85th Texas Legislature Regular Session Update – March 7, 2017
The 85th Texas Legislature Regular Session began on January 10, 2017. March 10, 2017, is the deadline for filing most bills, so you can expect a sharp uptick in the number of bills filed in the next few days. the legislature has also begun assigning bills to house and senate committees, and some bills have made it out of committee. You can read more on the Texas Senate News page and on the Texas House of Representatives News page.
Bills that have been Co-Authorized
- Natural Resources & Economic Development – scheduled to meet March 2
- SB 26 – Texas Emissions Reduction Plan. Status: voted out of committee
Bills Assigned to a Committee
- Energy Resources – scheduled to meet March 6
- Higher Education – scheduled to meet March 8
- HB 1472 – funds for mineral rights
- Land & Resource Management
- HB 1625 – General Land Office, enforcing Oil Spill Prevention & Response Act of 1991
- Natural Resources - scheduled to meet March 8
- HB 1648 – water conservation plan
- Natural Resources & Economic Development – scheduled to meet March 2
- SB 960 – burning regulations
- State Affairs – scheduled to meet March 8
- HB 773 – information on projected changes in weather, water & climate availability
- Veteran Affairs & Border Security – scheduled to meet March 8
- SB 277 – tax incentives relating to wind powered devices
Bills Scheduled for a Public Hearing
- Business & Commerce – scheduled to meet March 9
- SB 736 – General Land Office to sell retail electric power
- Energy Resources – scheduled to meet March 6
- HB 1818 -Â Railroad Commission of Texas; imposing fees
- Natural Resources - scheduled to meet March 8
Additional resources:
- The Texas Tribune covers the legislature with enthusiasm.
- The Nature Conservancy organization promotes the development of solutions that conserve nature as well as those around it. They are currently engaging in the 85th Texas Legislature and have a Texas State Legislative Priorities list explaining their efforts to promote preserving the environment.
- The Texas A&M Transportation Institute Policy Center is currently reviewing three bills relating to ridesharing: SB 113, SB 176, & SB 361. Off the Kuff provides a detailed insight explaining what the bills consist of as well as their current status in the legislation.
- January Advisors has a website that displays an interactive map providing detailed information in regards to district geography and politics. You can click on each district and see what the selected representative from that area has proposed.
- Download a list of current state and federal legislation pertinent to Gulf-Houston Regional Conservation Plan (PDF) issues.
- Alliance for a Clean Texas (ACT) is an organization that promotes protecting the land, air, and water throughout the state of Texas.  Their website, as well as their weekly newsletters, are a great tool to learn more about current environmental issues, organizations that partner with the ACT, and current legislation updates. If you would like to sign up for their newsletter, click here! CEC member organizations that are part of the Alliance include Air Alliance Houston, Environment Texas, Environmental Defense Fund, Sierra Club, Texas Campaign for the Environment, and the Texas League of Conservation Voters.
- Air Alliance Houston encourages you to learn about the importance of HB 1927. Air Alliance Houston provides an informative Toxic Alert Fact Sheet that explains what the bill entails and what toxic emergencies Houston had in 2016.
- The Texas Campaign for the Environment is currently proposing action on recycling used batteries (HB 1874). The Texas Campaign for the Environment has a post about recycling batteries and what steps should be taken in order for this to be resolved.
- If you have a favorite source of info, please share!
The Texas Legislature has filed the following bills for consideration during Texas’ 85th legislative session….
Additional committees for the 85th Legislature
House:
- Agriculture & Livestock
- Culture, Recreation, & Tourism
- Environmental Regulation – scheduled to meet March 7
- Public Health – scheduled to meet March 7
- Transportation – scheduled to meet March 9
- Urban Affairs– scheduled to meet March 9
Senate:
- Agriculture, Water, & Rural Affairs – scheduled to meet March 6
- Health & Human Services – scheduled to meet March 8
- Intergovernmental Relations – scheduled to meet March 8
House Bills
- HB 2600 -Â Relating to the establishment of the Bee Pollinator Goals Task Force to develop and report on statewide pollinator goals.
- HB 2628 -Â Relating to the cessation of certain deposits to the credit of the Texas emissions reduction plan fund.
- HB 2638 -Â Relating to the protection and use of intellectual property by the Railroad Commission of Texas.
- HB 2662 -Â Relating to the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact waste disposal facility.
- HB 2682 -Â Relating to the administration of and funding for the Texas emissions reduction plan.
- HB 2688 -Â Relating to the authority of the Railroad Commission of Texas to prevent waste of oil and gas.
- HB 2713 -Â Relating to an audit by the comptroller of unpaid oil and gas royalties held in trust by the Railroad Commission of Texas.
- HB 2715 -Â Relating to the composition and use of money in the oil and gas regulation and cleanup fund.
- HB 2716 -Â Relating to a study by the Department of Agriculture of the transfer of water from the Mississippi River.
- HB 2740 -Â Relating to the election of the board of directors of the Panola County Groundwater Conservation District.
- HB 2753 -Â Relating to the analysis of inspection and maintenance requirements for air quality permits issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for certain oil and gas facilities.
- HB 2763 -Â Relating to solid waste services for rental property and solid waste management programs in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of municipalities in certain counties; authorizing penalties.
- HB 2771 -Â Relating to the wastewater treatment permit application; eliminating a fee.
- HB 2798 -Â Relating to the regulation and reuse of wastewater.
- HB 2799 -Â Relating to a requirement to make certain environmental and water use permit applications available online.
- HB 2802 -Â Relating to the review of river authorities by the Sunset Advisory Commission.
- HB 2803 -Â Relating to the nonsubstantive revision of certain local laws concerning water and wastewater special districts, including conforming amendments.
- HB 2824 -Â Relating to requiring the Public Utility Commission of Texas to monitor and report on the deployment of advanced metering systems in this state.
- HB 2867 -Â Relating to the contracts of the Edwards Aquifer recharge, storage, and recovery projects.
- HB 2885 -Â Relating to the authorization by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality of the discharge, diversion, and transfer or other reuse of return flows derived from treated brackish groundwater.
- HB 2894 -Relating to desalinated seawater and a requirement that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality provide expedited consideration of certain applications to amend water rights.
- HB 2932 -Â Relating to the imposition of 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; increasing criminal penalties.
- HB 2943 -Â Relating to the use of money in the state water pollution control revolving fund.
- HB 2958 -Â Relating to a temporary moratorium on permits for municipal solid waste facilities.
- HB 2959 -Â Relating to the provision of wholesale water and sewer service to certain municipalities.
- HB 2970 -Â Relating to a Texas water resources program component of the science curriculum used in public schools in certain grade levels.
- HB 3004 -Â Relating to the dismissal of protests against certain decisions and actions of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regarding wastewater discharge permits.
- HB 3027 -Â Relating to the applicability of open meetings and public information laws to regional water planning groups and their committees.
- HB 3028 -Â Relating to groundwater ownership and rights.
- HB 3031 -Â Relating to the procedure for obtaining a right to use state water if the applicant proposes an alternative source of water that is not state water.
- HB 3036 -Â Relating to a restriction on permits authorizing direct discharges of waste or pollutants into water in certain areas of the Edwards Aquifer.
- HB 3037 -Â Relating to the definition of groundwater management areas to coincide with major and minor aquifers and the joint planning process in those areas.
- HB 3038 -Â Relating to the explanatory reports issued by the district representatives in groundwater management areas.
- HB 3043 -Â Relating to the joint planning process for groundwater management.
- HB 3058 -Â Relating to the new technology implementation grant program administered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
- HB 3063 -Â Relating to agricultural liens.
- HB 3064 -Â Relating to the dedication and maximization of returns on payments received by this state for economic losses sustained from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
- HB 3071 -Â Relating to the equalization of the rates of production fees charged on certain wells by the Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District; authorizing an increase in the rate of the fee.
- HB 3084 -Â Relating to the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information regarding the availability and quality of the groundwater resources in this state by the Geo-Technology Research Institute.
- HB 3085 -Â Relating to a study by the Geo-Technology Research Institute on the monitoring, prevention, and removal of floating trash.
- HB 3090 -Â Relating to the enforcement of laws prohibiting outdoor burning of waste and combustible material.
- HB 3111 -Â Relating to medical gas and vacuum piping systems testing in certain health facilities and voluntary tester registry.
- HB 3116 -Â Relating to permit application requirements for solid waste facilities.
- HB 3117 -Â Relating to a prohibition on the issuance of a permit under the Clean Air Act for a facility located within a five-mile radius of another permitted facility.
- HB 3153 -Â Relating to certain notice requirements regarding fluoridation of a water supply system.
- HB 3177 -Â Relating to the delegation of uncontested matters to the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
- HB 3182 -Â Relating to requiring the Parks and Wildlife Department to issue permits for the management of the wild mule deer population; requiring an occupational permit.
- HB 3200 -Â Relating to the regulation of certain aggregate production operations by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; authorizing an increase in the amount of a fee.
- HB 3201 -Â Relating to the designation of a well as a two-year inactive well or three-year inactive well for purposes of the oil and gas severance tax exemption.
- HB 3227 -Â Relating to the administration and enforcement of produce safety standards by the Department of Agriculture; authorizing an administrative penalty.
- HB 3232 -Â Relating to the penalty imposed on certain delinquent oil and gas severance taxes.
- HB 3240 -Â Relating to liability of certain gas utilities providing services or materials in the inspection, construction, or repair of a gas pipeline.
Senate Bills
- SB 307 -Â Relating to the functions and territory of the Upper Colorado River Authority, following the recommendations of the Sunset Advisory Commission.
- SB 308 -Â Relating to the Sulphur River Basin Authority, following recommendations of the Sunset Advisory Committee.
- SB 309 -Â Relating to the Palo Duro River Authority, following recommendations of the Sunset Advisory Commission.
- SB 1168 -Â Relating to the disqualification of directors of the Middle Pecos Groundwater Conservation District.
- SB 1175 -Â Relating to the dissolution of water districts.
- SB 1197 -Â Relating to fees charged by the Rolling Plains Groundwater Conservation District; authorizing a fee.
- SB 1209 -Â Relating to the eligibility of land for appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes as qualified open-space land on the basis of its use for wildlife management.
- SB 1229 -Â Relating to solid waste services for rental property and solid waste management programs in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of municipalities in certain counties; authorizing penalties.
- SB 1256 -Â Relating to export fees charged by the Middle Pecos Groundwater Conservation District; changing a fee.
- SB 1268 -Â Relating to the taxing power of the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District.
- SB 1330 -Â Relating to funding for the operations of the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission.
- SB 1382 -Â Relating to the use of local government energy savings performance contracts for measures that avoid expected future operating or maintenance costs.
- SB 1392 -Â Relating to groundwater conservation districts.
- SB 1416 -Â Relating to the requirements for construction contracts for certain water supply projects, treatment works, and flood control measures.
- SB 1423 -Â Relating to the supervision of water districts by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.