BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1225

By: Taylor

Transportation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Recent legislation authorized the creation and administration of a ship channel security district in a county with a population of 3.3 million or more that has a ship channel in the county to provide security projects and security services for the benefit of certain facilities within the district with the goal of helping to protect such facilities against the threat of terrorism. The legislation specifically listed the facility types that were intended as the beneficiaries of such a security district's proposed security projects and security services.

Interested parties assert that the laws governing the creation of such a district need to be revised to limit the application of those laws, in accordance with the legislature's original intent, to certain types of facilities based on the nature of the business's enterprise, the extent of security threats posed to the facility, the extent of the benefit to be received by the facility from the security projects, and the services provided or financed by the district. S.B. 1225 seeks to address these issues.     

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1225 amends the Water Code to revise the types of facilities classified in one or more categories and codes of the 2007 North American Industry Classification System that are intended to benefit from security projects and security services to be provided by a ship channel security district to include certain petrochemical manufacturing facilities, rather than certain petroleum manufacturing facilities; certain other chemical manufacturing facilities, rather than certain other chemical and other manufacturing facilities; and certain specified rail, water, and road transportation facilities.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.