By Turner of Harris                                   H.B. No. 1896
         77R6335 MI-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to clarification of the criminal penalties for
 1-3     environmental offenses.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Section 7.187, Water Code, is amended to read as
 1-6     follows:
 1-7           Sec. 7.187.  PENALTIES.  A person convicted of an offense
 1-8     under this subchapter is punishable by:
 1-9                 (1)  a fine, as imposed under the section creating the
1-10     offense, of:
1-11                       (A)  not more than $1,000;
1-12                       (B)  not less than $1,000 or more than $50,000;
1-13                       (C)  not less than $1,000 or more than $100,000;
1-14                       (D)  not less than $1,000 or more than $250,000;
1-15                       (E)  not less than $2,000 or more than $500,000;
1-16                       (F)  not less than $5,000 or more than
1-17     $1,000,000;
1-18                       (G)  not less than $10,000 or more than
1-19     $1,500,000; or
1-20                       (H)  not more than twice the amount of the
1-21     required fee;
1-22                 (2)  confinement in jail or imprisonment in the
1-23     institutional division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
1-24     for a period, as imposed by the section creating the offense, not
 2-1     to exceed:
 2-2                       (A)  30 days confinement;
 2-3                       (B)  90 days confinement;
 2-4                       (C)  180 days confinement;
 2-5                       (D)  one year confinement;
 2-6                       (E)  two years imprisonment;
 2-7                       (F)  five years imprisonment;
 2-8                       (G)  10 years imprisonment;
 2-9                       (H)  15 years imprisonment;
2-10                       (I)  20 years imprisonment; or
2-11                       (J)  30 years imprisonment; or
2-12                 (3)  both fine and confinement or imprisonment, as
2-13     imposed by the section creating the offense.
2-14           SECTION 2. The amendment made by Section 1 of this Act to
2-15     Section 7.187, Water Code, is not a substantive change in law but a
2-16     clarification of the punishment scheme provided by that section for
2-17     offenses under Subchapter E, Chapter 7, Water Code.
2-18           SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.