This bill amends the Emergency Management Act to introduce a new section, Sec. 8a, which mandates the development of a training course focused on responding to carbon dioxide releases from carbon dioxide capture projects, pipelines, or sequestration projects. The training will cover identifying carbon dioxide releases, communication procedures for alerting the public, and emergency response protocols, including treatment for exposure. The Department of Health and Human Services is tasked with creating this course, consulting with various stakeholders, and making the training available for free on its public website.

Additionally, the bill establishes the Carbon Dioxide Emergency Planning and Training Fund, which will be financed by deposits from the carbon dioxide sequestration fund and other sources. The fund will be used to develop the training course, provide grants for enhancing emergency preparedness, and cover costs related to emergency response capabilities. The bill outlines specific expenditures that the director of the department can authorize, including the purchase of detection equipment and vehicles for emergency response. The enactment of this bill is contingent upon the passage of several related bills in the 103rd Legislature.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 30.401, 30.421