Bill

SB 1465

84(R) - 2015
Senate Natural Resources & Economic Development
Senate Natural Resources & Economic Development
Intergovernmental Affairs

Vote Recommendation

Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral

Co-Author(s)

Kirk Watson

Bill Caption

Relating to creating limited purpose disaster declaration authority for the Governor.

Fiscal Notes

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

Bill Analysis

SB 1465, if passed, would modify the Government Code (Section 1, Subchapter B, Chapter 418) by adding a new section (418.025) which would grant the governor a new possible course of action in the event of a disaster.

Currently in code (Section 418.016) when the governor declares a disaster, five subsections must be adhered to (subsections a-f). SB 1465, if passed would allow the governor to declare an disaster and only adhere to subsections a and e. This would effectively allow the governor to bypass signage requirements in the event that a law, rule, or regulatory statute is suspended. The governor may also suspend a number of registration requirements most of which are located in the Transportation Code. (The specific requirements which can be found in subsection f.)

The second chamber sponsor is Representative Larry Phillips.

Vote Recommendation Notes

5/19/15 Update:

No amendments or modifications have been made to the bill since we reported on it. We continue to remain neutral.

First chamber analysis below:

SB 1465 has some provisions we support and some we find concerning. On the one hand we appreciate giving the governor more flexibility in declaring an emergency. Allowing for the waiving of permitting requirements in the event of a disaster seems prudent enough. However, in the event that laws, rules, or statutes are suspended, the installation of signage is an important measure to keep make sure people know about the temporary suspension. Granted, there may be some situations (an emergency evacuation for example) where posting signage might hinder the timeliness of executing the emergency order. Weighing these factors we are neutral on SB 1465.