HBA-SEP H.B. 2403 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2403
By: Lewis, Ron
Natural Resources
3/16/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The United States Department of Energy recently published new energy
efficiency standards for clotheswashing machines (machines).  These federal
standards, however, do not address water efficiency.  In Texas, water
conservation has emerged as an important issue and machines that use water
inefficiently contribute to the problem.  House Bill 2403 prohibits a
person from selling, offering for sale, distributing, or importing a
machine for use in this state unless the machine meets certain water and
energy saving performance standards. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation
Commission in SECTION 4 (Section 372.003, Health and Safety Code) of this
bill. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2403 amends the Health and Safety Code to prohibit a person from
selling, offering for sale, distributing, or importing a clothes-washing
machine for use in this state unless the machine meets certain water and
energy saving performance standards (standards) and set forth provisions
regarding the standards. The bill requires the Texas Natural Resource
Conservation Commission (TNRCC) by rule to prohibit the sale, offering for
sale, distribution, or importation into this state a new commercial or
residential clothes-washing machine unless the machine is labeled in
accordance with rules adopted by TNRCC with a statement that describes the
device's water and energy use characteristics, including the water
consumption factor and modified energy factor.  The bill exempts a
clothes-washing machine with a capacity of more than 3.5 cubic feet or less
than 1.6 cubic feet from these provisions.  The bill requires TNRCC to make
and maintain a current list of clothes-washing machines that are certified
to TNRCC by the manufacturer or importer to meet the standards.  The bill
makes other provisions relating to water saving performance standards of
plumbing fixtures applicable to washing machines.  The bill requires TNRCC
to employ, in addition to standards established by the American National
Standards Institute, the standards established by the United States
Department of Energy.     

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.