1-1     By:  Shapiro                                           S.B. No. 963

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 5, 1997; March 10, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 18, 1997,

 1-4     reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the

 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 1; April 18, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 963                     By:  Luna

 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-8                                   AN ACT

 1-9     relating to the testing of natural gas piping systems in school

1-10     district facilities.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Title 102, Revised Statutes, is amended by adding

1-13     Article 6053-2a to read as follows:

1-14           Art. 6053-2a.  TESTING OF NATURAL GAS PIPING SYSTEMS IN

1-15     SCHOOL DISTRICT FACILITIES

1-16           Sec. 1.  (a)  Before the beginning of each odd-numbered

1-17     school year, each school district shall pressure test the natural

1-18     gas piping system in each school district facility.

1-19           (b)  The pressure test shall determine whether the natural

1-20     gas piping downstream of the school district's meter holds at least

1-21     normal operating pressure over a specified period determined by the

1-22     Railroad Commission of Texas.

1-23           (c)  During the pressure test, each system supply inlet and

1-24     outlet in the facility must be closed.

1-25           (d)  At the request of a school district, the Railroad

1-26     Commission of Texas shall assist the district in developing a

1-27     procedure for conducting the test.

1-28           Sec. 2.  (a)  Each school district shall provide written

1-29     notice to the natural gas supplier specifying the date and result

1-30     of each pressure test.

1-31           (b)  The natural gas supplier shall maintain a copy of the

1-32     notice  until at least the first anniversary of the date on which

1-33     the supplier received the notice.

1-34           (c)  The supplier shall terminate service to a school

1-35     district facility if:

1-36                 (1)  the supplier receives notice of a hazardous

1-37     natural gas leakage in the facility piping system; or

1-38                 (2)  the district fails to perform a test at the

1-39     facility as required by this article.

1-40           SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding Article 6053-2a, Revised

1-41     Statutes, as added by this Act, if a school district is not able,

1-42     before the beginning of the 1997-1998 school year, to pressure test

1-43     the natural gas piping system as required by that article, the

1-44     district shall perform the test as soon as practicable thereafter.

1-45           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-46     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-47     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-48     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-49     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-50     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-51     passage, and it is so enacted.

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