By Turner of Harris                                   H.B. No. 2339
         77R6337 JJT-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to statutory definitions of terms used in the prosecution
 1-3     of certain environmental crimes.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1. Section 7.141, Water Code, is amended to read as
 1-6     follows:
 1-7           Sec. 7.141.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter and for purposes
 1-8     of a prosecution of an offense under this subchapter:
 1-9                 (1)  "Agricultural waste" has the meaning assigned by
1-10     Section 26.001, for prosecution of an offense related to a matter
1-11     regulated under Chapter 26.
1-12                 (2)  "Appropriate regulatory agency" means the
1-13     commission, the Texas Department of Health, or any other agency
1-14     authorized to regulate the handling and disposal of medical waste.
1-15                 (3)  "Air contaminant" has the meaning assigned by
1-16     Section 382.003, Health and Safety Code, for prosecution of an
1-17     offense related to a matter regulated under Chapter 382 of that
1-18     code.
1-19                 (4)  "Air pollution" has the meaning assigned by
1-20     Section 382.003, Health and Safety Code, for prosecution of an
1-21     offense related to a matter regulated under Chapter 382 of that
1-22     code.
1-23                 (5)  "Association" has the meaning assigned by Section
1-24     1.07, Penal Code, except that the term does not include a
 2-1     government.
 2-2                 (6) [(2)]  "Corporation" has the meaning [and
 2-3     "association" have the meanings] assigned by Section 1.07, Penal
 2-4     Code, except that the term does [terms do] not include a
 2-5     government.
 2-6                 (7)  "Discharge" and "to discharge" have the meaning
 2-7     assigned by Section 26.001, for prosecution of an offense related
 2-8     to a matter regulated under Chapter 26.
 2-9                 (8)  "Disposal" has the meaning assigned by:
2-10                       (A)  Section 361.003, Health and Safety Code, for
2-11     prosecution of an offense related to a matter regulated under
2-12     Chapter 361 of that code;
2-13                       (B)  Section 363.004, Health and Safety Code, for
2-14     prosecution of an offense related to a matter regulated under
2-15     Chapter 363 of that code; and
2-16                       (C)  Section 401.003, Health and Safety Code, for
2-17     prosecution of an offense related to a matter regulated under
2-18     Chapter 401 or 402 of that code.
2-19                 (9)  "Hazardous waste" has the meaning assigned by:
2-20                       (A)  Section 361.003, Health and Safety Code, for
2-21     prosecution of an offense related to a matter regulated under
2-22     Chapter 361 of that code; and
2-23                       (B)  Section 363.004, Health and Safety Code, for
2-24     prosecution of an offense related to a matter regulated under
2-25     Chapter 363 of that code.
2-26                 (10)  "Industrial and municipal waste" has the meaning
2-27     assigned by Section 27.002, for prosecution of an offense related
 3-1     to a matter regulated by the commission under Chapter 27.
 3-2                 (11)  "Industrial waste" has the meaning assigned by
 3-3     Section 26.001, for prosecution of an offense related to a matter
 3-4     regulated under Chapter 26.
 3-5                 (12) [(3)]  "Large quantity generator" means a person
 3-6     who generates more than 50 pounds of medical waste each month.
 3-7                 (13) [(4)]  "Medical waste" includes animal waste, bulk
 3-8     blood and blood products, microbiological waste, pathological
 3-9     waste, sharps, and special waste from health care-related
3-10     facilities as those terms are defined in 25 T.A.C. Section 1.132
3-11     (Texas Department of Health, Definition, Treatment, and Disposition
3-12     of Special Waste from Health Care-Related Facilities). The term
3-13     does not include medical waste produced on farmland and ranchland
3-14     as defined by Section 252.001(6), Agriculture Code.
3-15                 (14)  "Municipal waste" has the meaning assigned by
3-16     Section 26.001, for prosecution of an offense related to a matter
3-17     regulated under Chapter 26.
3-18                 (15)  "Other waste" has the meaning assigned by Section
3-19     26.001, for prosecution of an offense related to a matter regulated
3-20     under Chapter 26.
3-21                 (16)  "Point source" has the meaning assigned by
3-22     Section 26.001, for prosecution of an offense related to a matter
3-23     regulated under Chapter 26.
3-24                 (17)  "Pollutant" has the meaning assigned by Section
3-25     26.001, for prosecution of an offense related to a matter regulated
3-26     under Chapter 26.
3-27                 (18)  "Pollution" has the meaning assigned by:
 4-1                       (A)  Section 26.001, for prosecution of an
 4-2     offense related to a matter regulated under Chapter 26; and
 4-3                       (B)  Section 27.002, for prosecution of an
 4-4     offense related to a matter regulated by the commission under
 4-5     Chapter 27.
 4-6                 (19)  "Recreational waste" has the meaning assigned by
 4-7     Section 26.001, for prosecution of an offense related to a matter
 4-8     regulated under Chapter 26.
 4-9                 (20)  "Release" has the meaning assigned by:
4-10                       (A)  Section 361.003, Health and Safety Code, for
4-11     prosecution of an offense related to a matter regulated under
4-12     Chapter 361 of that code; and
4-13                       (B)  Section 26.342, for prosecution of an
4-14     offense related to a matter regulated under Subchapter I, Chapter
4-15     26.
4-16                 (21)  "Sewage" has the meaning assigned by Section
4-17     26.001, for prosecution of an offense related to a matter regulated
4-18     under Chapter 26.
4-19                 (22)  "Sewer" includes a sewer system as defined by
4-20     Section 26.001, for prosecution of an offense related to a matter
4-21     regulated under Chapter 26.
4-22                 (23) [(5)]  "Serious bodily injury" has the meaning
4-23     assigned by Section 1.07, Penal Code.
4-24                 (24) [(6)]  "Small quantity generator" means a person
4-25     who generates 50 pounds or less of medical waste each month.
4-26                 (25)  "Solid waste" has the meaning assigned by:
4-27                       (A)  Section 361.003, Health and Safety Code, for
 5-1     prosecution of an offense related to a matter regulated under
 5-2     Chapter 361 of that code; and
 5-3                       (B)  Section 363.004, Health and Safety Code, for
 5-4     prosecution of an offense related to a matter regulated under
 5-5     Chapter 363 of that code.
 5-6                 (26)  "Storage" has the meaning assigned by  Section
 5-7     361.003, Health and Safety Code, for prosecution of an offense
 5-8     related to a matter regulated under Chapter 361 of that code.
 5-9                 (27)  "Used oil" means oil refined from crude oil, or
5-10     synthetic oil, that, as a result of use, storage, or handling has
5-11     been contaminated by physical or chemical impurities or has become
5-12     unsuitable for its original purpose because of impurities or the
5-13     loss of any of its properties, regardless of whether the oil may
5-14     be:
5-15                       (A)  suitable for further or a different use; or 
5-16                       (B)  recyclable.
5-17                 (28)  "Waste" has the meaning assigned by Section
5-18     26.001, for prosecution of an offense related to a matter regulated
5-19     under Chapter 26.
5-20                 (29)  "Water" has the meaning assigned by:
5-21                       (A)  Section 26.001, for prosecution of an
5-22     offense related to a matter regulated under Chapter 26; and
5-23                       (B)  Section 28.001, for prosecution of an
5-24     offense related to a matter regulated under Chapter 28.
5-25           SECTION 2. (a)  The changes in law made by this Act apply
5-26     only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this
5-27     Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before
 6-1     the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs
 6-2     before that date.
 6-3           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this
 6-4     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,
 6-5     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
 6-6           SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.