1-1     By:  Howard (Senate Sponsor - Armbrister)              H.B. No. 473

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 18, 1997;

 1-3     April 22, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Natural Resources; May 8, 1997, reported favorably by the following

 1-5     vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 8, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the licensing of waste haulers by certain counties.

 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-10           SECTION 1.  Section 368.012, Health and Safety Code, is

1-11     amended to read as follows:

1-12           Sec. 368.012.  COUNTY LICENSING AND REGULATION.  To protect

1-13     the public health, safety, or welfare, the  commissioners court of

1-14     a county with a population of less than 375,000 [100,000] may by

1-15     ordinance:

1-16                 (1)  require a waste hauler who transports waste in

1-17     unincorporated areas of the county to be licensed by the county;

1-18                 (2)  establish requirements for obtaining and renewing

1-19     a waste hauler license;

1-20                 (3)  impose a license issuance or renewal fee in an

1-21     amount that generates annually the approximate amount of revenue

1-22     needed to fund the licensing program for a year;

1-23                 (4)  establish standards governing the transportation

1-24     of waste in unincorporated areas of the county;

1-25                 (5)  establish grounds for suspending or revoking a

1-26     waste hauler license; and

1-27                 (6)  prescribe any other provisions necessary to

1-28     administer the licensing program.

1-29           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-30     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-31     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-32     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-33     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-34     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-35     passage, and it is so enacted.

1-36                                  * * * * *