1-1     By:  Hilderbran (Senate Sponsor - Madla)              H.B. No. 2013
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 1999;
 1-3     May 3, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Health
 1-4     Services; May 12, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 12, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the regulation of bottled or vended water.
 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10           SECTION 1.  Subtitle A, Title 6, Health and Safety Code, is
1-11     amended by adding Chapter 441 to read as follows:
1-12        CHAPTER 441. REGULATION OF BOTTLED AND VENDED DRINKING WATER
1-13           Sec. 441.001.  DEFINITION.  In this chapter, "department"
1-14     means the Texas Department of Health.
1-15           Sec. 441.002.  CERTIFICATION OF BOTTLED AND VENDED WATER
1-16     OPERATORS.  (a)  A bottled or vended water operator may not furnish
1-17     bottled or vended water to the public or for distribution to the
1-18     public unless the bottled or vended water operator holds a
1-19     certificate of competency under this chapter.  A person may not
1-20     furnish bottled or vended water to the public or for distribution
1-21     to the public unless the processing, bottling, and distribution of
1-22     the bottled or vended water are performed by or under the
1-23     supervision of a bottled or vended water operator who holds a
1-24     certificate of competency under this chapter.
1-25           (b)  To obtain or renew a certificate an applicant must pay
1-26     the department a $25 fee.
1-27           (c)  On receipt of the required fee, the department shall
1-28     provide for the testing of the applicant and issue a certificate of
1-29     competency to the applicant if the applicant passes the test.
1-30           Sec. 441.003.  RULES.  The department may adopt rules that
1-31     are necessary to implement this chapter that promote the public
1-32     health and safety.  The rules may include rules relating to
1-33     certificate suspension, revocation, or other disciplinary action
1-34     and relating to certificate renewal.
1-35           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-36           (b)  Chapter 441, Health and Safety Code, as added by this
1-37     Act,  does not apply to bottled or vended water that is produced
1-38     before December 1, 1999.
1-39           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-40     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-41     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-42     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-43     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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