83R3931 JAM-D

By: White H.B. No. 569

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a study on the stringency of state environmental standards.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "commission" means the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

SECTION 2. ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS STUDY. (a) The commission shall conduct a study of state environmental statutes and state agency rules to determine which statutes and rules provide standards or requirements more stringent than the minimum acceptable standards or requirements provided by the applicable federal laws or regulations adopted by federal agencies to regulate the same activity.

(b) The study must include recommendations for establishing by state statute or state agency rules state environmental standards or requirements that are not more stringent than the minimum acceptable standards or requirements provided by the applicable federal laws or regulations adopted by federal agencies to regulate the same activity.

(c) The commission may work with other state agencies, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, private organizations, or business entities to conduct the study.

SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than January 1, 2015, the commission shall submit a report on the results and recommendations of the study to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the presiding officer of each standing committee of the legislature with jurisdiction over environmental matters.

SECTION 4. EXPIRATION DATE. This Act expires August 31, 2015.

SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2013.