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.
1-40 * * * * *