Relating to powers and duties of the Texas Division of Emergency Management for a local state of disaster; enhancing a criminal penalty.

SB 67 amends Texas law to clarify and expand the Texas Division of Emergency Management's (TDEM) authority to declare a local state of disaster for cities or counties. It requires TDEM to monitor for conditions requiring such a declaration (e.g., imminent harm to residents) and first attempt to notify local officials. If local leadership does not respond within a reasonable time, TDEM's administrative head may declare the disaster without waiting for local approval. This change aims to accelerate emergency responses during crises when local officials are unavailable, while specifying that declarations expire once the governor or local leaders become available.