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.