BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.S.B. 600

By: Perry

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that having an inventory of dams operated by certain river authorities in Texas would be beneficial to help protect public health and safety and provide transparency. C.S.S.B. 600 seeks to address this issue by requiring applicable river authorities to provide the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) with certain dam information and by requiring TCEQ to create and maintain a website that contains the collected information.

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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

C.S.S.B. 600 amends the Water Code to require each river authority subject to a limited review under the Texas Sunset Act to provide to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) information regarding the operation and maintenance of dams under the river authority's control. The bill requires TCEQ by rule to require a river authority to provide for each dam under its control at least the following information:

· the dam's location;

· under whose jurisdiction the dam operates;

· a required maintenance schedule for the dam;

· costs of the dam's operation and maintenance; and

· the method of finance for the dam's operation and maintenance costs.

The bill requires a river authority to submit the required information to TCEQ each year and in the event of a significant change in the information. The bill requires TCEQ, subject to federal and state confidentiality laws, to create and maintain a website that contains the information collected under the bill's provisions.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF SENATE ENGROSSED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.S.B. 600 may differ from the engrossed in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the engrossed and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute differs from the engrossed by making the bill's requirement that TCEQ create and maintain a website that contains the information collected under the bill's provisions subject to federal and state confidentiality laws.