BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2148

By: Stephenson

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that much confusion could be avoided regarding the notice of accidental discharges or spills that threaten public water systems if notice was given to the owner or operator of an applicable public water system before the news media is notified. C.S.H.B. 2148 seeks to address this issue by setting out an applicable notification requirement for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2148 amends the Water Code to require the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), as soon as possible after it detects or becomes aware of an accidental discharge or spill that threatens water that is a source for a public water system and not later than the time it notifies the news media of the discharge or spill, to notify the owner or operator of each public water system that may be threatened by the discharge or spill.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 2148 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

Whereas the original required TCEQ, as soon as possible after detecting or becoming aware of contamination of water that is a source for a public water supply and not later than the time it notifies the news media of the contamination, to notify the owner or operator of each public water supply system that may be affected by the contamination, the substitute changes the scope of that notification requirement to apply instead with respect to an accidental discharge or spill that threatens water that is a source for a public water system and to the owner or operator of each public water system that may be threatened by the discharge or spill.