BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2386

By: Bailes

Environmental Regulation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that certain outdoor burning sites are required to be supervised by an  employee of a fire department. The parties note however that in various rural counties only volunteer fire departments exist. H.B. 2386 seeks to address this issue by providing for site supervision by a volunteer firefighter.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

H.B. 2386 amends the Health and Safety Code, for purposes of the prohibition against the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality controlling or prohibiting outdoor burning of waste consisting of plant growth at certain supervised sites, to include as such a site a site supervised at the time of a burning by a volunteer firefighter acting in the scope of the firefighter's volunteer duties.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.