On March 12, 2025, Director of Infrastructure and Natural Resources Policy Jeremy Mazur testified before the House Committee on State Affairs in support of House Bill 13, which aims to enhance first responders’ communications amid extreme weather events.
The following is a written version of the testimony.
Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, for the record my name is Jeremy Mazur and I am the Director of Infrastructure and Natural Resources Policy for Texas 2036. I am here today to testify in support of House Bill 13.
Last year, Texas 2036 released a study with the Office of the State Climatologist on Texas’ historic and future extreme weather trends. This report included two key findings regarding the state’s wildfire risks.
First, Texas’ wildfire season is expected to become longer.
And second, greater portions of the state will become susceptible to wildfires.
Should these projections hold true, then state and local emergency response capacity must be equal to the growing challenge. And this is why House Bill 13 is so important and good policy for the state.
Mr. Chairman, your committee’s report on the Panhandle Wildfires found that “[i]neffective communication in wildfire prevention and response was an overarching theme during the hearings.” Antiquated and different communication equipment served to hinder state and local emergency response.
House Bill 13 aims at the heart of the problem by requiring a statewide strategic plan for the interoperability of emergency communication equipment and infrastructure. The bill also creates a needed grant program to assist local governments in acquiring workable communications equipment.
These are essential fixes that allow our first responders to be on the same page – or at least the same radio channel – when battling wildfires in the future. More importantly, we see this bill as a key enabler for the more efficient and effective deployment of our first responders facing increasing wildfire risks.
That said, while these communications standards will be critical for future wildfire response, they will also be essential to other extreme weather events that Texas may endure, including floods, hurricanes, and severe storms.
Thank you for your time, and I welcome any questions you may have.