BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center                                                                                                        S.B. 297

79R2944 CBH-F                                                                                                       By: Wentworth

                                                                                                                               Natural Resources

                                                                                                                                                3/31/05

                                                                                                                                              As Filed

 

 

AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Recreational vehicle (RV) park and campground owners are experiencing a disparity in water and wastewater rates relative to other commercial entities within their respective communities.  RV parks should be viewed similar to a hotel or motel, for which the commercial entity is provided water and wastewater service through one meter that serves multiple transient uses, rather than as manufactured home parks with permanently tied down units with individual water meters.  As proposed, S.B. 297 provides that municipally-owned utilities should consider RV parks as single metered commercial entities for purposes of billing and wastewater usage. 

 

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 Subchapter D, Chapter 13, Water Code, by adding Section 13.087, as follows:

 

Sec. 13.087.  MUNICIPAL RATES FOR CERTAIN RECREATIONAL VEHICLE PARKS.  (a)  Defines "nonsubmetered master metered utility service," "recreational vehicle," and "recreational vehicle park."

 

(b)  Requires a municipally owned utility that provides nonsubmetered utility service to a recreational vehicle park to determine the rates for that service on the same basis the utility uses to determine the rates for certain other commercial businesses.

 

(c)  Provides that, notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has jurisdiction to enforce this section.

 

SECTION 2.  Makes application of this Act prospective.

 

SECTION 3.  Effective date:  September 1, 2005.