Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

      Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

      By Clark                                        H.B. No. 2567

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the renewal of permits for wastewater treatment

 1-3     facilities issued by Texas Natural Resource Conservation

 1-4     Commission.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  Chapter 26, Water Code, Section 26.028(b), is

 1-7     amended to read as follows:

 1-8           (b)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Chapter, an

 1-9     application to renew or amend a permit that [to] maintains or

1-10     improves the quality of waste authorized to be discharged [may be

1-11     set for consideration and may be acted on] shall be approved by the

1-12     commission at a regular meeting without the necessity of holding a

1-13     public hearing if the applicant does not seek to increase

1-14     significantly the quantity of waste authorized to be discharged or

1-15     change materially the pattern or place of discharge.  Notice of

1-16     [the] an application for renewal or an amendment under this

1-17     subsection shall be mailed to the mayor and health authorities for

1-18     the city or town, and the county judge and health authorities for

1-19     the county, in which the waste is or will be discharged, at least

1-20     10 days before the commission meeting, and they may present

1-21     information to the commission on the application.  Applicants for

1-22     permit renewals or amendments under this Chapter shall retain the

1-23     right to request an evidentiary hearing on any such application.

1-24           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

 2-1     applies only to an application for a renewal of a wastewater

 2-2     discharge permit under this Chapter that is submitted to the

 2-3     commission on or after that date.

 2-4           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the constitution

 2-7     rule requiring bills to be read on three several days in each house

 2-8     be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.