H.B. No. 6
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to disaster relief and recovery.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Sections 418.005(a), (b), (c), and (e),
  Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  This section applies only to:
               (1)  an elected law enforcement officer or county
  judge, or an appointed public officer of the state or of a political
  subdivision, who has management or supervisory responsibilities
  and:
                     (A) [(1)]  whose position description, job
  duties, or assignment includes emergency management
  responsibilities; or
                     (B) [(2)]  who plays a role in emergency
  preparedness, response, or recovery; and
               (2)  an emergency management coordinator designated
  under Section 418.1015(c) by the emergency management director of a
  county with a population of 500,000 or more.
         (b)  Each person described by Subsection (a) shall complete a
  course of training provided or approved by the division of not less
  than three hours regarding the responsibilities of state and local
  governments under this chapter not later than the 180th day after
  the date the person:
               (1)  takes the oath of office, if the person is required
  to take an oath of office to assume the person's duties as a public
  officer; [or]
               (2)  otherwise assumes responsibilities as a public
  officer, if the person is not required to take an oath of office to
  assume the person's duties; or
               (3)  is designated as an emergency management
  coordinator under Section 418.1015(c).
         (c)  The division shall develop and provide a training course
  related to the emergency management responsibilities of
  state-level officers and a training course related to the emergency
  management responsibilities of officers and emergency management
  coordinators of political subdivisions. The division shall ensure
  that the training courses satisfy the requirements of Subsection
  (b).
         (e)  The division or other entity providing the training
  shall provide a certificate of course completion to a person
  [public officers] who completes [complete] the training required by
  this section. A person [public officer] who completes the training
  required by this section shall maintain and make available for
  public inspection the record of the person's [public officer's]
  completion of the training.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, is
  amended by adding Section 418.054 to read as follows:
         Sec. 418.054.  DISASTER RECOVERY TASK FORCE. (a) The
  division shall develop a disaster recovery task force to operate
  throughout the long-term recovery period following natural and
  man-made disasters by providing specialized assistance for
  communities and individuals to address financial issues, available
  federal assistance programs, and recovery and resiliency planning
  to speed recovery efforts at the local level.
         (b)  The disaster recovery task force may include and use the
  resources of:
               (1)  any appropriate state agencies, including
  institutions of higher education; and
               (2)  organized volunteer groups.
         (c)  The disaster recovery task force shall develop
  procedures for preparing and issuing a report listing each project
  related to a disaster that qualifies for federal assistance. A
  report must be submitted to the appropriate federal agencies as
  soon as practicable after any disaster.
         (d)  Once each quarter, the disaster recovery task force
  shall brief members of the legislature, legislative staff, and
  state agency personnel on the response and recovery efforts for
  previous disasters and any preparation or planning for potential
  future hazards, threats, or disasters.
         SECTION 3.  Section 418.102, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  An emergency management program required by
  Subsection (a) and maintained by a county, or in which a county
  participates, must provide for catastrophic debris management.
         SECTION 4.  Section 33.604, Natural Resources Code, is
  amended by adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
         (b-1)  In addition to the money described by Subsection (b),
  the account consists of money transferred to the account under
  Section 156.252, Tax Code. This subsection expires September 1,
  2031.
         SECTION 5.  Subchapter F, Chapter 156, Tax Code, is amended
  by adding Section 156.252 to read as follows:
         Sec. 156.252.  TEMPORARY ALLOCATION OF CERTAIN REVENUE TO
  BENEFIT COASTAL COUNTIES. (a)  In this section, "coastal county"
  means any county adjacent to:
               (1)  the Gulf of Mexico; or
               (2)  Corpus Christi Bay.
         (b)  Beginning with the state fiscal year beginning
  September 1, 2021, and except as provided by Subsection (d), the
  comptroller shall, not later than September 30 of each state fiscal
  year:
               (1)  compute the amount of revenue derived from the
  collection of taxes imposed under this chapter at a rate of two
  percent and received from hotels located in coastal counties during
  the preceding state fiscal year; and
               (2)  transfer that amount to the coastal erosion
  response account created under Section 33.604, Natural Resources
  Code.
         (c)  Revenue transferred under this section may be
  appropriated only to the General Land Office for a purpose
  consistent with Subchapter H, Chapter 33, Natural Resources Code,
  that benefits a coastal county.
         (d)  Revenue derived from the collection of taxes under this
  chapter that is placed in a suspense account under Section
  151.429(h) or under Section 2303.5055(f), Government Code, is
  excluded from the computation required by Subsection (b)(1).
         (e)  This section expires September 1, 2031.
         SECTION 6.  Not later than March 1, 2020, each person who is
  required to complete a course of training under Section 418.005,
  Government Code, as amended by this Act, must complete the
  training.
         SECTION 7.  Not later than January 1, 2020, each county shall
  provide for catastrophic debris management in the county's
  emergency management program or in a program in which the county
  participates as required by Section 418.102(a-1), Government Code,
  as added by this Act.
         SECTION 8.  The Texas Division of Emergency Management is
  required to implement a provision of this Act only if the
  legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If
  the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that
  purpose, the division
  may, but is not required to, implement a
  provision of this Act using other appropriations available for that
  purpose.
         SECTION 9.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 6 was passed by the House on April 11,
  2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 145, Nays 0, 1 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 6 on May 24, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 140, Nays 1, 2
  present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 6 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 22, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays
  0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor