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Senate Bill 2445 |
Senate Author: Uresti |
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Effective: 9-1-09 |
House Sponsor: King, Tracy |
Current law prohibits the disposal of boat sewage on inland fresh waters in Texas, and regulates the discharge of boat sewage on a number of designated inland lakes that provide fresh water to local municipalities. Senate Bill 2445 amends the Water Code and the Parks and Wildlife Code to expand the areas covered by the prohibition against boat sewage disposal by requiring the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to issue rules concerning the disposal of sewage from boats located or operated on "surface water in the state," which is defined in the bill and replaces the more narrowly defined term "fresh water" as it pertains to the regulation of boat sewage. The bill authorizes a game warden or peace officer who is certified as a marine safety enforcement officer to enforce a TCEQ rule, and authorizes such an officer to board a boat to inspect the marine sanitation device under certain conditions.