HBA-TBM H.B. 1396 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1396
By: Geren
Public Safety
3/22/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Each year in the State of Texas hundreds of citizens are killed or injured
due to extreme weather conditions and natural disasters.  The cost of such
disasters is enormous both financially and in human lives.  On March 28,
2000, a tornado struck populous areas in and around downtown Fort Worth as
well as Arlington, Grand Prairie, and River Oaks, causing millions of
dollars in damage and approximately 100 casualties. It is possible that the
effects of the tornado would not have been as severe, at least to human
lives, if Tarrant County had a more effective emergency warning system.
House Bill 1396 authorizes an emergency communication district to provide
or upgrade an emergency siren warning service.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution.   

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1396 amends the Health and Safety Code to provide that the Texas
Legislature finds that coordinated publicly operated emergency warning
systems in expanding metropolitan areas are essential to minimize loss of
life by warning persons in the emergency communication district (district)
of weatherrelated dangers and other potential disasters (Sec. 772.202).
The bill authorizes a district to provide emergency siren warning service
to each participating jurisdiction through operation of an emergency siren
warning system (system) and sets forth provisions for the creation and
operation of such a system (Sec. 722.2101).  When preparing a budget for a
system, the board of managers of a district (board) may not exceed the
amount of revenues derived from the additional one percent that this bill
allows the board to impose on a 9-1-1 emergency service fee (Section
722.214).   

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.