1-1     By:  Maxey (Senate Sponsor - Brown)                   H.B. No. 1654
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 1999;
 1-3     April 20, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Natural Resources; May 13, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable
 1-5     Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0;
 1-6     May 13, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 1654                   By:  Brown
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to the regulation of private sewage facilities; providing
1-11     a criminal penalty.
1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-13           SECTION 1.  Section 7.173, Water Code, is amended to read as
1-14     follows:
1-15           Sec. 7.173.  VIOLATION RELATING TO SEWAGE DISPOSAL [NEAR
1-16     INTERNATIONAL BORDER].  (a)  A person commits an offense if the
1-17     person violates a rule adopted by the commission under Chapter 366,
1-18     Health and Safety Code, or an order or resolution adopted by an
1-19     authorized agent under Subchapter C, Chapter 366, Health and Safety
1-20     Code[, in a county that is contiguous to an international border].
1-21           (b)  Except as provided by this subsection, an offense under
1-22     this section is a Class C misdemeanor.  If it is shown on the trial
1-23     of the defendant that the defendant has been previously convicted
1-24     of an offense under this section, the offense is punishable under
1-25     Section 7.187(1)(A) or Section 7.187(2)(A) or both.
1-26           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-27           SECTION 3.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies
1-28     only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
1-29     Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
1-30     the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
1-31     before that date.
1-32           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
1-33     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
1-34     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
1-35           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-36     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-37     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-38     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-39     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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