By:  Moncrief                                           S.B. No. 31
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to minimum standards for smoking in certain public places
    1-2  or at certain public meetings; creating an offense and providing
    1-3  penalties.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subtitle H, Title 2, Health and Safety Code, is
    1-6  amended by adding Chapter 164 to read as follows:
    1-7         CHAPTER 164.  SMOKING IN STATE BUILDINGS OR MEETINGS
    1-8  Sec. 164.001.  PURPOSE
    1-9  Sec. 164.002.  DEFINITIONS
   1-10  Sec. 164.003.  SMOKING AT PUBLIC HEARING OR IN STATE
   1-11                 BUILDING; CRIMINAL PENALTY
   1-12  Sec. 164.004.  DESIGNATION OF SMOKING AREAS
   1-13  Sec. 164.005.  SIGNS
   1-14  Sec. 164.006.  REASONABLE EFFORT TO PREVENT SMOKING
   1-15  Sec. 164.007.  FACILITIES TO EXTINGUISH SMOKING MATERIALS
   1-16  Sec. 164.008.  ADMINISTRATION; WAIVER
   1-17  Sec. 164.009.  INJUNCTION
   1-18         CHAPTER 164.  SMOKING IN STATE BUILDINGS OR MEETINGS
   1-19        Sec. 164.001.  PURPOSE.  The purpose of this chapter is to
   1-20  protect the public health, comfort, and environment by prohibiting
   1-21  smoking in state buildings and at public hearings held by state
   1-22  agencies except in designated smoking areas.
   1-23        Sec. 164.002.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter:
    2-1              (1)  "Smoke," "smokes," or "smoking" includes:
    2-2                    (A)  carrying or holding a lighted pipe, cigar,
    2-3  or cigarette of any kind or any other lighted smoking material,
    2-4  equipment, or device;
    2-5                    (B)  lighting a pipe, cigar, or cigarette of any
    2-6  kind or any other smoking material, equipment, or device; or
    2-7                    (C)  emitting or exhaling the smoke of a pipe,
    2-8  cigar, or cigarette of any kind or any other smoking material,
    2-9  equipment, or device.
   2-10              (2)  "State agency" includes an agency in any branch of
   2-11  state government.
   2-12              (3)  "State  building" means a building wholly or
   2-13  partially owned or wholly leased by the state.
   2-14        Sec. 164.003.  SMOKING AT PUBLIC HEARING OR IN STATE
   2-15  BUILDING; CRIMINAL PENALTY.  (a)  A person commits an offense if
   2-16  the person smokes at a public hearing conducted by a state agency
   2-17  or in a state building and the person is not in an area designated
   2-18  as a smoking area under Section 164.004.
   2-19        (b)  It is an exception to the application of Subsection (a)
   2-20  that the person is smoking in a place in a state building for which
   2-21  a waiver has been granted under Section 164.008(b).
   2-22        (c)  An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor,
   2-23  unless it is shown on the trial of the defendant that the defendant
   2-24  has been convicted one or more times within five years before the
   2-25  trial date of a violation of this section, in which event the
    3-1  offense is punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.
    3-2        Sec. 164.004.  DESIGNATION OF SMOKING AREAS.  (a)  Except as
    3-3  provided by Subsection (d), if the chief executive of a state
    3-4  agency decides to permit persons in parts of a state building
    3-5  occupied by that agency to smoke, the chief executive or the chief
    3-6  executive's designee shall designate areas as smoking areas.  The
    3-7  lieutenant governor or speaker of the house of representatives or
    3-8  their designees, as appropriate, may designate areas as smoking
    3-9  areas in buildings occupied by the legislature.
   3-10        (b)  The designation of smoking areas does not require an
   3-11  agency to make structural or physical modifications to accommodate
   3-12  the smoking areas, but existing physical barriers and ventilation
   3-13  systems shall be used to minimize the effects of smoke in adjacent
   3-14  nonsmoking areas.
   3-15        (c)  Each state agency shall develop, implement, and maintain
   3-16  a written smoking policy that accommodates the wishes of smoking
   3-17  and nonsmoking employees by designating smoking and nonsmoking
   3-18  areas.  If a dispute arises, the preferences of nonsmokers shall be
   3-19  accommodated.  This chapter does not prohibit a state agency from
   3-20  designating a place of employment in its entirety as a nonsmoking
   3-21  area.
   3-22        (d)  A smoking area may not be designated in:
   3-23              (1)  an elevator;
   3-24              (2)  a rest room;
   3-25              (3)  a service line, cashier area, over-the-counter
    4-1  sales area, or common traffic area; or
    4-2              (4)  a place in which smoking is prohibited by the fire
    4-3  marshal of the state or a political subdivision or by other law,
    4-4  ordinance, or rule.
    4-5        Sec. 164.005.  SIGNS.  (a)  Each state agency occupying a
    4-6  state building shall place signs visible at each entrance to an
    4-7  area in the state building occupied by the agency to notify persons
    4-8  entering the premises that smoking is prohibited or that smoking is
    4-9  prohibited except in areas designated as smoking areas.
   4-10        (b)  The person responsible for designating smoking areas in
   4-11  a state building shall post in a conspicuous place in any area
   4-12  designated as a smoking area signs stating that smoking is
   4-13  permitted in the area.  The person may post signs in the premises
   4-14  stating "No Smoking" or "No Smoking Except in Designated Areas" as
   4-15  appropriate.
   4-16        Sec. 164.006.  REASONABLE EFFORT TO PREVENT SMOKING.  (a)  A
   4-17  person authorized to designate smoking areas under Section
   4-18  164.004(a) shall make a reasonable effort to prevent smoking by:
   4-19              (1)  designating any areas where smoking will be
   4-20  permitted as required by Section 164.004;
   4-21              (2)  posting signs as required by Section 164.005; and
   4-22              (3)  asking smokers to refrain from smoking in all
   4-23  nonsmoking areas on request of a client, patron, or employee
   4-24  suffering discomfort from the smoke.
   4-25        (b)  If a smoker refuses to comply with a request to refrain
    5-1  from smoking, an affected person may bring an action as provided by
    5-2  Section 164.009.
    5-3        Sec. 164.007.  FACILITIES TO EXTINGUISH SMOKING MATERIALS.
    5-4  (a)  All state buildings shall be equipped with facilities for
    5-5  extinguishing smoking materials.
    5-6        (b)  Facilities for extinguishing smoking materials that are
    5-7  located in areas of state buildings other than designated smoking
    5-8  areas shall be accompanied by clearly visible signs stating "No
    5-9  Smoking."
   5-10        Sec. 164.008.  ADMINISTRATION; WAIVER.  (a)  The board shall
   5-11  adopt rules necessary under this chapter and shall implement and
   5-12  determine compliance with this chapter.
   5-13        (b)  The commissioner may, on request of a person authorized
   5-14  to designate smoking areas under Section 164.004(a), waive the
   5-15  requirements of this chapter if the commissioner determines that
   5-16  there are compelling reasons to do so and that the waiver will not
   5-17  significantly affect the health and comfort of nonsmokers.
   5-18        Sec. 164.009.  INJUNCTION.  The board, another state agency,
   5-19  or any affected person may bring an action in any court of
   5-20  competent jurisdiction to enjoin a violation of this chapter.
   5-21        SECTION 2.  Each state agency required to adopt a written
   5-22  smoking policy under Subsection (c), Section 164.004, Health and
   5-23  Safety Code, as added by this Act, shall adopt the policy not later
   5-24  than January 1, 1994.
   5-25        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
    6-1        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
    6-2  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    6-3  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    6-4  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    6-5  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.