The big news for the week: the House has filed House Bill 1, the general appropriations bill. You’ll want to read this if you are interested in funding for TPWD, TCEQ, the GLO, and other environment-related programs.

Other legislation proposed relates to motor buses, Cenozoic Era reservoirs, motor vehicle sales tax and registration fees, cemeteries, eminent domain, metal recycling, storage of hazardous materials, and water (water supply, groundwater, the TWDB, conservation infrastructure, aquifers, river authorities, septic systems and sewer systems. The House also recognized Howard Sacks for his service as first president of the Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy. Congratulations!

House Bills

HB 1: General Appropriations Bill.
HB 1221: Relating to seller’s disclosures in connection with residential real property subject to groundwater regulation.
HB 1222: Relating to the authority of the Texas Water Development Board to provide financial assistance to political subdivisions for water supply projects.
HB 1223: Relating to the governance and administration of the Texas Water Resources Finance Authority.
HB 1224: Relating to the purposes for which the assets of certain revolving funds administered by the Texas Water Development Board may be used.
HB 1226: Relating to the designation of a local governmental entity as an authorized agent of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to regulate the use of on-site sewage disposal systems.
HB 1228: Relating to municipal public securities to provide for or loan or grant public money for the provision of water conservation infrastructure; providing a criminal penalty.
HB 1229: Relating to a waiver of certain state park fees for United States veterans.
HB 1232: Relating to a study by the Texas Water Development Board regarding the mapping of groundwater in confined and unconfined aquifers.
HB 1247: Relating to presumptions in contested case hearings regarding certain environmental permit applications.
HB 1248: Relating to the renewal or amendment of certain permits issued by groundwater conservation districts.
HB 1249: Relating to authorizing certain general infrastructure projects to be undertaken by economic development corporations.
HB 1269: Relating to supplemental environmental projects implemented by certain local governments in lieu of administrative penalties assessed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
HB 1279: Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to provide sewer service to areas within the municipal boundaries without obtaining a certificate of public convenience and necessity.
HB 1284: Relating to the review by certain governmental entities of a permit application for a solid waste facility.
HB 1289: Relating to the acquisition and sale of unimproved real property by an urban land bank.
HB 1290: Relating to the sunset review of river authorities.
HB 1296: Relating to the appointment of certain representatives to certain regional water planning groups.
HB 1301: Relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to adopt rules prohibiting the use of an on-site sewage disposal system with an absorptive effluent disposal system.
HB 1324: Relating to the establishment and operation of a motor-bus-only lane pilot program in certain counties.
HB 1331: Relating to the treatment and recycling for beneficial use of certain waste arising out of or incidental to the drilling for or production of oil or gas.
HB 1350: Relating to a limitation on the amount of tolls and other charges that may be imposed by toll project entities for the use of toll projects.
HB 1361: Relating to an exemption for municipalities and this state from the compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas tax.
HB 1370: Relating to the allocation of certain motor vehicle sales tax revenue to the state highway fund and to the uses of that revenue.
HB 1392: Relating to the recovery of stranded oil, gas, or oil and gas from depleting Cenozoic Era reservoirs.
HB 1398: Relating to the motor vehicle sales tax applicable to motor vehicles used by transportation companies for certain purposes.
HB 1406: Relating to the liability of a political subdivision of this state for certain claims relating to land acquired by the political subdivision under certain circumstances.
HB 1415: Relating to establishment or use of cemeteries in certain municipalities.
HB 1421: Relating to fees charged by the Coastal Plains Groundwater Conservation District. (Matagorda County)
HB 1422: Relating to the restoration of expired eminent domain authority of rural rail transportation districts.
HB 1432: Relating to optional fees on registration of vehicles in certain counties to fund transportation projects; authorizing a fee.

House Joint Resolution

HJR 91: Proposing a constitutional amendment dedicating certain revenue derived from the tax imposed on the sale of motor vehicles to the state highway fund.

House Resolutions

HR 474: Honoring Howard N. Sacks for his leadership and service to the citizens of Houston as the first President of the Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy.
HR 438: Honoring the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi on being named the lead organization of Texas OneGulf, a RESTORE Act Center of Excellence.
HR 439: Recognizing the Texas Forestry Association on the occasion of its seedling giveaway.

Senate Bills

SB 513: Relating to the regulation of metal recycling entities; imposing an administrative penalty.
SB 517: Relating to notice of an application for a permit to drill an injection well in the territory of a groundwater conservation district.
SB 521: Relating to the period for which the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality may grant or renew an emergency authorization relating to the use of state water>
SB 523: Relating to the sunset review of river authorities.
SB 528: Relating to the storage of certain hazardous chemicals; transferring enforcement of certain reporting requirements, including the imposition of criminal, civil, and administrative penalties, from the Department of State Health Services to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
SB 551: Relating to the duty of the Water Conservation Advisory Council to submit a report and recommendations regarding water conservation in this state.