LUBBOCK — Texas lawmakers will discuss Monday the possibility of establishing a council to coordinate a statewide system to connect all first responders and state and federal agencies when a disaster strikes. The discussion comes after the state was ravaged by floods and wildfires over the summer.
The proposed Interoperability Council would be responsible for coordinating a statewide emergency communications strategy and setting standards for and improving how local, state and federal first responders work together while responding to a disaster. The council would also be tasked with supporting regional systems and ensuring there are reliable communications available during emergencies.
The House State Affairs Committee, led by state Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, will be discussing the proposal, along with disaster preparedness, response and recovery, on Monday at 10 a.m. The meeting will be available to watch live online.
The idea of an Interoperability Council is not new. In fact, King proposed creating the council last year during the legislative session in response to the destructive wildfires that scorched the Texas Panhandle in 2024. More than 1 million acres burned, devastating the small town of Canadian, about 105 miles northeast of Amarillo, where King lives. Three people died, along with 15,000 head of cattle.
After the fires, lawmakers heard from witnesses and experts about what went wrong with the response to the wildfires, and one of the biggest issues was “ineffective communication and coordination among agencies, local governments and responders.” A report about the wildfires also states this was due in part to communications equipment that lacked interoperability, meaning the capacity to connect with other networks.
King later filed House Bill 13 to create the council, as well as improving alert systems and allocating grant money for counties to buy new emergency communication equipment.
“My goal is to ensure every first responder that puts their life on the line to battle these fires and other disasters have the tools to communicate effectively with those around them,” King told fellow lawmakers in 2025.
The bill passed the House, but died in the Senate without receiving a hearing. A few months later, the Hill Country floods occurred on July 4, 2025, in the district of state Rep. Wes Virdell, R-Brady, who voted against King’s bill.
“I can tell you in hindsight, watching what it takes to deal with a disaster like this, my vote would probably be different now,” Virdell told the Tribune in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
King filed the bill again soon after the flood. Like before, the bill passed the House but was never heard in the Senate.
More disasters have occurred in Texas since the bill failed the second time. In July, the Hill Country flooded again. In late August, one of the largest wildfires in North Texas’ recorded history has burned more than 90,400 acres across Palo Pinto and Jack counties. The Ross Fire is still active.
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