83rd Texas Legislature Regular Session, February 26, 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 February 18, 2013, 1204 bills have been filed by the Senate and 2664 bills have been filed by the House. 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:

• SB 633: Relating to liability of certain electric utilities that allow certain uses of land that the electric utility owns, occupies, or leases.
• SB 634: Relating to regulating faulty on-site sewage disposal systems in the unincorporated areas of a county as a public nuisance; providing a criminal penalty.
• SB 638: Relating to performance and payment security for certain comprehensive development agreements.
• SB 645: Relating to water quality improvement and pollution reduction through beverage container recycling incentives; assessing a fee; providing penalties.
• SB 654: 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.
• SB 655: Relating to the exercise of the power of eminent domain by certain authorized entities.
• SB 662: Relating to the composition of the drought preparedness council.
• SB 668: Relating to the reports and recommendations of the Water Conservation Advisory Council.
• SB 671: Relating to the deregulation of weather modification operations.
• SB 678: Relating to money allocated under the federal-aid highway program.
• SB 748: Relating to the use of certain tax revenue to enhance and upgrade convention center facilities, multipurpose arenas, multiuse facilities, and related infrastructure in certain municipalities.
• SB 749: Relating to the detection and repair of natural gas pipeline leaks.
• SB 762: Relating to a prohibition on the disposal of certain used equipment at a municipal solid waste facility; creating an offense.
• SB 764: Relating to a limitation on liability for prescribed burning conducted on land owned by, leased by, or occupied by certain self-insured governmental units.
• SB 791: Relating to the regulation of low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities and radioactive substances.
• SB 797: Relating to residency requirements for a hunting license.
• SB 798: Relating to residency requirements for a hunting license.
• SB 819 : Relating to the disposal of demolition waste from abandoned or nuisance buildings by certain local governments.
• SB 820 : Relating to the management, breeding, and destruction of deer and to procedures regarding certain deer permits.
• SB 829 : Relating to the initial use of certain property acquired for a public use.
• SB 837: Relating to the authority of a municipality to require owners of real property to keep the property free of certain conditions.
• SJR 38: Proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the state infrastructure fund and board to provide financial assistance for certain projects related to economic development infrastructure and for the transfer to the fund of money from the economic stabilization fund; making an appropriation.
• A review of house bills will resume next week.