“These bills will impact generations of Texans for years to come.”
AUSTIN – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued this statement today following unanimous passage of Senate Bill 6, by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, Senate Bill 7, by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe and Senate Bill 8, by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock — the Hurricane Harvey disaster response bills:
“Senate Bills 6, 7 and 8 are some of the most important bills the Texas Senate will pass this session. They will impact generations of Texans for years to come. I congratulate Sens. Kolkhorst, Creighton and Perry and the entire senate for unanimously passing these disaster response bills, which are key to our rebuilding effort following Hurricane Harvey and mitigating future flood disasters across the state. These Texas Senators — along with other senators from the impacted areas — began working on the storm immediately. They were involved on the ground in every effort, dealing with tragic loss and rescue, helping clean up the aftermath and coordinating local efforts. Their commitment to their districts and the people of Texas has been unwavering and the legislation passed today lays out the path to our final recovery from the most damaging storm in state history.”
The Texas Senate began working immediately following Hurricane Harvey to address the aftermath of the storm, including rebuilding challenges and establishing disaster policies that will mitigate future damage. Lt. Gov. Patrick issued 25 Interim Charges on Hurricane Harvey to 9 different Senate Committees who held over 200 hours of hearings on these issues. Senate Bills 6, 7 and 8 reflect the hard work of the bill authors and the Texas Senate over the past 18 months on this critical issue.
Senate Bill 6 will strengthen disaster response expertise at the local level. Senate Bill 7 effectively utilizes the Rainy Day Fund for its true purpose and will allow us to match the federal funding we have obtained for the massive rebuilding that is ongoing in Southeast Texas. Senate Bill 8 is key to our statewide flood mitigation effort and will benefit Texans across the state.