By: Perry  S.B. No. 1897          (In the Senate - Filed March 10, 2017; March 23, 2017, read   first time and referred to Committee on Agriculture, Water & Rural   Affairs; April 10, 2017, reported adversely, with favorable   Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0;   April 10, 2017, sent to printer.)Click here to see the committee vote    COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1897 By:  Hinojosa     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT     relating to the declaration of a local state of disaster.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 418.108, Government Code, is amended by   amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsections (b-1) and   (d-1) to read as follows:          (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (e), the presiding   officer of the governing body of a political subdivision may   declare a local state of disaster if the presiding officer finds a   disaster has occurred or that the occurrence or threat of disaster   is imminent.          (b-1)  An order or proclamation declaring, continuing, or   terminating a local state of disaster must include:                (1)  a description of the nature of the disaster;                (2)  a designation of the area threatened; and                (3)  a description of the conditions that have brought   the local state of disaster about or made possible the termination   of the local state of disaster.          (c)  An order or proclamation issued under this section    [declaring, continuing, or terminating a local state of disaster]   shall be given prompt and general publicity and shall be filed   promptly with the city secretary, the county clerk, or the joint   board's official records, as applicable.  If a political   subdivision to which the order or proclamation applies maintains an   Internet website, the political subdivision shall post a copy of   the order on the political subdivision's Internet website.          (d-1)  On request of the presiding officer of the governing   body of a political subdivision, the governor may waive or suspend a   deadline imposed by a statute or the orders or rules of a state   agency on the political subdivision, including a deadline relating   to a budget or ad valorem tax, if the waiver or suspension is   reasonably necessary for the political subdivision to cope with a   local state of disaster declared under this section.          SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives   a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as   provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this   Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this   Act takes effect September 1, 2017.     * * * * *