Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) Purpose. The
purpose of this rule is to establish an Emergency Communications Advisory
Committee (Committee) to assist the Commission in coordinating the development,
implementation, interoperability, and internetworking of interconnected
emergency services Internet Protocol networks (ESInets). Interconnected,
interoperable ESInets providing Next Generation Core Services covering all of
Texas constitute the State-level ESInet. As defined in Health and Safety Code
§
771.0511(a)(2),
the State-level ESInet is used for communications between and among public
safety answering points (PSAPs) and other entities that support or are
supported by PSAPs in providing emergency call handling and response, and will
be a part of the Texas Next Generation Emergency Communications
System.
(b) Policy. It is
Commission policy that the development, implementation, interoperability,
interconnection, and internetworking of ESInets be done on a cooperative basis
with the state's 9-1-1 Entities. It is Commission policy that the Committee:
(1) advise the Commission on matters
regarding the interoperability and interconnection of ESInets, specifically
including but not limited to Statewide Interoperability & Standards
development for planning for interconnectivity, interoperability, and
internetworking of ESInets as reflected in the Commission's Next Generation
9-1-1 Master Plan (Appendix 1 to the Commission Strategic Plan for Statewide
9-1-1 Service for Fiscal Years 20xx-20xx); and
(2) provide for 9-1-1 Entity collaboration on
issues regarding ESInets, particularly regarding interoperability and
interconnection of ESInets, to ensure that the requirements of the state's
9-1-1 Entities are met.
(c) Composition of Committee. Each Committee
member must have appropriate training, experience, and knowledge of Next
Generation 9-1-1 technology and services and/or emergency services other than
9-1-1 services to effectively advise the Commission.
(1) the Committee is appointed by the
Commission and includes, at a minimum, the following members:
(A) The Executive Director of the Commission
or designee as an ex-officio, non-voting member;
(B) two representatives from the Regional
Planning Commissions (RPCs);
(C)
two representatives from the Emergency Communication Districts (ECDs), as that
term is defined in Health and Safety Code §
771.001(3)(A);
and
(D) two representatives from
the ECDs, as that term is defined in Health and Safety Code §
771.001(3)(B).
(2) No two Committee members may
be from the same state 9-1-1 Entity.
(3) The Commission may add to the composition
of the Committee including members representing emergency services other than
9-1-1 service.
(4) In appointing
members to the Committee except under paragraph (3) of this subsection, the
Commission shall consult with the RPCs and ECDs. RPCs may designate
responsibility for consulting with the Commission to the Texas Association of
Regional Councils. ECDs defined in Health and Safety Code §
771.001(3)(A) and
(B) may designate responsibility for
consulting with the Commission to the Municipal Emergency Communication
Districts Association and the Texas 9-1-1 Alliance, respectively.
(d) Bylaws. Draft bylaws for
approval by the Commission. The bylaws shall, at a minimum, provide for the
following:
(1) selection from among the
members a presiding officer and an assistant presiding officer whose terms may
not exceed two years; and
(2)
establish standing committees.
(e) Terms of Office for Voting Members. Each
member shall be appointed for a term of 3 years, except for the initial member
terms under paragraph (4) of this subsection.
(1) Member terms begin on January
1st.
(2) Members shall continue to
serve after the expiration of their term until a replacement member is
appointed by the Commission.
(3) If
a vacancy occurs, a person shall be appointed by the Commission to serve the
unexpired portion of the vacating member's term.
(4) Members serve staggered terms. Initial
member terms are as follows:
(A) one member
from each 9-1-1 Entity represented on the Committee expires on December 31,
2013; and
(B) one member from each
9-1-1 Entity represented on the Committee expires on December 31,
2014.
(f)
Committee Meeting Attendance. Members shall attend scheduled Committee
meetings.
(1) A member shall notify the
presiding officer or Commission staff if the member is unable to attend a
scheduled meeting.
(2) The
Commission may remove a member if it determines that a member cannot discharge
the member's duties for a substantial part of the member's appointed term
because of illness or disability, is absent from more than half of the
Committee meetings during a fiscal year, or is absent from at least three
consecutive Committee meetings. The validity of an action of the Committee is
not affected by the fact that it is taken when a ground for removal of a member
exists.
(g) Committee
Roles and Responsibilities. The Committee is to assist the Commission in
coordinating the development, implementation, and management of interoperable
and interconnected ESInets. The Committee will seek state 9-1-1 Entity input
and collaboration regarding the interoperability and interconnection of
ESInets, specifically including but not limited to Statewide Interoperability
& Standards development for planning for interconnectivity,
interoperability, and internetworking of ESInets as reflected in the
Commission's Next Generation 9-1-1 Master Plan (Appendix 1 to the Commission
Strategic Plan for Statewide 9-1-1 Service for Fiscal Years
20xx-20xx).
(h) Reporting to the
Commission. The Committee, through its presiding officer, will submit by
September 1 of each year, or according to the schedule established by the
commission, written reports advising the Commission. The reports shall include
the following:
(1) an update on the
Committee's work, including:
(A) Committee and
sub- or standing-committee meeting dates;
(B) member attendance records;
(C) description of actions taken by the
Committee;
(D) description of how
the Committee has accomplished or addressed the tasks and objectives of this
section and any other issues assigned to the Committee by the Commission;
and
(E) anticipated future
activities of the Committee;
(2) description of the usefulness of the
Committee's work; and
(3) statement
of costs related to the Committee, including the cost of Commission staff time
spent in support of the Committee.
(i) Statement by a Member.
(1) The Commission and the Committee shall
not be bound in any way by any statement or action by a member except when the
statement or action is in pursuit of specific instructions from the
Commission.
(2) The Committee and
its members may not participate in legislative activity in the name of the
Commission or the Committee without Commission approval.
(j) Advisory Committee. The Committee is an
advisory committee in that it does not supervise or control public business or
policy. As an advisory committee, the Committee is not subject to the Open
Meetings Act (Government Code, Chapter 551).
(k) Reimbursement for Expenses.
(1) In accordance with the requirements in
Government Code, Chapter 2110, a Committee member may receive reimbursement for
the member's expenses incurred for each day the member engages in official
Committee business if authorized by the General Appropriations Act or budget
execution process.
(2) No
compensatory per diem shall be paid to Committee members unless required by
law.
(3) A Committee member who is
an employee of a state agency, other than the Commission, may not receive
reimbursement for expenses from the Commission.
(4) A nonmember of the Committee who is
appointed to serve on a committee may not receive reimbursement for expenses
from the Commission.
(5) Each
Committee member whose expenses are reimbursed under this section shall submit
to Commission staff the member's receipts for expenses and any required
official forms no later than 14 days after conclusion of the member's
engagement in official Committee business.
(6) Requests for reimbursement of expenses
shall be made on official state travel vouchers.
(l) Commission Staff. Support for the
Committee will be provided by Commission staff.
(m) Applicable law. The Committee is subject
to Government Code, Chapter 2110, concerning state agency advisory
committees.
(n) Commission
Evaluation. The Commission shall annually evaluate the Committee's work,
usefulness, and the costs related to the Committee, including the cost of
Commission staff time spent supporting the Committee's activities.
(o) Report to the Legislative Budget Board.
The Commission shall report to the Legislative Budget Board the information
developed in subsection (n) of this section on a biennial basis as part of the
Commission's request for appropriations.
(p) Review and Duration. On or before
September 1, 2029, the Commission will initiate and complete a review of the
Committee to determine whether the Committee should be continued or abolished.
If the Committee is not continued, it shall be automatically abolished on
September 1, 2029.
