BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3372

By: King, Tracy O.

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recently, legislation was enacted that contained many provisions relating to rainwater harvesting and other water conservation measures.  H.B. 3372 seeks to further water conservation efforts that are critical to meeting future water demands and that would provide citizens that harvest rainwater responsibly a wider range of indoor uses and applications. The goal of the bill is to enable rainwater that has been harvested using appropriate cross-connection safeguards to be used for potable indoor purposes by revising provisions relating to rules for a structure that is connected to a public water supply system and has a rainwater harvesting system.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3372 amends the Health and Safety Code to remove a limitation on the purposes for which a rainwater harvesting system for indoor use may be used by removing a requirement that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality by rule limit the use of such a system to nonpotable indoor purposes for a structure that is also connected to a public water supply system.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2011.