Sec. 421.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Agency" means any governmental entity.

(2) "Critical infrastructure" includes all public or private assets, systems, and functions vital to the security, governance, public health and safety, economy, or morale of the state or the nation.

(2-a) "Fusion center" means a state or regional multidisciplinary collaborative effort of two or more agencies that combine resources, expertise, and intelligence and other information with the goal of maximizing the ability of those agencies to detect, prevent, and respond to criminal activities or to otherwise engage in homeland security activities.

(3) "Homeland security activity" means any activity related to the prevention or discovery of, response to, or recovery from:

(A) a terrorist attack;

(B) a natural or man-made disaster;

(C) a hostile military or paramilitary action;

(D) an extraordinary law enforcement emergency; or

(E) a fire or medical emergency requiring resources beyond the capabilities of a local jurisdiction.

(4) "Intelligence" means the product of systematic gathering, evaluation, and synthesis of raw data on individuals or activities suspected of being, or known to be, criminal in nature.

(5) "Recognized fusion center" means a fusion center operating in this state that has been recognized by the director of Texas Homeland Security as meeting the fusion center mission identified in the governor's homeland security strategy and in the Department of Homeland Security State, Local, and Regional Fusion Center Initiative established under 6 U.S.C. Section 124h.

Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1312, Sec. 1, eff. June 21, 2003.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1178 (H.B. 3324), Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2011.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 798 (H.B. 2827), Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2015.