         Sec. 411.556.  HOMELAND SECURITY PLANNING AND PREPAREDNESS.
  (a)  The division shall, in collaboration with any other person who
  by law performs similar duties:
               (1)  regularly develop a comprehensive homeland
  security strategic plan for this state;
               (2)  plan and facilitate homeland security exercises in
  coordination with the Texas Division of Emergency Management and
  other state agencies, federal agencies, local governments, and any
  participating private organizations;
               (3)  develop operational and tactical plans for
  significant law enforcement emergencies or contingencies,
  including assisting each department region with developing plans
  specific to the needs of that region;
               (4)  conduct assessments of:
                     (A)  the risks and hazards posed to this state by
  criminal actors and organizations; and
                     (B)  the capabilities of state and local
  stakeholders to respond to the occurrence of those risks and
  hazards, including by coordinating the annual completion by state
  agencies and local governments of the following federal
  assessments:
                           (i)  the Threat and Hazard Identification
  and Risk Assessment; and
                           (ii)  the Stakeholder Preparedness Review;
               (5)  establish programs for regular outreach to and
  information sharing among public and private organizations
  regarding threats by criminal actors and organizations, including:
                     (A)  coordinating the Bomb-Making Materials
  Awareness Program and similar programs; and
                     (B)  ensuring private industry organizations are
  aware of:
                           (i)  criminal threats to critical
  infrastructure, such as espionage and sabotage operations;
                           (ii)  best practices for protecting critical
  infrastructure from criminal actors and organizations; and
                           (iii)  available law enforcement resources
  to assist in protecting critical infrastructure from criminal
  actors and organizations and responding to those threats; and
               (6)  assist state agencies and local governments in
  complying with restrictions under federal law on commerce with
  certain entities, including any entity:
                     (A)  listed in Supplement No. 4 to 15 C.F.R. Part
  744;
                     (B)  identified as a Chinese military company by
  the United States Secretary of Defense in accordance with Section
  1260H of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
  2021 (Pub. L. 116-283); or
                     (C)  restricted under any similar sanction
  program under federal law.
         (b)  The division shall develop any additional assessment
  for risks and hazards posed by criminal actors and organizations
  the division considers necessary and include in the strategic plan
  required by Subsection (a)(1) recommendations to mitigate those
  risks and hazards.
         (c)  The division may administer, or assist the department in
  administering, an internship program for students and other
  interested persons to participate in the operations of the
  division, or the department, as appropriate.
         Sec. 411.557.  PLANNING FOR PHYSICAL PROTECTION OF CRITICAL
  INFRASTRUCTURE. (a) The division shall coordinate multi-agency,
  multi-jurisdictional, and public-private efforts to protect the
  critical infrastructure in this state from criminal actors and
  organizations. Within the 16 critical infrastructure sectors
  identified by National Security Memorandum on Critical
  Infrastructure Security and Resilience (NSM-22) issued by the
  president of the United States, the division shall prioritize the
  division's efforts in ensuring the physical protection of critical
  infrastructure in the following sectors:
               (1)  energy;
               (2)  communications;
               (3)  transportation systems; and
               (4)  water and wastewater systems.
         (b)  With respect to potential threats to the critical
  infrastructure in this state, the division may analyze and assess
  collected intelligence to produce information bulletins and other
  similar reports considered advisable.
         (c)  The division shall develop a system to identify and
  categorize critical infrastructure in this state for the purpose of
  facilitating initiatives to protect the critical infrastructure
  from criminal actors and organizations, including for facilitating
  any risk assessment of critical infrastructure assets or systems in
  this state and identifying any dependency or interdependency among
  those assets or systems.
         (d)  The division shall conduct exercises to enhance
  public-private coordination in protecting the critical
  infrastructure of this state from criminal actors and
  organizations.
         (e)  During any disaster, as that term is defined by Section
  418.004, the division shall provide support to the state operations
  center described by Section 418.041(e).
         Sec. 411.558.  INFRASTRUCTURE LIAISON OFFICER PROGRAM. (a)  
  The division shall operate a program to train volunteers from
  public and private organizations to:
               (1)  collect or receive intelligence information
  related to threats to critical infrastructure; and
               (2)  properly identify threats to critical
  infrastructure and report those threats to the department.
         (b)  The division may set reasonable eligibility
  requirements for the program.
         Sec. 411.559.  WORK GROUPS; STUDY OF TECHNOLOGIES.  (a)  The
  division may establish and appoint members to one or more work
  groups to:
               (1)  study any issue related to the division's duties or
  the law enforcement initiatives or operations of this state; and
               (2)  advise or produce written reports on an issue
  studied under Subdivision (1).
         (b)  A work group established under this section may be
  composed of representatives from state and federal agencies, local
  governments, and private organizations.  The division may provide
  administrative support for any work group established under this
  section.
         (c)  The division shall, in collaboration with any person who
  by law performs similar duties, establish or operate work groups to
  study methods or technologies to enhance the border security
  operations of this state and the security of the critical
  infrastructure of this state, including any task force established
  to survey the vulnerabilities of state government, local
  governments, and critical infrastructure.
         Sec. 411.560.  RESEARCH. (a)  The division shall annually
  propose to the commission the research priorities and a research
  agenda for the department.
         (b)  The division shall coordinate with institutions of
  higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, to
  enhance the research capabilities of the institutions and the
  department by sharing information and aligning priorities.
         (c)  The division shall research new technologies to enhance
  the law enforcement initiatives and operations conducted by this
  state, including any border security operation conducted by a state
  agency, local government, or private organization.
         Sec. 411.561.  COUNSEL AND BUDGETING. (a)  In this section,
  "homeland security activity" means any activity related to the
  prevention or discovery of, response to, or recovery from:
               (1)  a terrorist attack;
               (2)  a hostile military or paramilitary action; or
               (3)  an extraordinary law enforcement emergency.
         (b)  The division shall, on request, provide subject matter
  expertise and counsel to a state agency or local government
  regarding the state's border security operations and critical
  infrastructure protection initiatives, including related grant
  programs, legislation, risk management assessments, and other
  initiatives.
         (c)  The division shall confer with each state agency
  involved in any homeland security activity before each legislative
  session regarding the portion of the state agency's budget request
  that finances the agency's homeland security activities.  The
  division shall coordinate with the state agencies to eliminate
  unnecessary redundancies and increase the efficiency of state
  agency efforts in conducting homeland security activities.
         Sec. 411.562.  WEBSITE AND REPORTS. The division shall
  maintain a publicly accessible Internet website and publish
  assessments and other reports produced by the division that are not
  excepted from disclosure under Section 552.021 and not
  confidential.
         Sec. 411.563.  SENSITIVE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY PRIVATE
  ORGANIZATIONS. (a)  If in performing any duty or exercising any
  authority under this subchapter the division or a work group or task
  force of the division is provided information by a private
  organization that the private organization considers highly
  sensitive, proprietary, or otherwise confidential and the private
  organization notifies in writing the division, work group, or task
  force of that fact:
               (1)  the information is not public information for
  purposes of Chapter 552, and is excepted from the requirements of
  Section 552.021; and
               (2)  the division or applicable work group or task
  force:
                     (A)  shall secure the information in the same
  manner as the private organization secures the information; and
                     (B)  may not further disclose the information
  without the consent of the private organization.
         (b)  If the division or a work group or task force of the
  division is required to disclose information described by
  Subsection (a) to comply with applicable state or federal law or a
  court order, the division or applicable work group or task force
  shall to the extent practicable:
               (1)  not later than the fifth business day before the
  date the information is disclosed, notify the private organization
  that provided the information of the required disclosure; and
               (2)  disclose the information in the same condition as
  the division or applicable work group or task force received the
  information, including providing any labels or other markings that
  were originally provided with the information. 
         SECTION 3.  Section 421.024, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 421.024.  DUTIES. The council shall, in collaboration
  with the Homeland Security Division of the Department of Public
  Safety, advise the governor on:
               (1)  the implementation of the governor's homeland
  security strategy by state and local agencies and provide specific
  suggestions for helping those agencies implement the strategy; and
               (2)  other matters related to the planning,
  development, coordination, and implementation of initiatives to
  promote the governor's homeland security strategy.
         SECTION 4.  Section 421.045, Government Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 421.045.  DUTIES. Each permanent special advisory
  committee created under this subchapter shall, in collaboration
  with the Homeland Security Division of the Department of Public
  Safety, advise the governor on:
               (1)  the implementation of the governor's homeland
  security strategy by state and local agencies and provide specific
  suggestions for helping those agencies implement the strategy;
               (2)  specific priorities related to the governor's
  homeland security strategy that the committee determines to be of
  significant importance to the statewide security of critical
  infrastructure; and
               (3)  other matters related to the planning,
  development, coordination, and implementation of initiatives to
  promote the governor's homeland security strategy.
         SECTION 5.  (a)  In this section:
               (1)  "Department" means the Department of Public
  Safety.
               (2)  "Transferring agency" means a state agency that is
  required to transfer the management and operations of a center to
  the department under Subsection (b)(2) of this section.
         (b)  As soon as practicable after the effective date of this
  Act, the department shall:
               (1)  transfer the management and operations of the
  Border Security Operations Center and the Joint Operations and
  Intelligence Centers to the Texas Homeland Security Division in the
  department; and
               (2)  enter into a written agreement with any other
  state agency that, before the effective date of this Act, is
  involved in the management or operations of the centers described
  by Subdivision (1) of this subsection for the transfer of the
  management and operations of those centers to the division,
  including any land, facilities, equipment, and other property
  involved in the operations of the centers.
         (c)  The written agreement required by Subsection (b)(2) of
  this section must specify an effective date for the transfer.
         (d)  Any rules, policies, procedures, decisions, and forms
  of a transferring agency that relate to the management or
  operations of a center in effect on the effective date of the
  transfer remain in effect until changed by the department.
         (e)  All money, contracts, leases, property, software source
  code and documentation, records, and obligations of a transferring
  agency that relate to the management or operations of a center are
  transferred to the department on the effective date of the
  transfer.
         (f)  The unexpended and unobligated balance of any money
  appropriated by the legislature relating to a center transferred
  under this Act is transferred to the department on the effective
  date of the transfer of the center.
         (g)  A transferring agency shall provide the department with
  access to any systems, facilities, or information necessary for the
  department to accept the management and operations of a center
  transferred under this Act.
         (h)  On the effective date of the transfer, all full-time
  equivalent employee positions at the transferring agency that
  concern the management or operations of a center being transferred
  become positions at the department. The department shall post the
  positions for hiring and, when filling the positions, shall give
  consideration to, but is not required to hire, an applicant who,
  immediately before the date of the transfer, was an employee at a
  transferring agency.
         SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 36 passed the Senate on
  April 10, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 3; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendments on May 28, 2025, by the
  following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 3.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 36 passed the House, with
  amendments, on May 24, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 83,
  Nays 36, three present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor