HB 538 – PROVISION OF ALARM SYSTEM SERVICES BY CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES
We’d like you to contact the representatives on the committee before the meeting on Thursday April 11 with a common message. To help simplify things, here is text that anyone can copy and paste into the committee member email:
I am part of a small business in Texas that provides alarm system monitoring and I oppose HB538. A municipality does not need to enter into competition with private business.
Utilizing tax dollars to fund a municipal owned business is abuse of public policy. Localities would have unfair access to consumers and an implied priority response to alarms that gives the locality an unfair advantage over private business.
Private alarm monitoring companies are regulated and subject to regular inspections from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Underwriters Laboratory (UL). Localities would be unfairly exempt from such regulations and inspections.
Communication center personnel will be asked to handle all signals (alarm, trouble, supervisory, low-batteries…), taking them away from other duties.
HB538 is not favorable to Texans.
Committee Members
- Rep. Angie Chen Button
- Rep. Matt Shaheen
- Rep. Jessica González
- Rep. Vikki Goodwin
- Rep. Eric Johnson
- Rep. Mayes Middleton
- Rep. Jared Patterson
- Rep. Valoree Swanson
SB616 (DPS SUNSET BILL)
The Senate committee has sent this bill along with amendments to the full senate. We need you to contact your senator and tell them to vote for the amendments.
Easy Steps to Contact your Senator
- Find out who your Texas Senator is
- Go to Who represents me
- Click on the box for your Senator to go to your Senator’s page
- Click on the Email button next to their picture
- Fill out this form and insert this in the your message field
I am part of a local small business that provides alarm systems to Texas consumers. I am asking for your support. Please support SB 616 with CSSB 616 Amendment 1b – CSSB 616 Amendment 2a & CSSB 616 Amendment 3.
The bill with the amendments will allow DPS to properly regulate salespeople and owners and allow the Private Security Board to relieve the Public Safety Commission of the burden to conduct disciplinary hearings.
Thank you,
TBFAA
Note: Members can visit the TBFAA legislative page for more information (including the TBFAA position paper) at: https://www.tbfaa.org/legislation.php