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86th Texas Legislature Updates: April 16, 2019
April 17, 2019

86th Texas Legislature Updates: April 16, 2019

The 86th Legislature House and Senate have been assigning bills to committees, holding public committee hearings, distributing reports on bills, and voting on legislation. Activities are described below.

Public Citizen is a non-profit consumer advocacy organization that focuses on protecting health, safety, and democracy. This session, they are closely following House Bill 798, which relates to plot plan requirements for an application for a standard permit for a concrete batch plant issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The bill would require that the plot plan include a distance scale, a north arrow, emission points, and tanks, as well as to benchmark locations in the area of the facility and to indicate if setback or buffer requirements would be met. Public Citizen believes that this bill would ensure that TCEQ has the information it needs to determine if the applicant meets the sitting requirements. For more information about Public Citizen’s Texas office and the issues they follow go to
www.citizen.org.

The last day for House committees to report House Bills and House Joint Resolutions is May 6, 2019. The last day for Senate committees to report Senate and Senate Joint Resolutions is May 18, 2019.

We’d love to know what bills you are watching. Send an email tomadeline.bell@cechouston.org.

More information about the 86th Texas Legislative session can be found at capitol.texas.gov.

Now that the regular deadline for filing bills in the Texas Legislature has passed, the focus is on committee work. If a committee approves a bill, it is then set back to the legislative chamber for consideration. If approved, it is sent to the opposite chamber. If a bill makes it to a vote and is passed by both the House and Senate, it is sent to the Governor who will either sign it into law, allow it to become law without a signature, or veto it.

Senate

BILLS RECEIVED AND ASSIGNED TO SENATE COMMITTEES

  • Property Tax
    • HB 1409: Relating to the qualification of land for appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes as timber land or restricted-use timber land.
    • HB 3348: Relating to the eligibility of land on which the Texas Animal Health Commission has established a temporary quarantine for ticks for appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes as agricultural or open-space land.
  • Water and Rural Affairs
    • HB 26: Relating to the notification of affected persons of certain releases of water from certain dams.

UPDATES ON SENATE COMMITTEES AND BILLS

  • Agriculture- met on April 15, 2019
  • Natural Resource and Economic Development- will meet 17, 2019
    • Bills scheduled for a Public Hearing
      • SB 185: Relating to the response to certain oil or gas well accidents by state agencies and responsible parties.
      • SB 2354: Relating to judicial review of acts by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
    • Bills out of Committee
      • SB 649: Relating to promotion of the use of recyclable materials as feed-stock for processing and manufacturing.
        • Not again placed on Intent calendar
      • SB 1585: Relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to issue permits for the discharge into water in this state of produced water, hydrostatic test water, and gas plant effluent resulting from certain oil and gas activities.
  • Transportation- will meet on April 17, 2019
  • Water and Rural Affairs- met on April 9, 2019

House of Representatives

BILLS RECEIVED FROM SENATE AND ASSIGNED TO HOUSE COMMITTEES

  • Agriculture and Livestock
    • SB 677: Relating to the regulation of beekeeping; imposing fees and authorizing other fees; expanding the applicability of an occupational permit.
  • Environmental Regulation
    • SB 892: Relating to the exhaust emission systems of certain diesel-powered motor vehicles.
  • Natural Resources
    • SB 942: Relating to the use of money in the state water pollution control revolving fund.
    • SB 669: Relating to the date for the confirmation election for the Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District.

UPDATES ON HOUSE COMMITTEES AND BILLS

  • Agriculture and Livestock- met on April 15, 2019
  • Culture, Recreation, and Tourism- met on April 9, 2019
  • Energy Resources- met on April 15, 2019
    • Bills out of Committee
  • Environmental Regulation- will meet on April 17, 2019
    • Bills scheduled for a Public Hearing
      • HB 907: Relating to the penalty for failure to register certain aggregate production operations with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
      • HB 999: Relating to who may request a public hearing from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality related to the construction of a concrete plant.
      • HB 3318: Relating to a permit requirement for the land application of domestic septage.
      • HB 3319: Relating to the collection of soil monitoring samples from land application units where sewage sludge or domestic septage is applied.
      • HB 3816: Relating to the regulatory analysis of rules proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
      • HB 3930: Relating to a prohibition of the land application of grease or grit trap waste.
      • HB 4584: Relating to sale of returnable containers; creating a criminal offense.
    • Bills out of Committee
  • Natural Resources- met on April 9, 2019
  • Public Health- will meet on April 17, 2019
  • Ways and Means- will meet on April 17, 2019
    • Bills scheduled for a Public Hearing
    • Bills out of Committee- met on April 10, 2019
      • HB 3348: Relating to the eligibility of land on which the Texas Animal Health Commission has established a temporary quarantine for ticks for appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes as agricultural or open-space land.

More information about the 86th Texas Legislative session can be found at capitol.texas.gov.