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Update from State Representative Joe Driver
Chairman, House Law Enforcement Committee
Homeland security � our number one priority
Changes in homeland security procedures have become a major priority for the Texas Legislature and in particular, the House Law Enforcement Committee. We spend countless hours studying and debating proposals to change the way we provide protection to our citizens in order to better deal with the new threats of terrorism.
One of our goals is to increase the cooperation and communications between local, state and federal law enforcement officials and private security. One of the ways we have addressed this issue is by moving the regulation of private security service providers in Texas to the Texas Department of Public Safety. We feel that this move will result in better enforcement of the laws governing private security and greater cooperation between public and private security providers.
During the 2003 session of the Texas Legislature, I authored a new law that now requires criminal background checks of all private security officers and private investigators. In the past this rule did not apply to corporate security personnel. We want to make certain that individuals that may have access to infrastructure critical to homeland security or who deal with the public are not terrorists or convicted criminals.
Many of the changes discussed by the Law Enforcement Committee are outlined by the findings of the Governor�s Task Force on Homeland Security. We are attempting to address these recommendations as quickly as possible. Some require changes in state law and some simply require rule changes.
Among these recommendations we are working to implement a state warning system to communicate warning and safety information to the public. This would include public service messages to inform the public about what to do in the event of a terrorist threat and developing emergency training for schools on actions to take in the event of a terrorist threat.
We are also working to support funding of additional personnel and training for the Department of Public Safety for intelligence and law enforcement efforts, and for additional personnel for the Governor�s Division of Emergency Management for field personnel to support local government efforts to plan and train for disasters.
We are also working to ensure that appropriate training resources are available for first response efforts and to develop expected security standards for industries that have identified critical infrastructure assets and require those industries to submit Security Impact Reports.
We are developing a plan to expand �real-time� monitoring of drinking water supplies to test for chemical and biological agents that could be used as weapons. We also want to improve and encourage the research and development associated with detecting, deterring and responding to terrorism.
We are developing a statewide plan to administer a mass vaccination and chemophylaxis, and establishing a coordinating council to develop a plan for early detection and streamlining responses to bioterrorism.
Recommendations for coordinating Texas activities with those of the federal office of Homeland Security, federal agencies, Texas� neighboring states and Mexico, are also receiving much attention.
We are reviewing compacts with neighboring states to ensure they address resource sharing before, during and after terrorist incidents. We have also initiated a dialogue with Mexico to develop protocols for the sharing of resources and intelligence on matters pertaining to terrorist threats. And we have requested that the Federal Office of Homeland Security ensures equal spending along the Texas/Mexico border as along the US/Canadian border.
The Texas House Law Enforcement Committee is placing homeland security at the top of our priorities. We are working diligently to ensure the safety of our citizens. As Chairman of the Committee, I can assure that this goal will remain our number one priority.
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