Bill Text: TX HB1765 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to an emergency public service messaging network.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-04-29 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB1765 Detail]

Download: Texas-2011-HB1765-Introduced.html
  82R8699 NAJ-F
 
  By: Miller of Erath H.B. No. 1765
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to an emergency public service messaging network.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 418, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter I to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER I. EMERGENCY PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGING NETWORK
         Sec. 418.201.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Digital display" means an electronic display that
  is in compliance with federal law and:
                     (A)  is capable of displaying digital messages and
  images;
                     (B)  for each display, measures at least 600
  square feet, with a resolution of at least 15 millimeters;
                     (C)  has emergency backup power for at least 24
  hours of operation; and
                     (D)  automatically adjusts to ambient light
  conditions and ensures the brightness of each display does not
  exceed .3 foot-candles over ambient light levels measured at a
  distance of 250 feet.
               (2)  "Emergency information network" means a system of
  digital displays that is controlled remotely from a centralized
  location.
               (3)  "Emergency management director" means a person
  designated to serve as emergency management director under Section
  418.1015.
               (4)  "Health authority" has the meaning assigned by
  Section 81.003, Health and Safety Code.
         Sec. 418.202.  LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY ALERTS.
  (a)  With the cooperation of the Texas Department of Transportation
  and emergency management directors, the division shall develop and
  implement a system for municipalities and counties to issue local
  public health and public safety alerts through an emergency
  information network developed under Section 418.203.
         (b)  The local public health and public safety alerts may
  include:
               (1)  AMBER alerts or other alerts issued under
  Subchapter L, Chapter 411;
               (2)  silver alerts issued under Subchapter M, Chapter
  411;
               (3)  blue alerts issued under an executive order;
               (4)  homeland security alerts; and
               (5)  emergency public service messages provided to
  motorists:
                     (A)  during a severe weather advisory;
                     (B)  during an evacuation that has been ordered or
  recommended under this chapter; or
                     (C)  following a declaration of a state of
  disaster issued under this chapter.
         Sec. 418.203.  EMERGENCY INFORMATION NETWORK. (a)  In this
  section, "contractor" means a person who contracts with the
  division to implement the emergency information network.
         (b)  The division shall coordinate with the Texas Department
  of Transportation to implement an emergency information network
  along designated high traffic evacuation routes and highways in
  metropolitan areas located within 50 miles of a designated
  evacuation route.  A digital display that is part of the emergency
  information network must be located only within the corporate
  limits or extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality.
         (c)  The emergency information network must be able to:
               (1)  display local public health and public safety
  alerts described by Section 418.202(b);
               (2)  display real-time information and relevant
  digital images regarding the availability of fuel, food, lodging,
  and 24-hour pharmacy services located along routes and highways
  described by Subsection (b); and
               (3)  quickly disseminate the information described by
  Subdivisions (1) and (2) to each digital display in the network.
         (d)  The emergency information network must include at least
  200 digital displays and, to the extent possible, use double-sided
  digital displays. The digital displays must be installed in a
  sufficient number and located in sufficiently high population and
  high traffic areas to ensure the emergency information network
  disseminates information to the maximum number of motorists.
         (e)  The division, through competitive bidding, shall
  contract with a person to implement the emergency information
  network at no cost to the state. The contract must include terms
  that require the contractor to:
               (1)  erect and maintain digital displays on private
  property along routes and highways described by Subsection (b);
               (2)  display the local public health and public safety
  alerts described by Section 418.202(b);
               (3)  collect the information described by Subsection
  (c)(2); and
               (4)  display the information collected under
  Subdivision (3) on digital displays.
         (f)  The contractor must obtain a person's permission before
  the contractor may erect a digital display on the person's
  property.
         (g)  If a digital display authorized under this section is
  not being used to display the information described by Subsection
  (c), the contractor may:
               (1)  display commercial digital messages;
               (2)  charge the prevailing market rate for displaying
  commercial digital messages; and
               (3)  retain the prevailing market rate for displaying
  commercial digital messages.
         (h)  Not later than January 31 of each year, the contractor
  shall pay two and one-half percent of the gross revenue generated
  from each digital display during the preceding year to:
               (1)  the comptroller for deposit in the general revenue
  fund; and
               (2)  the municipality in whose corporate limits or
  extraterritorial jurisdiction the digital display is located.
         (i)  After the expiration of the contract described by
  Subsection (e), the contractor may continue to maintain the digital
  displays erected by the contractor if the contractor continues to:
               (1)  display the local public health and public safety
  alerts described by Section 418.202(b); and
               (2)  make the payments required under Subsection (h).
         (j)  The contractor shall operate the emergency information
  network to maximize the payments required under Subsection (h).
         (k)  Notwithstanding other law, the location and erection of
  a digital display authorized under this section is governed only by
  federal law and this section.
         (l)  The division may adopt rules to implement this section.
         (m)  The division shall implement this section using
  existing resources.
         Sec. 418.204.  ADMINISTRATION. (a)  The division shall
  coordinate the local public health and public safety alert system
  described by Section 418.202(a).
         (b)  The division shall adopt standards as necessary to
  ensure proper implementation of the alert system. The standards
  must address:
               (1)  the procedures to be used by a health authority to
  verify a threat to public health within the health authority's
  jurisdiction;
               (2)  the procedures to be used by a local law
  enforcement agency to verify a threat to public safety within the
  agency's jurisdiction; and
               (3)  the procedures to be used by an individual or
  entity to report information about a threat to public health or
  public safety.
         (c)  The division shall prescribe forms for use by an
  emergency management director for a municipality or county in
  requesting activation of the alert system.
         Sec. 418.205.  DUTIES OF TEXAS DIVISION OF EMERGENCY
  MANAGEMENT.  The division shall:
               (1)  cooperate with the Texas Department of
  Transportation and emergency management directors and assist in
  developing and implementing the alert system described by Section
  418.202(a); and
               (2)  establish a plan for providing relevant
  information to the public in affected areas of the state through the
  emergency information network developed under Section 418.203.
         Sec. 418.206.  NOTIFICATION TO DIVISION OF LOCAL THREAT TO
  PUBLIC HEALTH OR PUBLIC SAFETY. (a)  An emergency management
  director may notify the department if the emergency management
  director receives notice from:
               (1)  a health authority of a verified threat to public
  health within the health authority's jurisdiction; or
               (2)  a local law enforcement agency of a verified
  threat to public safety within the agency's jurisdiction.
         (b)  The emergency management director must determine that
  the information provided by a health authority or a local law
  enforcement agency poses a credible threat to the municipality or
  county.
         Sec. 418.207.  ACTIVATION. (a)  On the request of an
  emergency management director, the division shall activate the
  alert system described by Section 418.202(a) and notify appropriate
  participants in the alert system.
         (b)  The division shall send the alert to designated media
  outlets in the area affected by the public health or public safety
  threat. Following receipt of the alert, participating media
  outlets may issue the alert at designated intervals.
         Sec. 418.208.  CONTENT OF LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH OR PUBLIC
  SAFETY ALERT. A local public health or public safety alert must
  include:
               (1)  all appropriate information that is provided by
  the emergency management director; and
               (2)  information on whom an individual in the affected
  area can contact for more information.
         Sec. 418.209.  TERMINATION OF LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH OR PUBLIC
  SAFETY ALERT. (a)  The division shall terminate any activation of
  the alert with respect to a local public health or public safety
  threat not later than the earlier of the time at which:
               (1)  the local public health or public safety threat is
  resolved; or
               (2)  the notification period ends, as determined by
  standards adopted by the division.
         (b)  An emergency management director that requests
  activation of the alert system under this subchapter shall notify
  the division as soon as possible that the local public health or
  public safety threat is resolved.
         SECTION 2.  The Texas Division of Emergency Management shall
  ensure the emergency information network under Section 418.203,
  Government Code, as added by this Act, is functionally operational
  with at least 50 digital displays installed no later than June 30,
  2012.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
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