By Jackson H.B. No. 1623 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the elimination of dual permitting for wastewater 1-3 discharges. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 26.121, Water Code, (Text of section 1-6 effective until delegation of NPDES permit authority), is amended 1-7 by adding subsections (f) through (h), to read as follows: 1-8 (f) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this chapter 1-9 or any other chapter of this Code or the laws of this state, no 1-10 permit issued by the commission for the discharge of waste, 1-11 wastewater, sewage, municipal waste, recreational waste, or 1-12 industrial waste or pollutants, into or adjacent to water in the 1-13 state shall be required of a person who possesses a valid permit 1-14 from the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued 1-15 pursuant to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 1-16 provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C.A. 1-17 Sec. 1342) for the same discharge, and such permit issued by the 1-18 United States Environmental Protection Agency shall be the permit 1-19 issued by the commission for all purposes of law other than the 1-20 collection of fees, as described in subsection (h) of this section. 1-21 (g) Permits heretofore issued by the commission for a 1-22 discharge for which a permit has also been issued by the United 1-23 States Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to the National 2-1 Pollutant Discharge Elimination System shall expire and become null 2-2 and void on the effective date of this Act. 2-3 (h) The commission may collect no fee, including but not 2-4 limited to the waste treatment inspection fee provided in Sec. 2-5 26.0291 of this Code, for any permit issued by the United States 2-6 Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to the National Pollutant 2-7 Discharge Elimination System or for any permit issued by the 2-8 commission for the same discharge. 2-9 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 2-10 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-11 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-12 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-13 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.