BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

                                                                                                                                    C.S.H.B. 1459

                                                                                                                                     By: Leibowitz

                                                                                                                           Government Reform

                                                                                                        Committee Report (Substituted)

 

 

 

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

 

Vending machines currently run 24 hours a day, seven days a week keeping the items inside cool and the machines lit up.  Devices now exist to turn off the machine when no one is around and turn on the vending machine only when necessary.  An energy-saving device would keep the machine on during business hours while people are around.  A vending machine uses about $350 in energy each year.  These devices can cut $100 a year from that energy cost.  This bill would require all vending machines on state-owned or leased property to use a vending machine energy-saving device.  The owner or operator of the vending machine would be responsible for acquiring, installing, and maintaining these devices.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Building and Procurement Commission in SECTION 1. of this bill. 

 

ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  This bill requires the use of an energy-saving device on all vending machines on state-owned or leased property.  The vending machine operator or owner is responsible for acquiring, installing and maintaining the energy-saving device.  The bill exempts entities that own or operate 20 or fewer machines, but requires the commission to require such entities to activate and maintain any internal energy-saving or energy-management device or option that is already part of the machine or contained in the machine. The bill provides for an administrative fine on an entity failing to meet the commission's adopted rules.

 

SECTION 2:  This bill requires that vending machine operators install vending machine energy-saving devices by September 1, 2006.

 

SECTION 3.  Effective Date is September 1, 2005

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

 

September 1, 2005.

 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

 

The substitute modifies the original version of the bill by making the bill applicable only to vending machines selling non-perishable products.

 

The substitute also modifies the original bill by exempting entities that own or operate a total of 20 or fewer vending machines from the requirements of the bill, but requires that the commission require an entity to activate and maintain any internal energy-saving or energy-management device or option that is already part of the machine or contained in the machine.