1-1 By: Sims, Brown S.B. No. 942
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 6, 1995; March 7, 1995, read
1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources;
1-4 April 18, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9,
1-5 Nays 1; April 18, 1995, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the On-site Wastewater Treatment Research Council.
1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10 SECTION 1. Subdivisions (1) and (2), Section 367.001, Health
1-11 and Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-12 (1) "Commission" means the Texas Natural Resource
1-13 Conservation Commission.
1-14 (2) "Council" means the On-site Wastewater Treatment
1-15 Research Council.
1-16 <(2) "Department" means the Texas Natural Resource
1-17 Conservation Commission.>
1-18 SECTION 2. Section 367.007, Health and Safety Code, is
1-19 amended by amending Subsections (a), (b), and (c) and by adding
1-20 Subsection (e) to read as follows:
1-21 (a) The council is not an advisory body to the commission.
1-22 The commission <department>, at the direction of the council, shall
1-23 implement council decisions.
1-24 (b) The council may enter into an interagency contract with
1-25 the commission <department> to provide staff and other
1-26 administrative support as required to improve the quality of
1-27 wastewater treatment and reduce the cost of providing wastewater
1-28 treatment to consumers.
1-29 (c) The council may accept grants and donations from other
1-30 sources to supplement the fees collected under Section 367.010.
1-31 Grants and donations shall be deposited to the credit of the
1-32 on-site wastewater treatment research account <of the general
1-33 revenue fund> and may be disbursed as the council directs and in
1-34 accordance with Section 367.008.
1-35 (e) The council may award grants and enter into contracts in
1-36 its own name and on its own behalf.
1-37 SECTION 3. Section 367.010, Health and Safety Code, is
1-38 amended to read as follows:
1-39 Sec. 367.010. Fees. (a) The commission <Texas Department
1-40 of Health> and each county, municipality, public health department,
1-41 and river authority shall collect a $10 fee for each on-site
1-42 wastewater treatment permit application processed <it issues>.
1-43 (b) A county, municipality, public health department, or
1-44 river authority that collects a fee shall forward the <The> fee
1-45 <shall be forwarded> to the commission <department not later than
1-46 the 30th day after the date on which it is collected>.
1-47 (c) The commission shall <department may> enforce the
1-48 collection and forwarding of the fee.
1-49 (d) The fee proceeds shall be deposited to the credit of the
1-50 on-site wastewater treatment research account <of the general
1-51 revenue fund>.
1-52 SECTION 4. Chapter 367, Health and Safety Code, is amended
1-53 by adding Section 367.011 to read as follows:
1-54 Sec. 367.011. ON-SITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT RESEARCH ACCOUNT.
1-55 The on-site wastewater treatment research account is an account in
1-56 the general revenue fund. The legislature shall appropriate all of
1-57 the money in the account to the council each biennium. Money in
1-58 the account may be used only for the purposes of this chapter.
1-59 Sections 403.094 and 403.095, Government Code, do not apply to the
1-60 account.
1-61 SECTION 5. The on-site wastewater treatment research account
1-62 is re-created as an account to be used for the purposes designated
1-63 in Chapter 367, Health and Safety Code.
1-64 SECTION 6. The importance of this legislation and the
1-65 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-66 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-67 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-68 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-1 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-2 passage, and it is so enacted.
2-3 * * * * *