Senate Bill 11

[Guest guest]

I posted this as received from TxEMAT

Senate Bill 11 will be presented at a public hearing of the Senate

Transportation and Homeland Security Committee to be held Wednesday, March

21,2007,

7:30 a.m., in Room E1.016 of the State Capitol Annex. This is an omnibus

Homeland Security bill that would, among other provisions, establish a

statewide

mutual aid system in Texas. EMAT has been actively involved with a number of

stakeholders in drafting this bill.

Committee staff has requested that EMAT provide one witness to testify as to

the importance of this legislation. EMAT Board Member Robie will be

testifying on behalf of EMAT. Committee staff has also indicated that there

may be value in having additional EMAT members sign in at the hearing without

testifying. Prior to the beginning of legislative hearings, interested

parties are given an opportunity to sign witness cards indicating their support

(or opposition) to a particular bill. [We have learned from past experience

that we should not, under any circumstances, indicate opposition to the bill.]

Any EMAT members that might be able to attend Wednesday's hearing are

encouraged to sign in indicating their support of SB 11. I request that we

refrain

from presenting a parade of witnesses to testify-- We have been told that

" less is more " in this situation. Robie will be an effective witness on our

behalf, and EMAT Executive Director Sheila Jennings may follow up with

additional

written testimony on behalf of EMAT.

The text of SB11 may be found at the following URL:

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/pdf/SB00011I.pdf .

This version has a couple of issues that need to be addressed. There is some

language that is problematic for EMAT, and suggested revisions have been

provided to Senate staff. If you have any questions about the specifics, please

send me an e-mail message to ed_schaefer@... and I will get back to

you as soon as possible. I will not be able to respond to e-mail messages to

my office e-mail address. I will be out of my office on Tuesday, 3/20/07, but

will be available by cell phone () or e-mail to answer any

questions.

This bill is the culmination of several years of intensive activity on the

part of EMAT. I urge you, within the limits of your ability to do so, to lend

your support and to encourage others to do so. Thanks for all that you do for

the citizens of the State of Texas.

Louis N. Molino, Sr., CET

FF/NREMT-B/FSI/EMSI

Freelance Consultant/Trainer/Author/Journalist/Fire Protection Consultant

LNMolino@...

(Cell Phone)

(IFW/TFW/FSS Office)

(IFW/TFW/FSS Fax)

" A Texan with a Jersey Attitude "

" Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds

discuss people " Eleanor Roosevelt - US diplomat & reformer (1884 - 1962)

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