1-1  By:  Cuellar of Webb (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini)      H.B. No. 283
    1-2        (In the Senate - Received from the House May 1, 1995;
    1-3  May 2, 1995, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural
    1-4  Resources; May 25, 1995, reported adversely, with favorable
    1-5  Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0;
    1-6  May 25, 1995, sent to printer.)
    1-7  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 283                    By:  Brown
    1-8                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-9                                AN ACT
   1-10  relating to environmental protection of the Rio Grande.
   1-11        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-12        SECTION 1.  Chapter 86, Local Government Code, is amended by
   1-13  adding Subchapter D to read as follows:
   1-14         SUBCHAPTER D.  ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OF RIO GRANDE
   1-15        Sec. 86.041.  LEGISLATIVE FINDING.  The legislature finds
   1-16  that ensuring a high standard of environmental quality for the Rio
   1-17  Grande is a matter of concern to the entire state.
   1-18        Sec. 86.042.  COUNTY SUBJECT TO SUBCHAPTER.  This subchapter
   1-19  applies only to a county:
   1-20              (1)  with a population of 130,000 to 175,000;
   1-21              (2)  that borders the Rio Grande; and
   1-22              (3)  in which the commissioners court determines by
   1-23  order that the public health, safety, and welfare require that
   1-24  constables of the county help protect the environmental quality of
   1-25  the Rio Grande.
   1-26        Sec. 86.043.  ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING OF COUNTY CONSTABLES.
   1-27  (a)  The commissioners court of the county may authorize a
   1-28  constable and the constable's deputies to seek environmental
   1-29  training from the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.
   1-30        (b)  The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, at a
   1-31  minimum, must design and certify the training to familiarize
   1-32  constables and deputies with the investigation of environmental
   1-33  violations.  The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission may
   1-34  assess a fee against a county that authorizes training under this
   1-35  section to recover the cost of the training.
   1-36        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-37  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-38  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-39  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-40  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   1-41  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   1-42  passage, and it is so enacted.
   1-43                               * * * * *