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…