Title HS, Health and Safety Code

Sec. 772.503. APPLICATION OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter applies to a region: (1) with a population of more than 1.5 million; (2) composed of counties and municipalities that operate a 9-1-1 system solely through a regional planning commission; and (3) in which the governing bodi…

Sec. 772.504. CREATION OF DISTRICT. (a) A district is created when the governing bodies of each county and the principal municipality in a region adopt a resolution approving the district's creation and the county's or municipality's participation in the district. The district's …

Sec. 772.505. POLITICAL SUBDIVISION; DISTRICT POWERS. (a) A district is a political subdivision of this state created to carry out essential governmental functions. (b) A district may exercise all powers necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes and provisions of this sub…

Sec. 772.506. TERRITORY OF DISTRICT. (a) The territory of a district consists of: (1) the territory of the region in which the district is established; and (2) for each municipality partially located in the region, the territory of that municipality located in another region. (b)…

Sec. 772.507. BOARD. (a) A district is governed by a board of managers composed of the members of the governing body of the regional planning commission for the region in which the district is established. Service on the board by a member of the governing body is an additional du…

Sec. 772.508. POWERS AND DUTIES OF BOARD. (a) The board shall name, control, and manage the district. (b) The board may adopt orders, rules, and policies governing the operations of the board and the district. (c) The board may contract with any person to carry out the purposes o…

Sec. 772.509. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The board shall appoint an advisory committee consisting of representatives of the participating jurisdictions. The advisory committee shall review, advise, and provide recommendations to the board on district issues, including equipment, tra…

Sec. 772.510. DIRECTOR OF DISTRICT; STAFF. (a) The executive director of the regional planning commission in the district's region serves as director of the district. (b) The director shall: (1) perform all duties required by the board; (2) ensure that board policies and procedur…

Sec. 772.511. BUDGET; ANNUAL REPORT; AUDIT. (a) The director shall prepare, under the direction of the board, an annual budget for the district. The budget and any revision of the budget must be approved by the board. (b) As soon as practicable after the end of each district fisc…

Sec. 772.512. PROVISION OF 9-1-1 SERVICE. (a) A district shall provide 9-1-1 service to each participating jurisdiction through one or a combination of the following methods and features or equivalent state-of-the-art technology: (1) the transfer method; (2) the relay method; (3)…

Sec. 772.513. LIABILITY. A service supplier involved in providing 9-1-1 service, a manufacturer of equipment used in providing 9-1-1 service, or an officer or employee of a service supplier involved in providing 9-1-1 service may not be held liable for any claim, damage, or loss …

Sec. 772.514. PRIMARY EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER. The digits 9-1-1 are the primary emergency telephone number in a district. A public safety agency whose services are available through a 9-1-1 system: (1) may maintain a separate number for an emergency telephone call; and (2) sha…

Sec. 772.515. TRANSMITTING REQUESTS FOR EMERGENCY AID. (a) A 9-1-1 system established under this subchapter must be capable of transmitting requests for firefighting, law enforcement, ambulance, and medical services to a public safety agency that provides the requested service at…

Sec. 772.516. 9-1-1 EMERGENCY SERVICE FEE. (a) The board may impose a 9-1-1 emergency service fee on service users in the district. (b) The fee may be imposed only on the base rate charge or the charge's equivalent, excluding charges for coin-operated telephone equipment. The fee…

Sec. 772.517. COLLECTION OF FEE. (a) Each billed service user is liable for the fee imposed under Section 772.516 until the fee is paid to the service supplier. The fee must be added to and stated separately in the service user's bill from the service supplier. The service suppli…

Sec. 772.518. DISTRICT DEPOSITORY. (a) The board shall select a depository for the district in the manner provided by law for the selection of a county depository. (b) A depository selected by the board is the district's depository until the second anniversary of the date of sele…

Sec. 772.519. ALLOWABLE EXPENSES. A district's allowable operating expenses include all costs attributable to designing a 9-1-1 system and all equipment and personnel necessary to establish and operate a public safety answering point and other related operations that the board co…

Sec. 772.520. NUMBER AND LOCATION IDENTIFICATION. (a) As part of computerized 9-1-1 service, a service supplier shall furnish, for each call, the telephone number of the subscriber and the address associated with the number. (b) A business service user that provides residential f…

Sec. 772.521. PUBLIC REVIEW. (a) Periodically, the board shall solicit public comments and hold a public review hearing on the continuation of the district and the 9-1-1 emergency service fee. The first hearing shall be held on or before the third anniversary of the date of the d…

Sec. 772.522. DISSOLUTION PROCEDURES. (a) If a district is dissolved, 9-1-1 service must be discontinued. The regional planning commission for the district's region shall assume the district's assets, provide 9-1-1 service, and pay the district's debts. If the district's assets a…

Sec. 772.523. ISSUANCE OF BONDS. The board may issue bonds in the name of the district to finance: (1) the acquisition by any method of facilities, equipment, or supplies necessary for the district to provide 9-1-1 service to each participating jurisdiction; or (2) the installati…

Sec. 772.524. REPAYMENT OF BONDS. The board may provide for the payment of principal of and interest on district bonds by pledging all or part of the district's revenues from the 9-1-1 emergency service fee or from other sources. Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 552 (S.B.…

Sec. 772.525. ADDITIONAL SECURITY FOR BONDS. (a) District bonds may be additionally secured by a deed of trust or mortgage lien on all or part of the district's physical properties and rights appurtenant to the properties, vesting in the trustee power to sell the properties for p…

Sec. 772.526. FORM OF BONDS. (a) A district may issue bonds in various series or issues. (b) Bonds may mature serially or otherwise not more than 25 years after the bonds' date of issuance. Bonds shall bear interest at any rate permitted by state law. (c) A district's bonds and i…

Sec. 772.527. PROVISIONS OF BONDS. (a) In this section, "resolution" means a board resolution authorizing the issuance of bonds, including refunding bonds. (b) In a resolution, the board may: (1) provide for the flow of funds and the establishment and maintenance of an interest a…

Sec. 772.528. APPROVAL AND REGISTRATION OF BONDS. (a) Bonds issued by a district must be submitted to the attorney general for examination. (b) If the attorney general finds that the bonds have been authorized in accordance with law, the attorney general shall approve the bonds. …

Sec. 772.529. REFUNDING BONDS. (a) A district may issue bonds to refund all or any part of the district's outstanding bonds, including matured and unpaid interest coupons. (b) Refunding bonds shall mature serially or otherwise, as determined by the board, not more than 25 years a…

Sec. 772.530. BONDS AS INVESTMENTS AND SECURITY FOR DEPOSITS. (a) District bonds are legal and authorized investments for: (1) a bank; (2) a savings bank; (3) a credit union; (4) a trust company; (5) a savings and loan association; (6) an insurance company; (7) a fiduciary; (8) a…

Sec. 772.531. EXEMPTION FROM TAXATION. A bond issued by the district under this subchapter, any transaction relating to the bond, and profits made in the sale or redemption of the bond are exempt from taxation by the state or by any municipality, county, special district, or othe…

Sec. 772.532. TRANSFER OF ASSETS. If a regional emergency communications district is established under this subchapter, the regional planning commission for the region in which the district is established may transfer to the district any land, buildings, improvements, equipment, …

Sec. 772.601. SHORT TITLE. This subchapter may be cited as the Regional Emergency Communication Districts Act. Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 80 (S.B. 1108), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2015.

Sec. 772.602. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "9-1-1 region" means the portion of a state planning region established under Chapter 391, Local Government Code, composed of counties and municipalities that on September 1, 2015, exclusively received 9-1-1 system services provi…

Sec. 772.603. APPLICATION OF SUBCHAPTER. (a) This subchapter applies to a 9-1-1 region: (1) in which the total population served by the 9-1-1 system operated through a regional planning commission was less than 1.5 million on September 1, 2015; and (2) in which the governing bodi…

Sec. 772.604. CREATION OF DISTRICT. (a) A district is created when the governing bodies of each participating county and municipality in a 9-1-1 region adopt a resolution approving the district's creation. The district's creation is effective on the date the last resolution is ad…

Sec. 772.605. POLITICAL SUBDIVISION; DISTRICT POWERS. (a) A district is a political subdivision of this state created to carry out essential governmental functions. (b) A district may exercise all powers necessary to carry out the purposes and provisions of this subchapter. (c) A…

Sec. 772.606. TERRITORY OF DISTRICT. The territory of a district: (1) consists of the territory of each participating county or municipality located in a 9-1-1 region; and (2) does not include any land that is located in the territory of an emergency communication district author…

Sec. 772.607. BOARD OF MANAGERS. (a) A district is governed by a board of managers. (b) A district's initial board is composed of members who are appointed by the governing bodies of each participating county and municipality. At least two-thirds of the initial board members must…

Sec. 772.608. POWERS AND DUTIES OF BOARD. (a) The board shall name, control, and manage the district. (b) The board shall approve, adopt, and amend an annual budget. (c) The board may adopt orders, rules, bylaws, policies, and procedures governing the operations of the board and …

Sec. 772.609. DIRECTOR OF DISTRICT; STAFF; FISCAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT. (a) The regional planning commission for the 9-1-1 region in which the district is established shall serve as the fiscal and administrative agent for the district. (b) The executive director of the region…

Sec. 772.610. AUDIT AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. The district shall prepare an annual report that includes: (1) the amount and source of funds received by the district; (2) the amount and source of funds spent by the district; and (3) the results of an audit of the district's affa…

Sec. 772.611. PROVISION OF 9-1-1 SERVICE. (a) A district shall provide 9-1-1 service to each participating county or municipality through one or a combination of the following methods and features or equivalent state-of-the-art technology: (1) the transfer method; (2) the relay m…

Sec. 772.612. LIABILITY. The liability protection provided by Section 771.053 applies to services provided under this subchapter. Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 80 (S.B. 1108), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2015.

Sec. 772.613. PRIMARY EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER. The digits 9-1-1 are the primary emergency telephone number in a district. A public safety agency whose services are available through a 9-1-1 system: (1) may maintain a separate number for an emergency telephone call; and (2) sha…

Sec. 772.614. TRANSMITTING REQUESTS FOR EMERGENCY AID. (a) A 9-1-1 system established under this subchapter must be capable of transmitting requests for firefighting, law enforcement, ambulance, and medical services to a public safety agency that provides the requested service at…

Sec. 772.615. 9-1-1 EMERGENCY SERVICE FEE. (a) The board may impose a 9-1-1 emergency service fee on service users in the district. (b) The fee may be imposed only on the base rate charge or the charge's equivalent, excluding charges for coin-operated telephone equipment. The fee…

Sec. 772.616. COLLECTION OF FEE. (a) A service supplier or a business service user that provides residential facilities and owns or leases a publicly or privately owned telephone switch used to provide telephone service to facility residents shall collect the fees imposed on a cu…