AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The Texas Legislature has passed numerous energy and water usage reporting requirements for state agencies and institutions of higher education. The laws currently in place create a confusing set of requirements that at times overlap or are inconsistent. S.B. 913 would serve to reconcile some of these provisions by eliminating duplicative reporting requirements and clarifying others.
What’s more, S.B. 913 would modify the due date of the State Energy Conservation Office’s (SECO) biennial report on the status and effectiveness of the utility management and conservation efforts of state agencies and higher education institutions. This would ensure that SECO has additional time to collect the necessary information for the report.
As proposed, S.B. 913 amends current law relating to energy and water management planning and reporting requirements for state agencies and institutions of higher education.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Sections 447.009(c) and (e), Government Code, as follows:
(c) Requires each state agency and institution of higher education to set percentage goals for reducing the agency's or institution's use of water, electricity, transportation fuel, rather than gasoline, and natural gas, and include those goals in the agency's or institution's comprehensive energy and water management plan. Makes no further changes to this subsection.
(e) Requires the State Energy Conservation Office to submit a report to the governor of the State of Texas and the Legislative Budget Board on the status and effectiveness of the utility management and conservation efforts of state agencies and institutions of higher education, not later than January 15 of each odd-numbered year, rather than December 1 of each even-numbered year. Makes no further change to this subsection.
SECTION 2. Repealer: Section 2166.409 (State Agency Energy Savings Program), Government Code.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2015.