SB 1 Texas Senate · 89th Legislature, 1st Called Session (2025)

Relating to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery; requiring a license; authorizing fees.

This bill modifies Texas law regarding death investigations by allowing justices of the peace to skip inquests for deaths resulting from natural disasters, provided clear evidence shows the death was caused by disaster-related injuries and not unlawful acts. It directly affects local courts and families seeking death investigations in disaster-impacted areas. The key provision requires justices to verify disaster causation through clear evidence before waiving the inquest, with similar rules applying to autopsy certifications. The bill expires April 1, 2027, and applies to deaths occurring in the justice's county.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Aug 2025
Committee Review
Aug 2025
Senate Passage
Aug 2025
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Aug 6, 2025 Last action Aug 12, 2025
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What changed between versions

Introduced Engrossed · 7 edits · Aug 12, 2025
MODERATE
This bill significantly expands Texas's disaster preparedness framework by creating a new licensing system for emergency managers and establishing a statewide volunteer management database. It also updates laws regarding inquests into deaths caused by natural disasters and grants authorities new powers to neutralize unauthorized drones in disaster zones.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of emergency management from voluntary coordination to a regulated profession requiring specific licenses and criminal background checks, while also formalizing the registration process for disaster volunteers.
REQUIREMENT

Establishes a new licensing system for emergency managers with tiered levels (bridge, basic, intermediate, advanced, master) and mandatory criminal background checks.

Creates a statewide online volunteer management system to register, credential, and deploy disaster volunteers, exempting spontaneous volunteers from registration.

Mandates that local governments in counties with populations of 68,750 or less establish unified incident command structures in their emergency plans.

Requires local or interjurisdictional emergency management agencies to submit post-disaster after-action reports within 60 days of a disaster declaration expiring.

ENFORCEMENT

Grants the Department of Public Safety and Division of Emergency Management authority to neutralize (jam or capture) unmanned aircraft operating without authorization in disaster areas.

ELIGIBILITY

Revises eligibility criteria for emergency management roles, requiring specific training hours and disqualifying individuals with felony convictions or offenses related to emergency management duties.

TIMELINE

Extends the deadline for completing initial emergency management training from 180 days to one year after assuming office.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
22
Key actions
7
Committee
5
Amendments
3
Aug 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
Aug 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed to engrossment as amended
upper
Aug 12, 2025
Upper · Passed
Amended
upper
Aug 12, 2025
Introduced
Amendment(s) offered
upper
Aug 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
Aug 11, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
upper
Aug 8, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
Aug 8, 2025
Upper · Passed
Testimony taken in committee
upper
Aug 6, 2025
Committee
Referred to Disaster Preparedness & Flooding, Select
upper
Aug 6, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
1 primary · 22 co-sponsors

Sponsors