Honorable Patricia Harless, Chair, House Committee on Environmental Regulation
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB569 by White (Relating to a study on the stringency of state environmental standards.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would require the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to study and report on the stringency of state environmental standards compared to federal environmental standards. The bill would require the TCEQ to conduct a study of state environmental statutes and state agency rules to determine which statutes and rules provide standards or requirements that are more stringent than the minimum acceptable standards or requirements provided by the applicable federal laws or regulations that regulate the same activity. The study would include recommendations for establishing state statutes or rules that are not more stringent than the minimum acceptable standards or requirements provided by the applicable federal laws or regulations to regulate the same activity.
The bill would require the TCEQ to submit the report on the results and recommendations of the study to the governor, 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 by January 15, 2015.
Any costs to the TCEQ in conducting the study and preparing the report are expected to be absorbed using existing agency resources.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.