AUSTIN – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued this statement today following the unanimous passage of Senate Bill 34, Wildfire Response, by Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland:

“Last year’s Panhandle Wildfire was the largest in Texas history, consuming 1 million acres of land and destroying ranches, livestock, homes, and more. Wildfires have increased in frequency and intensity in recent years, so our state must deal with the growing threat head-on. For this reason, the Senate has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars for wildfire prevention and response, including nearly $200 million for aircraft resources for wildfire suppression, in the Senate’s supplemental budget. The Senate is prioritizing SB 34 to provide more tools to prevent wildfires like the Panhandle Wildfire from occurring in the future. I thank Sen. Sparks for his leadership to help meet this critical threat facing our state.”

Senate Bill 34, by Sen. Kevin Sparks, commissions a wildfire risk study through the Texas A&M Forest Service and West Texas A&M University. SB 34 also creates a statewide equipment database to better manage firefighting equipment. The bill requires well operators to build and maintain electricity safety standards for fire safety.