By Conley H.B. No. 1376
74R4115 PB-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the regulation of certain solid waste technicians.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 361.027, Health and Safety Code, is
1-5 amended to read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 361.027. TRAINING OF SOLID WASTE TECHNICIANS. (a) The
1-7 <department and the> commission shall <may each>:
1-8 (1) develop and implement a program to train solid
1-9 waste technicians to improve the competency of those technicians;
1-10 and
1-11 (2) issue letters of competency to technicians that
1-12 fulfill the requirements of the training program.
1-13 (b) The owner or operator of a solid waste facility shall
1-14 <is encouraged to> employ as site manager a solid waste technician
1-15 who holds <holding> a letter of competency issued by <from> the
1-16 commission <appropriate agency>.
1-17 (c) The <department and the> commission shall <may each>:
1-18 (1) prescribe the standards of training required for
1-19 the program;
1-20 (2) determine the duration of the letter of
1-21 competency;
1-22 (3) award one or more categories of letters of
1-23 competency with each category reflecting a different degree of
1-24 training or skill;
2-1 (4) require a reasonable, nonrefundable fee, in an
2-2 amount set <determined from time to time> by the commission
2-3 <agency>, to be paid by participants, deposited to the credit of
2-4 the general revenue fund, and used to administer the program;
2-5 (5) extend or renew letters of competency issued by
2-6 the commission <agency>; and
2-7 (6) withdraw a letter of competency for good cause,
2-8 which may include a violation of this chapter or a rule of the
2-9 commission <agency> concerning the technician's duties and
2-10 responsibilities.
2-11 (d) The commission by rule shall prescribe the subjects to
2-12 be included in the program, which must include training regarding:
2-13 (1) solid waste management;
2-14 (2) operation of necessary equipment; and
2-15 (3) the use of composting and recycling programs as an
2-16 aspect of solid waste management.
2-17 SECTION 2. A person employed as the site manager of a solid
2-18 waste facility on the effective date of this Act is not required to
2-19 hold a letter of competency issued by the Texas Natural Resource
2-20 Conservation Commission under Section 361.027, Health and Safety
2-21 Code, as amended by this Act, until March 1, 1996.
2-22 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
2-23 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
2-24 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-25 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-26 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-27 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.