By Madla                                               S.B. No. 820
       74R4086 JJT-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to a solid waste permit exemption for certain facilities
    1-3  that incinerate medical waste.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 382, Health and Safety
    1-6  Code, is amended by adding Section 382.065 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 382.065.  MEDICAL WASTE INCINERATORS IN RURAL HOSPITALS.
    1-8  (a)  A hospital that is located in a rural area, as defined by
    1-9  commission rule, and that has on-site a permitted medical waste
   1-10  incinerator may:
   1-11              (1)  accept for disposal medical waste from a
   1-12  physician, a physician's office, or another medical facility in the
   1-13  area; and
   1-14              (2)  incinerate the medical waste in accordance with
   1-15  the permit conditions for the incinerator.
   1-16        (b)  A hospital may apply for a permit amendment to allow the
   1-17  incineration of a greater amount of medical waste in the
   1-18  incinerator to accommodate the medical waste disposal needs in the
   1-19  area.  The commission shall consider the application for amendment
   1-20  without regard to whether the increased amount of medical waste is
   1-21  generated on-site or off-site.
   1-22        (c)  The commission may adopt rules related to the
   1-23  transportation and handling of medical waste to be disposed of
   1-24  under this section.
    2-1        (d)  The commission may not require a hospital to obtain a
    2-2  solid waste disposal permit under Chapter 361 to accept or
    2-3  incinerate medical waste in accordance with this section.
    2-4        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-5  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-6  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-7  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-8  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-9  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-10  passage, and it is so enacted.