By:  Nieto                                            H.B. No. 2462
       73R6547 JMM-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the regulation of residential water treatment
    1-3  facilities.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 2(g), The Plumbing License Law (Article
    1-6  6243-101, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as
    1-7  follows:
    1-8        (g)  "Water treatment" is a business which is conducted under
    1-9  contract and requires ability<, experience,> and skill in the
   1-10  analysis of water to determine how to treat influent and effluent
   1-11  water to alter or purify the water or to add or remove a mineral,
   1-12  chemical, or bacterial content or substance.  The term includes the
   1-13  installation and service of fixed or portable water treatment
   1-14  equipment or a treatment apparatus, in public or private water
   1-15  treatment systems.  The term also includes the making of
   1-16  connections necessary to the installation of a water treatment
   1-17  system.
   1-18        SECTION 2.  Section 3A(a), The Plumbing License Law (Article
   1-19  6243-101, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended to read as
   1-20  follows:
   1-21        (a)  The Commissioner of Health or his designee shall certify
   1-22  persons as being qualified for the installation, exchange,
   1-23  servicing, and repair of residential water treatment facilities as
   1-24  defined by Subsection (g) of Section 2 of this Act.  The Texas
    2-1  Board of Health shall set standards for certification to ensure the
    2-2  public health and to protect the public from unqualified persons
    2-3  engaging in activities relating to water treatment.  The board may
    2-4  not by rule require that an applicant for certification under this
    2-5  section have work experience in residential water treatment if the
    2-6  applicant has a college degree and meets the other requirements for
    2-7  certification. Nothing in this section shall be construed to
    2-8  require that persons licensed pursuant to this Act are subject to
    2-9  certification under this section.
   2-10        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   2-11        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-12  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-13  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-14  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-15  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.