BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 290 By: Henderson Natural Resources 01-31-95 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND The federal Clean Air Act of 1990 requires all states to develop and implement pollution-reduction plans in "severe areas." The Employer Trip Reduction Plan is one of the programs, requiring each employer in a nonattainment area with 100 or more employees to increase average passenger occupancy per vehicle in commuting trips between home and the workplace during peak travel periods. The average occupancy per vehicle rate must be increased by at least 25 percent. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 290 suspends the implementation of the employer trip reduction program for 180 days after this Act takes effect. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. (a) Requires the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (commission) to immediately suspend, for 180 days after this Act takes effect, implementation of the employer trip reduction program prescribed by Section 182(d)(1)(B) of the federal Clean Air Act and to be developed by an administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. (b) Provides that an employer required by rule of the commission to perform act to comply with the employer trip reduction program is not required to perform the act for the same time period. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.