86th Texas Legislature Updates: May 14, 2019

The 86th Legislature House and Senate have been assigning bills to committees, holding public committee hearings, distributing reports on bills, and voting on legislation. Activities are described below.

The deadline for House committees to report House Bills and House Joint Resolutions was May 6, 2019. For bills or joint resolutions that did not get out of committee May 7, then it was the end of their legislative journey. Similarly, bills or joint resolutions that made it out of committee but not onto the House’s agenda are finished. And the bills and joint resolutions that did not come to a vote in the full House by midnight May 9, 2019 have also died in the House.

The last day for Senate committees to report Senate and Senate Joint Resolutions is May 18, 2019. The session will end May 27, 2019.

A number of bills related to the environmental have made it out of committee and have been sent to the governor, including bills related to promotion of recycling materials, groundwater conservation, fees for municipal solid waste committees, quarantines for ticks, and beneficial use of waste related to drilling or production of oil or gas. 

We’d love to know what bills you are watching. Send an email to rachel@cechouston.org

More information about the 86th Texas Legislative session can be found at capitol.texas.gov.

Bills that have been signed by the Governor

• SB 743: Relating to the Texas Olive Oil Industry Advisory Board.

Bills that have been sent to the Governor

• SB 649: Relating to promotion of the use of recyclable materials as feedstock for processing and manufacturing.
• HB 1066: Relating to extensions of an expired permit for the transfer of groundwater from a groundwater conservation district.
• HB 1331: Relating to the application fee for a permit for a municipal solid waste facility; imposing a fee.
• HB 1627: Relating to the removal of certain counties from the Texas emissions reduction plan.
• HB 3246: 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 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.

Senate

BILLS RECEIVED AND ASSIGNED TO SENATE COMMITTEES

• Health and Human Services
  • HB 1694: Relating to limitations on food regulations at farms, farmers’ markets, and cottage food production operations.
• Natural Resources and Economic Development
  • HB 907: Relating to the penalty for failure to register certain aggregate production operations with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
  • HB 3224: Relating to a study on the creation of a defense under the Solid Waste Disposal Act for persons engaged in certain recycling transactions.
  • HB 4116: Relating to a voluntary financial assurance program for permit holders under the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
• Water and Rural Affairs
  • HB 720: Relating to appropriations of water for recharge of aquifers and use in aquifer storage and recovery projects.
  • HB 722: Relating to the development of brackish groundwater.
  • HB 726: Relating to the regulation of groundwater.
  • HB 3142: Relating to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality reminders to public drinking water supply systems regarding reporting requirements.
  • HB 4595: Relating to a study and report on the optimum water level of Falcon Lake.

UPDATES ON SENATE COMMITTEES AND BILLS

• Agriculture
  • Bills out of Committee
    • HB 70: Relating to a strategic plan goal by the Department of Agriculture to prevent crop diseases and plant pests in this state.
      • Reported favorably without amendment
• Natural Resources and Economic Development
  • Bills out of Committee
    • HB 185: Relating to the response to certain oil or gas well accidents by state agencies and responsible parties.
      • Reported favorably as substituted
    • HB 1331: Relating to the application fee for a permit for a municipal solid waste facility; imposing a fee.
      • Voted on and passed in the Senate
    • HB 1346: Relating to the eligibility requirements for the diesel emissions reduction incentive program.
      • Reported favorably as substituted
    • HB 1627: Relating to the removal of certain counties from the Texas emissions reduction plan.
      • Voted on and passed in the Senate
    • HB 2203: Relating to notice of a radioactive substance release.
      • Reported favorably without amendment
    • HB 2771: Relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to issue permits for the discharge into water in this state of produced water, hydrostatic test water, and gas plant effluent resulting from certain oil and gas activities.
      • Reported favorably as substituted
    • HB 3246: 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.
      • Voted on and passed in the Senate
• Water and Rural Affairs
  • Bills out of Committee
    • HB 137: Relating to reports by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality about dams that have certain hazard classifications.
      • Reported favorably without amendment
    • HB 191: Relating to the disposal of pesticides.
      • Reported favorably without amendment
    • HB 721: Relating to the duty of the Texas Water Development Board to conduct studies of and prepare and submit reports on aquifer storage and recovery and aquifer recharge projects.
      • Reported favorably as substituted
    • HB 1824: Relating to use of funds collected by the Parks and Wildlife Commission from the sale of certain materials.
      • Reported favorably without amendment

House of Representatives

BILLS RECEIVED FROM SENATE AND ASSIGNED TO HOUSE COMMITTEES

• Agriculture and Livestock
  • SB 1884: Relating to the protection of animal and crop facilities; creating a criminal offense.
• Natural Resources
  • SB 911: Relating to the supervision of water districts by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

UPDATES ON HOUSE COMMITTEES AND BILLS

• Agriculture and Livestock
  • Bills out of Committee
    • HB 1563: Relating to the licensing and regulation of animal export-import processing facilities; providing penalties; requiring an occupational license; authorizing fees.
      • Voted on and passed in the House
    • SB 1672: Relating to the detection and mitigation of plant pests and diseases.
      • Reported favorably without amendment
• Energy Resources
  • Bills out of Committee
    • HB 2942: Relating to the eligibility of land to continue to be appraised for ad valorem tax purposes as qualified open-space land if the land is temporarily used for sand mining operations; authorizing a fee.
      • Voted on and passed in the House
• Environmental Regulation
  • Bills out of Committee
    • SB 698: Relating to the expedited processing of certain applications for permits under the Texas Clean Air Act.
      • Reported favorably without amendment
    • HB 907: Relating to the penalty for failure to register certain aggregate production operations with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
      • Voted on and passed in the House
    • SB 892: Relating to the exhaust emission systems of certain diesel-powered motor vehicles.
      • Reported favorably as substituted
    • SB 2070: Relating to a prohibition of the land application of grease or grit trap waste.
      • Reported favorably without amendment
    • SB 2354: Relating to judicial review of acts by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
      • Reported favorably without amendment
    • HB 4493: Relating to supplemental environmental projects authorized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
      • Voted on and passed in the House
• Natural Resources
  • Bills out of Committee
    • 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.
      • Voted on and passed in the House
• Public Health
  • Bills out of Committee
    • SB 1122: Relating to the establishment of a sanitarian recruitment and retention program in border counties for public health purposes.
      • Reported favorably without amendment