1-1     By:  Turner of Coleman (Senate Sponsor - Shapiro)     H.B. No. 1611

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 1997;

 1-3     May 7, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Education; May 16, 1997, reported adversely, with favorable

 1-5     Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 1;

 1-6     May 16, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1611                  By:  Fraser

 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-9                                   AN ACT

1-10     relating to the testing of natural gas piping systems in school

1-11     district facilities.

1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-13           SECTION 1.  Title 102, Revised Statutes, is amended by adding

1-14     Article 6053-2a to read as follows:

1-15           Art. 6053-2a.  TESTING OF NATURAL GAS PIPING SYSTEMS IN

1-16     SCHOOL DISTRICT FACILITIES

1-17           Sec. 1.  (a)  At least every two years, before the beginning

1-18     of the school year, each school district shall pressure test the

1-19     natural gas piping system in each school district facility.  The

1-20     testing may be performed on a two-year cycle under which the

1-21     district pressure tests the natural gas piping system in

1-22     approximately one-half of the facilities each year.  If a school

1-23     district operates one or more school district facilities on a

1-24     year-round calendar, the pressure test in each of those facilities

1-25     must be conducted and reported not later than July 1 of the year in

1-26     which the pressure test is performed.  A test performed under a

1-27     municipal code will satisfy the pressure testing requirements.

1-28           (b)  The pressure test shall determine whether the natural

1-29     gas piping downstream of the school district's meter holds at least

1-30     normal operating pressure over a specified period determined by the

1-31     Railroad Commission of Texas.

1-32           (c)  During the pressure test, each system supply inlet and

1-33     outlet in the facility must be closed.

1-34           (d)  At the request of a school district, the Railroad

1-35     Commission of Texas shall assist the district in developing a

1-36     procedure for conducting the test.

1-37           (e)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a

1-38     school district's compliance with the inspection requirement

1-39     concerning the pressure in the natural gas piping systems in school

1-40     district facilities under the code of a municipality in which the

1-41     school district is located satisfies the pressure testing

1-42     requirements under this section.

1-43           Sec. 2.  (a)  Each school district shall provide written

1-44     notice to the district's natural gas supplier specifying the date

1-45     and result of each pressure test or other inspection.

1-46           (b)  The supplier shall maintain a copy of the notice until

1-47     at least the first anniversary of the date on which the supplier

1-48     received the notice.

1-49           (c)  The supplier shall terminate service to a school

1-50     district facility if:

1-51                 (1)  the supplier receives official notification from

1-52     the firm or individual conducting the test of a hazardous natural

1-53     gas leakage in the facility piping system; or

1-54                 (2)  the district fails to perform a test or other

1-55     inspection at the facility as required by this article.

1-56           (d)  An identified natural gas leakage in a school district

1-57     facility must be reported to the board of trustees of the district

1-58     in which the facility is located.

1-59           (e)  For purposes of this section, "supplier" means the

1-60     individual or company selling and delivering the natural gas to a

1-61     school district facility.  If more than one individual or company

1-62     sells and delivers natural gas to facilities of a school district,

1-63     each individual or company is a supplier for purposes of this

1-64     section.

 2-1           Sec. 3.  The Railroad Commission of Texas shall enforce this

 2-2     article.

 2-3           SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding Article 6053-2a, Revised

 2-4     Statutes, as added by this Act, if a school district is not able,

 2-5     before the beginning of the 1997-1998 school year, to perform the

 2-6     tests or other inspections of natural gas piping system pressure as

 2-7     required by that article, the district shall perform the tests or

 2-8     other inspections as soon as practicable thereafter.  In that case,

 2-9     a supplier, as defined by Article 6053-2a, Revised Statutes, as

2-10     added by this Act, may not terminate service to a school district

2-11     facility if:

2-12                 (1)  the district gives written notice to the supplier

2-13     before the beginning of the 1997-1998 school year that the district

2-14     is not able to perform the tests or other inspections before the

2-15     beginning of the school year; or

2-16                 (2)  the Railroad Commission of Texas orders the

2-17     supplier not to terminate the service.

2-18           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-19     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-20     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-21     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-22     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-23     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-24     passage, and it is so enacted.

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