By Maxey                                              H.B. No. 3281
         76R8904 SMH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the authority of a state agency to report to regulated
 1-3     industries on violations of certain environmental or health and
 1-4     safety laws in order to help prevent future violations.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  The Texas Environmental, Health, and Safety Audit
 1-7     Privilege Act (Article 4447cc, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) is
 1-8     amended by adding Section 14 to read as follows:
 1-9           Sec. 14.  AUTHORITY OF STATE AGENCY TO REPORT TO REGULATED
1-10     INDUSTRIES ON VIOLATIONS.  (a) Notwithstanding Section 5 of this
1-11     Act, a state agency to which violations of environmental or health
1-12     and safety laws are disclosed under this Act may provide a
1-13     regulated industry or an entity representing a regulated industry a
1-14     summary of common and significant violations of those laws by
1-15     members of that industry in order to help prevent future
1-16     violations.
1-17           (b)  This section does not authorize a state agency to
1-18     disclose information that would permit identification of a
1-19     violation by any particular person.
1-20           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 2-1     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
 2-2     passage, and it is so enacted.