SRC-TAG S.B. 811 78(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 811
78R4523 JJT-DBy: Shapleigh
Natural Resources
3/18/2003
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Current Texas law permits domestic waste to be legally burned even when
the local government does not provide on-premises trash collection service
or authorize a business or other entity to provide onpremises trash
collection services. Open burning of waste, especially items such as
plastics and tires, produces a large number of hazardous toxins that can
cause lung damage.  According  to the Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality (TCEQ), the least hazardous time for waste burning is during the
daylight hours.  As proposed, S.B. 811 mandates that burning of domestic
waste can commence no earlier than one hour after sunrise and shall be
completed on the same day, not later than one hour before sunset.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to
a state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 382.018, Health and Safety Code, as follows:

Sec.  382.018.  OUTDOOR BURNING OF WASTE AND COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL. (a)
Creates this subsection from existing text. 

(b)  Prohibits outdoor burning of domestic waste from commencing earlier
than one hour after sunrise and prohibits it from continuing later than
one hour before sunset of the same day. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.