83rd Texas Legislature Regular Session, March 5, 2013

CEC is sharing information during the session about what bills our member groups and readers are tracking. More information is available at cechouston.org/category/texas-legislature/.

As of March 4, 2013, 1451 bills have been filed by the Senate and 3159 bills have been filed by the House. The last day to file bills is March 8, 2013. Learn more at http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/Reports/General.aspx. Other helpful links:

• Texas Senate Week in Review
• Texas House Committee Schedules

The following are bills (SB=Senate Bill, HB=House Bill, and HJR=House Joint Resolution) which may be of interest to the region’s environmental community and which have been filed in the past week (two weeks, for house bills):

• SB 843: Relating to public access to boundary, financial, and tax rate information of certain political subdivisions.
• SB 873: Relating to the authority of a groundwater conservation district to require a permit for the drilling or operation of a water well used to supply water for the performance of a hydraulic fracturing treatment on an oil or gas well.
• SB 884: Relating to certain criminal offenses for violations of the law regulating metal recycling entities.
• SB 900: Relating to the amounts of the administrative, civil, and criminal penalties for violating certain statutes under the jurisdiction of, rules or orders adopted by, or licenses, permits, or certificates issued by the Railroad Commission of Texas.
• SB 901: Relating to safety standards and practices applicable to the transportation by pipeline of certain substances.
• SB 923: Relating to the creation and funding of the state water plan fund to assist the Texas Water Development Board in the funding of certain projects included in the state water plan; imposing a fee and a surcharge.
• SB 933: Relating to the allocation of the proceeds from taxes imposed on the sale, storage, or use of sporting goods.
• SB 941: Relating to the adoption of rules by the Railroad Commission of Texas regulating the exploration for and production of natural gas in the unincorporated areas of certain counties.
• SB 957: Relating to the procedure for action by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on applications for certain environmental permits and administrative and judicial review of the commission’s action.
• SB 958: Relating to the liability of certain special-purpose districts or authorities providing water to a purchaser for the generation of electricity.
• SB 964: Relating to the appropriation of amounts deposited into the oyster sales account and the abolishment of the oyster advisory committee.
• SB 993: Relating to the creation of the Texas Nonprofit Council to assist with faith- and community-based initiatives.
• SB 1030: Relating to the exemption from ad valorem taxation of energy storage systems used for the control of air pollution in a nonattainment area.
• SB 1031: Relating to the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District; providing authority to impose a fee.
• SB 1039: Relating to the report by the Water Conservation Advisory Council on progress made in water conservation in this state.
• HB 1443: Relating to the dedication of certain unclaimed lottery prize money to fund the repair, restoration, and permanent dry berth of the Battleship “Texas.”
• HB 1456: Relating to the right of a county to intervene in an original rate proceeding.
• HB 1457: Relating to expenses considered to determine net income for purposes of a rate proceeding for an investor-owned water and sewer utility.
• HB 1460: Relating to the use of land and water for wildlife management.
• HB 1461: Relating to customer notification of significant water loss by a retail public utility.
• HB 1473: Relating to water quality improvement and pollution reduction through beverage container recycling incentives; assessing a fee; providing penalties.
• HB 1490: Relating to collection and use of municipal solid waste fees.
• HB 1496: Relating to governmental actions affecting private property rights in certain oil and gas wells.
• HB 1509: Relating to the enforcement of water conservation and animal care and control ordinances of a municipality by civil action or quasi-judicial enforcement; providing civil penalties.
• HB 1516: Relating to solid waste services for rental property and solid waste management programs in certain counties; providing a civil penalty.
• HB 1535: Relating to the permitting of certain small commercial development sewage collection, treatment, and disposal systems as on-site sewage disposal systems.
• HB 1537: Relating to building code standards for new residential construction in the unincorporated area of a county.
• HB 1547: Relating to the power of the North Fort Bend Water Authority to impose a charge on certain wells or classes of wells.
• HB 1554: Relating to the authority of a municipality to file a lien for the costs of abatement of a floodplain ordinance violation.
• HB 1570: Relating to the determination of the amount of energy available for sale from a clean energy project to a wholesale power purchaser.
• HB 1584: Relating to the sale, storage, transportation, and disposal of scrap or used tires; providing a civil penalty; creating an offense.
• HB 1590: Relating to an exemption from certain municipal and county solid waste disposal service requirements.
• HB 1600: Relating to the continuation and functions of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, to the transfer of certain functions from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and to the functions of the Office of Public Utility Counsel; authorizing a fee.
• HB 1614: Relating to the management, breeding, and destruction of deer and to procedures regarding certain deer permits.
• HB 1627: Relating to the allocation of revenue derived from state gasoline and special fuels taxes.
• HB 1642: Relating to the Port of Houston Authority; creating an offense.
• HB 1652: Relating to liability of an owner, lessee, or occupant of land that allows land to be used as a community garden.
• HB 1653: Relating to the operations of the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact waste disposal facility.
• HB 1663: Relating to timing and frequency with which a public utility may file for a rate change application.
• HB 1694: Relating to a prohibition on the disposal of certain used equipment at a municipal solid waste facility; creating an offense.
• HB 1712: Relating to exemptions from property taxation and sales and use taxation for certain offshore spill response and well containment property used to control pollution.
• HB 1714: Relating to the discontinuance of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s compliance history program.
• HB 1736: Relating to an exemption from property taxation for certain facilities that convert landfill generated methane into renewable natural gas.
• HB 1776: Relating to the definition of “drought” for the purposes of emergency orders concerning water rights issued by the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
• HB 1796: Relating to the renewal or amendment of permits issued by groundwater conservation districts; providing authority to impose fees.
• HB 1797: Relating to the authority to regulate certain water and sewage utilities to ensure public safety in and around certain municipalities.
• HB 1824: Relating to the operation of master mixed-use property owners’ associations.
• HB 1825: Relating to the sale or transportation of certain desert plants; creating an offense; providing a penalty.
• HB 1854: Relating to the appropriation of money from the economic stabilization fund to be used for upgrading fixtures and materials in state buildings to maximize energy and water conservation.
• HB 1858: Relating to a property owner’s right to remove a tree or vegetation that the owner believes poses a fire risk.
• HB 1863: Relating to the amounts of the administrative, civil, and criminal penalties for violating certain statutes under the jurisdiction of, rules or orders adopted by, or licenses, permits, or certificates issued by the Railroad Commission of Texas.
• HB 1873: Relating to a limitation on the expansion of certain landfills.
• HB 1883: Relating to the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District; providing authority to impose a fee.
• HB 1897: Relating to the exemption from ad valorem taxation of pollution control property.
• (Additional bills will be included next week.)