By Sims                                                S.B. No. 942
       74R6214 SMH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the On-site Wastewater Treatment Research Council.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Sections 367.001(1) and (2), Health and Safety
    1-5  Code, are amended to read as follows:
    1-6              (1)  "Commission" means the Texas Natural Resource
    1-7  Conservation Commission.
    1-8              (2)  "Council" means the On-site Wastewater Treatment
    1-9  Research Council.
   1-10              <(2)  "Department" means the Texas Natural Resource
   1-11  Conservation Commission.>
   1-12        SECTION 2.  Section 367.007, Health and Safety Code, is
   1-13  amended by amending Subsections (a), (b), and (c) and adding
   1-14  Subsection (e) to read as follows:
   1-15        (a)  The council is not an advisory body to the commission.
   1-16  The commission <department>, at the direction of the council, shall
   1-17  implement council decisions.
   1-18        (b)  The council may enter into an interagency contract with
   1-19  the commission <department> to provide staff and other
   1-20  administrative support as required to improve the quality of
   1-21  wastewater treatment and reduce the cost of providing wastewater
   1-22  treatment to consumers.
   1-23        (c)  The council may accept grants and donations from other
   1-24  sources to supplement the fees collected under Section 367.010.
    2-1  Grants and donations shall be deposited to the credit of the
    2-2  on-site wastewater treatment research account <of the general
    2-3  revenue fund> and may be disbursed as the council directs and in
    2-4  accordance with Section 367.008.
    2-5        (e)  The council may award grants and enter into contracts in
    2-6  its own name and on its own behalf.
    2-7        SECTION 3.  Section 367.010, Health and Safety Code, is
    2-8  amended to read as follows:
    2-9        Sec. 367.010.  Fees.  (a)  The commission <Texas Department
   2-10  of Health> and each county, municipality, public health department,
   2-11  and river authority shall collect a $10 fee for each on-site
   2-12  wastewater treatment permit application processed <it issues>.
   2-13        (b)  A county, municipality, public health department, or
   2-14  river authority that collects a fee shall forward the <The> fee
   2-15  <shall be forwarded> to the commission <department not later than
   2-16  the 30th day after the date on which it is collected>.
   2-17        (c)  The commission shall <department may> enforce the
   2-18  collection and forwarding of the fee.
   2-19        (d)  The fee proceeds shall be deposited to the credit of the
   2-20  on-site wastewater treatment research account <of the general
   2-21  revenue fund>.
   2-22        SECTION 4.  Chapter 367, Health and Safety Code, is amended
   2-23  by adding Section 367.011 to read as follows:
   2-24        Sec. 367.011.  ON-SITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT RESEARCH ACCOUNT.
   2-25  The on-site wastewater treatment research account is an account in
   2-26  the general revenue fund.  The legislature shall appropriate all of
   2-27  the money in the account to the council each biennium. Money in the
    3-1  account may be used only for the purposes of this chapter.
    3-2  Sections 403.094 and 403.095, Government Code, do not apply to the
    3-3  account.
    3-4        SECTION 5.  The on-site wastewater treatment research account
    3-5  is re-created as an account to be used for the purposes designated
    3-6  in Chapter 367, Health and Safety Code.
    3-7        SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
    3-8  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-9  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   3-10  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   3-11  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   3-12  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   3-13  passage, and it is so enacted.