HBA-TBM S.B. 94 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 94 By: Nelson Public Health 4/23/2001 Committee Report (Amended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under current law, provisions concerning disaster management do not make any mention of bioterrorism. Senate Bill 94 requires a local government to create a bioterrorism response plan as part of its emergency management plan and authorizes a local government to consult with the Texas Department of Health in developing the plan. 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 94 amends the Government Code to provide that an emergency management plan prepared by each local and interjurisdictional agency must address natural, technological, and man-made hazards, including acts or threatened acts of terrorism involving the use or threatened use of conventional weapons, nuclear devices and materials, chemical agents, or biological agents. In developing the plan to address nuclear devices or materials and biological agents, the local or interjurisdictional agency is authorized to consult with the Texas Department of Health. The emergency management plans adopted must follow the standards and requirements adopted by the division of emergency management in the office of the governor. EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2001. EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS Committee Amendment No. 1 provides that the emergency management plans are excepted from the requirements for availability of public information.