By Sims, Brown S.B. No. 742
74R3588 SMH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the duties of the office of public interest counsel of
1-3 the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Sections 5.271 and 5.273, Water Code, are amended
1-6 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 5.271. CREATION <AND GENERAL RESPONSIBILITY> OF THE
1-8 OFFICE OF PUBLIC INTEREST COUNSEL. The office of public interest
1-9 counsel is created <to ensure that the commission promotes the
1-10 public's interest and is responsive to environmental and citizens'
1-11 concerns including environmental quality and consumer protection>.
1-12 Sec. 5.273. Duties of the Public Interest Counsel. (a) The
1-13 counsel, on request, shall inform a participant in a proceeding
1-14 before the commission of:
1-15 (1) the procedural requirements applicable to the
1-16 proceeding; or
1-17 (2) the current status of the proceeding.
1-18 (b) The counsel may not <represent the public interest and>
1-19 be a party to a proceeding <all proceedings> before the commission.
1-20 SECTION 2. Section 5.275, Water Code, is repealed.
1-21 SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies to a
1-22 proceeding initiated before, on, or after the effective date of
1-23 this Act.
1-24 SECTION 4. 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.