86th Texas Legislature Updates: March 19, 2019
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.
The Alliance for a Clean Texas is working to take action statewide to protect and improve public health and the environment of Texas. This session, ACT is focused on supporting legislation that relates to improving public health and the environment while working to defeat Bills that would cause environmental harm and adversely affect public health. The following are examples of bills they are following:
- House Bill 928: Relating to establishing the Texas Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission to study and address the impacts of climate change in this state.
- House Bill 2277: Relating to requirements for the construction of a natural gas pipeline.
- House Bill 4089: Relating to the regulation of radioactive waste.
- Senate Bill 648: Relating to clarifying the law regarding local government prohibitions or restrictions on the sale or use of a container or package.
To sign up for ACT updates go to https://www.actionnetwork.org/forms/join-the-act-supporter-list
We’d love to know what bills you are watching. Send an email to madeline.bell@cechouston.org.
More information about the 86th Texas Legislative session can be found at capitol.texas.gov.
House of Representatives
Bills Assigned to House Committees
- Environmental Regulation
- HB 3023: Relating to a study by Texas A&M University on the expected effects of future climate change in this state and the preparedness of this state to address those effects.
- HB 3035: Relating to the relationship between the amount of an administrative penalty imposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the economic benefit of the violation to the alleged violator.
- HB 3224: Relating to the creation of a defense under the Solid Waste Disposal Act for persons engaged in certain recycling transactions.
- HB 3249: Relating to the use of Texas emissions reduction plan funds for a study conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.
- HB 3291: Relating to the eligibility for grants for alternative fueling facilities.
- 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 3404: Relating to the issuance of a permit for a concrete plant located in an area of a municipality not subject to zoning regulations.
- HB 3600: Relating to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality adoption of a streamlined regulatory program for certain aggregate production operations.
- HB 3802: Relating to the creation of a zero-emissions vehicle program.
- HB 3805: Relating to reporting requirements for certain accidental discharges or spills.
- HB 3816: Relating to the regulatory analysis of rules proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
- HB 3817: Relating to prohibiting the operation of concrete plants and crushing facilities at certain locations.
- Ways and Means
- HB 3067: Relating to an oil and gas production tax credit for oil and gas producers that provide produced water for recycling.
- 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.
- Natural Resources
- HB 3142: Relating to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality reminders to public drinking water supply system operators regarding reporting requirements.
- HB 3289: Relating to the Nueces River Authority, following recommendations of the Sunset Advisory Commission.
- HB 3320: Relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to require water pollution abatement plans from certain facilities regulated by the Railroad Commission of Texas.
- HB 3324: Relating to groundwater impact contingency planning by pipeline operators.
- HB 3560: Relating to the authority of a county to implement a pilot program to reuse wastewater at county facilities.
- HB 3770: Relating to a pilot project conducted by the Texas Water Development Board regarding the real-time monitoring of the inundation and water quality of certain portions of the Rio Grande.
- HB 3843: Relating to the use of a priority groundwater management area study in certain areas.
- Agriculture and Livestock
- Energy Resources
- HB 3246: Relating to treating and recycling for beneficial use certain liquid or semi-liquid waste arising out of or incidental to drilling for or producing oil or gas.
- HB 3480: Relating to the disclosure of the composition of fluids and materials transported by pipelines regulated by the Railroad Commission of Texas.
- State Affairs
- HB 3261: Relating to the use of green storm-water infrastructure in new state buildings.
- Public Health
- HB 3799: Relating to the advertising and labeling of certain meat food products.
- Higher Education
- HB 3853: Relating to the administration by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board of proposed biological and environmental research by institutions of higher education on private property.
Senate
bills Assigned to Senate Committees
- Natural Resources and Economic Development
- SB 1021: Relating to the operations of the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact waste disposal facility.
- SB 1242: Relating to the location of hearings relating to contested cases before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
- SB 1243: Relating to the consideration of the cumulative effects of air contaminant emissions in the emissions permitting process.
- SB 1247: Relating to who may request a public hearing from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality related to the construction of a concrete plant.
- SB 1339: Relating to road specifications and safety standards for access to a solid waste facility.
- SB 1380: 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.
- SB 1498: Relating to regulation of on-site sewage disposal systems including occupational licensure requirements associated with those systems.
- SB 1501: Relating to the commencement of construction of a project following the issuance of a draft permit for a permit amendment to an air quality permit.
- SB 1585: Relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to issue permits for the discharge into water of this state of produced water, hydrostatic test water, and gas plant effluent resulting from certain oil and gas activities.
- SB 1753: Relating to the regulation of radioactive waste.
- SB 1885: Relating to notice of a radioactive substance release.
- SB 1931: Relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to conduct background checks.
- SB 1990: Relating to changes to an application for an environmental permit before a contested case hearing on the application.
- Water and Rural Affairs
- SB 1041: Relating to the deadline by which the Texas Water Development Board is required to identify and designate brackish groundwater production zones for certain areas of the state.
- SB 1496: Relating to a pilot project conducted by the Texas Water Development Board regarding the real-time monitoring of the inundation and water quality of certain portions of the Rio Grande.
- SB 1639: Relating to industrial solid waste generated in a foreign country.
- SB 1656: Relating to the conversion of plastics and other recoverable materials through pyrolysis or gasification.
- SB 1696: Relating to the regulation of aggregate production operations; requiring a permit; authorizing a fee.
- SB 1842: Relating to permits for the production of groundwater in a designated brackish groundwater production zone in the Brush Country Groundwater Conservation District.
- SB 1994: Relating to reporting requirements for certain accidental discharges or spills.
- Health and Human Services
- Finance
- SB 1205: Relating to an appropriation of money from the general revenue fund to the State Soil and Water Conservation Board for the purpose of eradicating Carrizo cane, contingent on the receipt of federal funds for the same purpose.
- Business and Commerce
- SB 1372: Relating to requirements for maintaining and decommissioning certain wind-powered generation facilities.
- Transportation
- SB 1630: Relating to abolishing the requirement for risk-based inspections of used automotive parts recyclers.
- Agriculture
- Criminal Justice
- SB 1684: Relating to the punishment for the offense of forgery relating to a writing of a metal recycling entity.
More information about the 86th Texas Legislative session can be found at capitol.texas.gov.