By Pickett H.B. No. 963 74R3343 JJT-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to liner requirements for municipal solid waste landfills. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 361, Health and Safety 1-5 Code, is amended by adding Section 361.116 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 361.116. LANDFILL LINERS. (a) The commission may not 1-7 require a municipal solid waste landfill to be lined unless, after 1-8 considering relevant conditions at the landfill site, including 1-9 projected annual precipitation, the commission finds that a lined 1-10 landfill will provide greater protection of groundwater quality or 1-11 public health than protection provided by an unlined landfill at 1-12 the site. 1-13 (b) The commission by rule shall provide: 1-14 (1) criteria for determining the need for a landfill 1-15 to be lined to protect groundwater quality or to protect public 1-16 health; and 1-17 (2) procedures for an applicant for a municipal solid 1-18 waste landfill permit to apply for an exemption from the 1-19 requirement of a liner at a specific site. 1-20 SECTION 2. The Texas Natural Resource Conservation 1-21 Commission shall adopt rules under Section 361.116, Health and 1-22 Safety Code, as added by this Act, not later than December 31, 1-23 1995. 1-24 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-5 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-6 passage, and it is so enacted.