Texas. Commission on State Emergency Communications

The Texas Advisory Commission on State Emergency Communications (also known as the State 9-1-1 Commission) was created in 1985 (House Bill 1655, 69th Texas Legislature, Regular Session), to develop recommendations concerning the establishment of a statewide 9-1-1 service and to establish standards by which regional plans would be developed. (The 9-1-1 telephone number is designated throughout the United States for the public to report emergencies and to request assistance.) This first advisory commission was composed of 14 members. Four of them were ex officio: the executive directors of the Texas Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (designated the presiding officer), the Texas Department of Health, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Texas Criminal Justice Policy Council, or their designees. The Governor appointed six members (including three representatives of different leading telecommunications service providers and three public members). The Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House each appointed two members of the general public.

The Advisory Commission began its second phase in 1987 (House Bill 911, 70th Texas Legislature, Regular Session), presumably shifting from information gathering to implementation of the 9-1-1 Program that had been enacted by law. Membership of the commission increased to 17. A fifth ex-officio member was added (from the major association representing regional planning commissions). The Governor would now appoint eight members--two public members, one representative from each of three local telephone exchange carriers serving the most local access lines in the state, one official from a municipality, one member of a county commissioners court, and one director of an emergency communications district. The Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House each continued to appoint two members of the general public. The advisory commission now chose its own presiding officer. This reconstituted commission considered the December 1987 meeting to be its first. In 1995 (House Bill 2307, 74th Texas Legislature, Regular Session), the executive director of the Texas Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations was dropped as an ex-officio member.

In 1999, the name was changed to Commission on State Emergency Communications (CSEC) (House Bill 1983, 76th Texas Legislature, Regular Session). The Commission consists of 12 members, representing various public and private sector interests in the emergency communications intergovernmental effort. Three of the members are ex-officio and represent state agencies (the Commissioner of Public Health, the executive director of the Public Utility Commission, and the executive director of the Department of Information Resources--the General Services Commission until 2001--or their designees). The remaining nine are appointed as follows. The Governor appoints one member of the general public, and one member from each of the following: a member of a regional planning commission, a member of a governing body of an emergency communications district, a member on the governing body of a county, and a member on the governing body of a home-rule municipality with a 9-1-1 system independent of the state's system. The Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House each appoint two members of the general public. As of 2001, CSEC had a total staff of 25 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs).

The CSEC works with the telecommunications industry and local 9-1-1 administrators to administer the statewide 9-1-1 Program. It contracts with the 24 regional planning commissions (RPCs) for the provision of 9-1-1 service. It reviews and approves regional plans, establishes 9-1-1 fees, and allocates money for operation of the plans. It also (since 1999) provides for public education and training, and creation and support of 9-1-1 databases. Beginning in 1993, the CSEC also shares responsiblity with the Texas Department of Heath (TDH) in the administration of the Texas Poison Control Network. The Poison Control Network provides information to citizens who suspect they have been exposed to toxic substances. The network is composed of six geographically diverse poison centers residing in host hospitals, linked by a sophisticated telecommunications network. Individuals speak directly with a health care professional trained in various aspects of toxicology and poison control and preventions. The aim is to provide sufficient information to treat a poison incident at home, precluding the dispatch of emergency medical services or visit to a health care facility.

(Sources: Guide to Texas State Agencies, 11th edition (2001); the enabling legislation (1985, 1987, and 1999); and the agency website at http://www.911.state.tx.us/browse.php/defaulthome )

From the guide to the Meeting files, 1985-2005, (Texas State Archives)