By:  Sims, Brown                                       S.B. No. 942
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to the On-site Wastewater Treatment Research Council.
    1-2        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-3        SECTION 1.  Subdivisions (1) and (2), Section 367.001, Health
    1-4  and Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
    1-5              (1)  "Commission" means the Texas Natural Resource
    1-6  Conservation Commission.
    1-7              (2)  "Council" means the On-site Wastewater Treatment
    1-8  Research Council.
    1-9              <(2)  "Department" means the Texas Natural Resource
   1-10  Conservation Commission.>
   1-11        SECTION 2.  Section 367.007, Health and Safety Code, is
   1-12  amended by amending Subsections (a), (b), and (c) and by adding
   1-13  Subsection (e) to read as follows:
   1-14        (a)  The council is not an advisory body to the commission.
   1-15  The commission <department>, at the direction of the council, shall
   1-16  implement council decisions.
   1-17        (b)  The council may enter into an interagency contract with
   1-18  the commission <department> to provide staff and other
   1-19  administrative support as required to improve the quality of
   1-20  wastewater treatment and reduce the cost of providing wastewater
   1-21  treatment to consumers.
   1-22        (c)  The council may accept grants and donations from other
   1-23  sources to supplement the fees collected under Section 367.010.
   1-24  Grants and donations shall be deposited to the credit of the
    2-1  on-site wastewater treatment research account <of the general
    2-2  revenue fund> and may be disbursed as the council directs and in
    2-3  accordance with Section 367.008.
    2-4        (e)  The council may award grants and enter into contracts in
    2-5  its own name and on its own behalf.
    2-6        SECTION 3.  Section 367.010, Health and Safety Code, is
    2-7  amended to read as follows:
    2-8        Sec. 367.010.  Fees.  (a)  The commission <Texas Department
    2-9  of Health> and each county, municipality, public health department,
   2-10  and river authority shall collect a $10 fee for each on-site
   2-11  wastewater treatment permit application processed <it issues>.
   2-12        (b)  A county, municipality, public health department, or
   2-13  river authority that collects a fee shall forward the <The> fee
   2-14  <shall be forwarded> to the commission <department not later than
   2-15  the 30th day after the date on which it is collected>.
   2-16        (c)  The commission shall <department may> enforce the
   2-17  collection and forwarding of the fee.
   2-18        (d)  The fee proceeds shall be deposited to the credit of the
   2-19  on-site wastewater treatment research account <of the general
   2-20  revenue fund>.
   2-21        SECTION 4.  Chapter 367, Health and Safety Code, is amended
   2-22  by adding Section 367.011 to read as follows:
   2-23        Sec. 367.011.  ON-SITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT RESEARCH ACCOUNT.
   2-24  The on-site wastewater treatment research account is an account in
   2-25  the general revenue fund.
   2-26        SECTION 5.  The on-site wastewater treatment research account
   2-27  is re-created as an account to be used for the purposes designated
    3-1  in Chapter 367, Health and Safety Code.
    3-2        SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
    3-3  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-4  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    3-5  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    3-6  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    3-7  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    3-8  passage, and it is so enacted.