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  By: Gallego (Senate Sponsor - Uresti) H.B. No. 218
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 11, 2011;
  April 20, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Natural Resources; May 20, 2011, reported adversely, with
  favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 9,
  Nays 0; May 20, 2011, sent to printer.)
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 218 By:  Uresti
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to possessing a glass container within the boundaries of
  certain riverbeds; providing criminal penalties.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 365, Health and Safety
  Code, is amended by adding Section 365.035 to read as follows:
         Sec. 365.035.  PROHIBITION ON POSSESSING GLASS CONTAINERS
  WITHIN BOUNDARY OF STATE-OWNED RIVERBED; PENALTIES.  (a)  In this
  section, "glass container" means a glass container designed to
  contain a beverage, including a bottle or jar.
         (b)  A person commits an offense if the person knowingly
  possesses a glass container within the boundaries of a state-owned
  riverbed in a county:
               (1)  that is located within 85 miles of an
  international border; and
               (2)  in which at least four rivers are located.
         (c)  An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
         (d)  It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (b) that
  the person who possessed the glass container:
               (1)  did not transport the glass container into the
  boundaries of the riverbed;
               (2)  possessed the glass container only for the purpose
  of lawfully disposing of the glass container in a designated waste
  receptacle; or
               (3)  is the owner of property adjacent to the section of
  the riverbed in which the person possessed the glass container.
         (e)  It is an exception to the application of Subsection (b)
  that the person possessed the glass container only for the purpose
  of water sampling or conducting scientific research as authorized
  by:
               (1)  a governmental entity;
               (2)  a utility as defined by Section 11.004, Utilities
  Code;
               (3)  a retail public utility as defined by Section
  13.002, Water Code;
               (4)  a power generation company as defined by Section
  31.002, Utilities Code;
               (5)  a surface coal mining and reclamation operation,
  as defined by Section 134.004, Natural Resources Code; or
               (6)  a school-sponsored or university-sponsored
  educational activity.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.
 
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