| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to climate change planning and reporting. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 5, Health and Safety Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Chapter 396 to read as follows: |
|
|
CHAPTER 396. CLIMATE CHANGE PLANNING AND REPORTING |
|
|
Sec. 396.0001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: |
|
|
(1) "Commission" means the Texas Commission on |
|
|
Environmental Quality. |
|
|
(2) "Office" means the office of the state |
|
|
climatologist. |
|
|
Sec. 396.0002. CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT REPORT. (a) Not later |
|
|
than June 1, 2024, and before the end of each successive four-year |
|
|
period after that date, the commission and the office shall prepare |
|
|
a report on the potential impact of climate change in this state. |
|
|
(b) The report required by this section must include |
|
|
information regarding: |
|
|
(1) scientific predictions regarding changes in |
|
|
temperature and precipitation patterns and amounts in this state |
|
|
that could result from climate change; |
|
|
(2) the potential impact of climate change on: |
|
|
(A) human health; |
|
|
(B) the economy and the management of economic |
|
|
risk; |
|
|
(C) infrastructure; |
|
|
(D) surface water and groundwater; |
|
|
(E) emergency preparedness; |
|
|
(F) state and local government finances; |
|
|
(G) forests, wildlife, and fisheries; |
|
|
(H) agriculture; and |
|
|
(I) recreation and tourism; |
|
|
(3) significant uncertainties about climate change; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(4) economic opportunities created by the potential |
|
|
need for: |
|
|
(A) alternative sources of energy; |
|
|
(B) climate-related technologies, services, and |
|
|
strategies; |
|
|
(C) carbon sequestration technologies; and |
|
|
(D) technologies for the capture and utilization |
|
|
of fugitive greenhouse gas emissions or other mitigation |
|
|
strategies. |
|
|
(c) In preparing the report required by this section, the |
|
|
commission and the office may consult with other state or federal |
|
|
agencies or academic institutions, as appropriate. The report |
|
|
shall reflect any diversity of views within the scientific |
|
|
community and among the entities consulted by the commission and |
|
|
the office. |
|
|
(d) The commission and the office shall make the report |
|
|
required by this section available to the public in print and on the |
|
|
commission's Internet website. |
|
|
Sec. 396.0003. GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY. (a) The |
|
|
commission and the office shall annually compile an inventory of |
|
|
greenhouse gases emitted in this state by all sources. |
|
|
(b) The inventory required by this section must establish: |
|
|
(1) a baseline of greenhouse gas emissions to be used |
|
|
to project future greenhouse gas emissions in the absence of |
|
|
governmental intervention; |
|
|
(2) greenhouse gas emission trends; and |
|
|
(3) the relative contributions of major sectors, |
|
|
including the transportation, electricity generation, industrial, |
|
|
commercial, mineral and natural resources, alternative fuel, |
|
|
agricultural, and domestic sectors. |
|
|
Sec. 396.0004. CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN. (a) Not later |
|
|
than December 1, 2024, and before the end of each successive |
|
|
four-year period after that date, the commission and the office |
|
|
shall create a climate change action plan. |
|
|
(b) The climate change action plan required by this section |
|
|
shall: |
|
|
(1) include the information gathered as part of the |
|
|
greenhouse gas inventory described by Section 396.0003; |
|
|
(2) evaluate cost-effective strategies for reducing |
|
|
or offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, including the costs, |
|
|
benefits, and co-benefits of those strategies, and how those |
|
|
strategies impact the capability of meeting future energy demands; |
|
|
(3) identify areas of disagreement regarding |
|
|
strategies covered by the plan; and |
|
|
(4) recommend legislative changes necessary to |
|
|
implement the plan. |
|
|
(c) The commission and the office shall deliver the climate |
|
|
action plan required by this section to the relevant standing |
|
|
committees of the senate and the house of representatives and make |
|
|
the plan available to the public in print and on the commission's |
|
|
Internet website. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |