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By: Springer (Senate Sponsor - Perry) |
H.B. No. 965 |
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(In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2017; |
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May 4, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on |
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Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs; May 16, 2017, reported |
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favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 16, 2017, |
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sent to printer.) |
| Click here to see the committee vote |
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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the authority of a retail public water utility to |
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require an operator of a correctional facility to comply with water |
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conservation measures. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 13, Water Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 13.1461 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 13.1461. CORRECTIONAL FACILITY COMPLIANCE WITH |
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CONSERVATION MEASURES. (a) This section applies only to a |
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correctional facility operated by the Texas Department of Criminal |
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Justice or operated under contract with that department. |
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(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a retail public |
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utility may require the operator of a correctional facility that |
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receives retail water or sewer utility service from the retail |
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public utility to comply with water conservation measures adopted |
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or implemented by the retail public utility. |
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(c) A correctional facility is not required to comply with a |
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water conservation measure under Subsection (b) if the operator of |
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the correctional facility submits to the retail public utility a |
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written statement from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice |
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that states that the measure would endanger health and safety at the |
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facility or unreasonably increase the costs of operating the |
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facility. |
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(d) If a retail public utility suspends a water conservation |
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measure and later implements the same measure, the operator of a |
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correctional facility that received an exemption from the original |
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measure under Subsection (c) must submit a new written statement |
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from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to obtain an |
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exemption under Subsection (c) from the newly implemented measure. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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* * * * * |