House passes HB 13 to create Texas Interoperability Council and $500 million grant account for emergency communications

The Texas House passed House Bill 13, a bill to create a Texas Interoperability Council charged with developing and coordinating a statewide plan for interoperable emergency communications and administering grants to help local governments acquire equipment and training.

Representative King, the bill’s sponsor, told the House the measure was born from after‑action lessons following a 700,000‑acre wildland fire in his district; he said the core problem identified in post‑fire testimony was lack of communications among responding agencies. HB 13 creates the council and a grant program to help local governments buy equipment and ensures recipients provide training to use the equipment.

During floor debate members raised funding, transparency, and oversight concerns. Representative Tidwell questioned funding levels; Representative King said the bill’s authorizers were seeking roughly $500,000,000 in total (described in the discussion as $250,000,000 each year of the biennium) and said the grant account would be held at the comptroller’s office. Representative Tidwell and others asked whether council meetings and grant decisions would be subject to the Texas Open Meetings Act; Representative King and other supporters objected to making all council work public, citing critical‑infrastructure sensitivity and encryption for certain data.

Representative Tenderholt offered several amendments. One would have required council meetings to be conducted in public under Government Code chapters 551 and 2001 (Open Meetings Act and administrative procedures); that amendment failed on a record vote (transcript: 53 ayes, 91 nays). Tenderholt’s later amendment proposing a 10‑year termination (a sunset) for the program also failed on a record vote (46 ayes, 101 nays). A proposed amendment by Representative Kane was ruled not germane by the presiding officer and not considered on the merits.

Supporters, including Representative Lauderback and Representative King, argued HB 13 begins a long‑term buildout to remedy the state’s patchwork of radio systems and interoperability gaps; opponents pressed for transparency and fiscal controls given the large sum discussed on the floor.

The clerk recorded a roll call and the House passed HB 13 to engrossment; the transcript records the final tally as 29 ayes and 18 nays.

Clarifying details reported on the floor include the approximate funding figure ($500 million total, described as $250 million per year of the biennium) and that the grant account would be held at the comptroller’s office. The author and opponents discussed the applicability of open meetings law to council deliberations and protection of critical‑infrastructure information; the House rejected the recorded amendments that would have changed those provisions.

Votes at a glance - Amendment (Tenderholt) to make council meetings subject to Open Meetings Act: recorded vote 53 ayes, 91 nays; amendment failed. - Amendment (Tenderholt) to add a 10‑year sunset: recorded vote 46 ayes, 101 nays; amendment failed. - Kane amendment ruled not germane by point of order. - Final passage: recorded in transcript as 29 ayes and 18 nays; HB 13 passed to engrossment.