HBA-TBM S.B. 1650 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 1650 By: Bernsen Appropriations 5/15/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, the Division of Emergency Management (DEM) and other state agencies with disaster response, recovery, and mitigation responsibilities are staffed at a preparedness level and do not have sufficient personnel to effectively staff recovery and mitigation operations. Typically, this void is managed by hiring or contracting with temporary personnel. Should these personnel remain on the state agency payroll over a certain time period, they are counted as full-time employees and may have an impact on the current fulltime employee cap. Additionally, travel expenses are expenses that are reported in an agency's travel allowances, which may also have an impact on an agency's finances. Senate Bill 1650 provides that such temporary personnel do not count against a state agency's full-time employee authorization and travel expenses in certain cases are not considered reportable against travel allowances. 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 Senate Bill 1650 amends the Government Code to provide that travel expenses related to providing disaster assistance in a disaster declared by the governor or the president of the United States (president) are not considered expenses to be reported in a state agency's authorized travel allowance. This provision applies only to travel expenses incurred during the time a disaster field office is operational and by personnel assigned disaster related duties authorized by the state coordinating officer, the governor's authorized representative, or the disaster district chairperson. The bill authorizes a state agency that is represented on the emergency management council to employ or contract with temporary personnel as necessary to provide disaster assistance to a political subdivision after a disaster is declared by the governor or the president. The agency is authorized to pay for the employees or contract personnel from funds appropriated to the state agency, federal funds, or the disaster contingency fund. The state merit system does not apply to a person employed to provide disaster assistance during a disaster. Such a person does not count against the state agency's full-time employee authorization. These provisions apply only during the time a disaster field office is operational. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.