A Paperless World?

No longer dependent on private search firms, employers can perform background checks on potential hires through the Texas Department of Public Safety's Web site. Toll fees are recorded electronically, billing is handled through digital systems and most major airlines have substituted eTickets for paper tickets.

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) will soon offer public research on well records online. The commission has digitized and indexed records for more than one million oil and gas wells drilled in Texas since 1919.

Most state agencies post meeting agendas and documents online. Just last week, The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) began mailing unemployment benefits via debit cards. Checks will soon be a thing of the past as benefits are placed on debit cards. The new system will use online account statements as well.

The City of Houston initiated a program that encourages citizens to pay parking and traffic citations online. Not only does this process stop massive amounts of paperwork, but citizens also are able to avoid the agony of standing in long lines at municipal courts. The proposed changes will include a "pay or set" procedure that instructs drivers to respond electronically (if possible) to the ticket within a month. City officials estimate the change could reduce traffic at municipal courts, which process nearly 1.2 million tickets per year in Texas, by as much as 40 percent.

Several police departments have adopted Web-based incident reporting capabilities. By logging onto a Web site, citizens can report minor offenses, such as criminal mischief, without waiting for an officer to arrive on the scene to conduct interviews, record information and write a report.

Looking for a newer, faster and more portable approach to traditional textbooks, schools districts are quickly moving to electronic textbooks. E-books are easier to update than traditional textbooks, which are on an eight- to 10-year replacement cycle in Texas. Last November, Forney ISD voters passed an $11.8 million bond initiative to provide laptops to all fifth-12th grade students in the Dallas suburb. School officials are hopeful that students are able to use only electronic textbooks within two years. Plano and Irving schools have also introduced e-books.

Texas universities have picked up on e-books as well. As textbook prices soar and new editions are revised frequently, e-books are becoming extremely popular among university students who want to spend less. Some universities have created entire libraries of e-texts, including electronic maps, charts, photos, journal articles and book chapters, designed to eliminate the process of checking out books.

In light of these "electronic world" trends, it is not all that hard to believe there could be an almost paperless world. While we may not see that day anytime soon, there is enough evidence to convince us that, if nothing else, we'll definitely save some trees in Texas in the near future. That is a good thing.

Texans readying for approaching hurricane season

The three-day conference will address every aspect of hurricane evacuation, sheltering and the re-entry process - as well as issues involving long-term recovery. Special population needs, transportation, communications coordination, new technological products and tools are among the many issues that will be discussed. Representatives of the private sector, volunteer groups, first responders, law enforcement, fire department search and rescue personnel, Texas Army National Guard, health care professionals, local elected officials and state and federal agencies will all gather at the San Luis Conference Center for the event.

"Private industry partners are a very key part of our hurricane preparedness efforts and their assistance has been invaluable. Private sector participants represent every group that can assist in evacuation and sheltering, including utilities, fuel suppliers, ambulance companies, retail suppliers, telecommunications and many more," Colley said.

A list of workshops and training courses as well as a complete list of public, private and volunteer exhibitors is available on the Governor's Division of Emergency Management Web site - along with information on fees, registration and other details.