By Brown                                              S.B. No. 1594
         76R7413 MI-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to assistance to small businesses regulated by the Texas
 1-3     Natural Resource Conservation Commission through its regulatory
 1-4     flexibility programs.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Section 5.123, Water Code, as added by Chapter
 1-7     1203, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997, is
 1-8     amended by adding Subsection (h) to read as follows:
 1-9           (h)  In implementing the program of regulatory flexibility
1-10     authorized by this section, the commission shall:
1-11                 (1)  market the program to businesses in the state
1-12     through all available appropriate media;
1-13                 (2)  endorse alternative methods that will benefit the
1-14     environment and impose the least onerous restrictions on business;
1-15                 (3)  fix and enforce environmental standards, allowing
1-16     businesses flexibility in meeting the standards in a manner that
1-17     enhances environmental outcomes; and
1-18                 (4)  work to achieve consistent and predictable results
1-19     for the regulated community and shorter waits for permit issuance.
1-20           SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 5, Water Code, is amended
1-21     by adding Section 5.125 to read as follows:
1-22           Sec. 5.125.  COST-SHARING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITS BY CERTAIN
1-23     BUSINESSES.  The commission may implement cost-sharing to assist
1-24     with payment of costs for an environmental audit performed by a
 2-1     business subject to regulation by the commission that employs at
 2-2     least 100 but not more than 250 individuals.
 2-3           SECTION 3.  Section 382.0365, Health and Safety Code, is
 2-4     amended by adding a new Subsection (g) and redesignating existing
 2-5     Subsection (g) as Subsection (h) to read as follows:
 2-6           (g)  The commission may also assist under this program small
 2-7     businesses that employ at least 100 but not more than 250
 2-8     individuals.
 2-9           (h)  In this section:
2-10                 (1)  "Program" means the small business stationary
2-11     source technical and environmental compliance assistance program.
2-12                 (2)  "Small business stationary source" has the meaning
2-13     assigned by Section 507(c) of the federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C.
2-14     Section 7661f), as added by Section 501 of the federal Clean Air
2-15     Act Amendments of 1990 (Pub.L. No.  101-549).
2-16           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-17     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-21     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-22     passage, and it is so enacted.