Bill Text: TX HB2320 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to services provided during and following a disaster.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2019-05-29 - Effective on 9/1/19 [HB2320 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB2320-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 2320 | ||
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| relating to services provided during and following a disaster. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Sections 418.054, 418.055, and 418.056 to read as | ||
| follows: | ||
| Sec. 418.054. COMMUNICATIONS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A | ||
| DISASTER. The division, in collaboration with other appropriate | ||
| entities selected by the division, shall to the extent practicable | ||
| include private wireless communication, Internet, and cable | ||
| service providers in the disaster planning process and determine | ||
| the availability of the providers' portable satellite | ||
| communications equipment and portable mobile telephone towers to | ||
| assist in response and recovery immediately following disasters. | ||
| Sec. 418.055. HARDENING OF UTILITY FACILITIES AND CRITICAL | ||
| INFRASTRUCTURE. (a) In this section, "critical infrastructure" | ||
| includes hospitals and fire stations. | ||
| (b) The division shall identify methods for hardening | ||
| utility facilities and critical infrastructure in order to maintain | ||
| operations of essential services during disasters. | ||
| (c) The division shall, in collaboration with the Texas | ||
| Commission on Environmental Quality, the Railroad Commission of | ||
| Texas, and any other state agencies selected by the division: | ||
| (1) determine methods for effectively reducing risks | ||
| and impacts on utility facilities and critical infrastructure from | ||
| a disaster; and | ||
| (2) encourage public and private entities that are | ||
| responsible for utility facilities and critical infrastructure to | ||
| implement the methods determined under Subdivision (1). | ||
| (d) This section does not apply to a utility facility owned | ||
| or controlled by a utility regulated by the Public Utility | ||
| Commission of Texas. | ||
| Sec. 418.056. REPORT ON BUILDING TRADE SERVICES FOLLOWING | ||
| DISASTERS. (a) Not later than November 1, 2020, the division shall | ||
| submit a report to members of the legislature on improving the | ||
| oversight, accountability, and availability of building trade | ||
| services following disasters. The report must include: | ||
| (1) strategies to increase the availability of | ||
| tradespeople, including plumbers and electricians, following a | ||
| disaster; | ||
| (2) approaches to increase prosecutions of alleged | ||
| fraud related to building trade services offered following a | ||
| disaster; and | ||
| (3) methods to encourage performance bond | ||
| requirements in contracts for building trade services to be | ||
| performed following a disaster. | ||
| (b) The division shall consult with the Texas Department of | ||
| Licensing and Regulation and any other state agencies selected by | ||
| the division, local governments, trade associations, and law | ||
| enforcement groups in preparing the report described by Subsection | ||
| (a). | ||
| (c) This section expires January 1, 2021. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 17, Utilities Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 17.010 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 17.010. DISASTER BILLING AWARENESS. The commission in | ||
| cooperation with the Texas Division of Emergency Management shall: | ||
| (1) promote public awareness of bill payment | ||
| assistance available during a disaster for electric, water, and | ||
| wastewater services, including assistance for consumers on level | ||
| billing plans; and | ||
| (2) provide the public with information about billing | ||
| practices during a disaster to ensure that consumers of electric, | ||
| water, and wastewater services have an adequate understanding of | ||
| their rights. | ||
| SECTION 3. Not later than December 1, 2019, the Texas | ||
| Division of Emergency Management and the Public Utility Commission | ||
| of Texas shall begin the public awareness campaign required by | ||
| Section 17.010, Utilities Code, as added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 2320 was passed by the House on April | ||
| 11, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, 2 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 2320 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
| 15, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| _____________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
