By: Birdwell, Hall S.B. No. 1731
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the repeal of laws governing certain state entities,
  including the functions of those entities.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  AGRICULTURE AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT
  ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a)  The Agriculture and Wildlife Research and
  Management Advisory Committee is abolished.
         (b)  Section 50.001, Agriculture Code, is amended to read as
  follows:
         Sec. 50.001.  PROGRAM. The Texas Agricultural Experiment
  Station[, in consultation with the Agriculture and Wildlife
  Research and Management Advisory Committee established under
  Section 88.216, Education Code,] shall develop and administer a
  program to finance agriculture and wildlife research that the Texas
  Agricultural Experiment Station determines to be of the highest
  scientific merit and to offer significant promise in providing new
  directions for long-term solutions to continued agriculture
  production, water availability, and wildlife habitat availability.
         (c)  Section 88.216, Education Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 2.  STATE OF TEXAS ANNIVERSARY REMEMBRANCE DAY MEDAL
  COMMITTEE. (a)  The State of Texas Anniversary Remembrance Day
  Medal Committee is abolished.
         (b)  Chapter 3103, Government Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 3.  TEXAS BIOENERGY POLICY COUNCIL AND TEXAS
  BIOENERGY RESEARCH COMMITTEE. (a)  The Texas Bioenergy Policy
  Council and the Texas Bioenergy Research Committee are abolished.
         (b)  Chapter 50D, Agriculture Code, is repealed.
         (c)  To the extent of any conflict, this section prevails
  over another Act of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017,
  relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted
  codes.
         SECTION 4.  BORDER SECURITY COUNCIL. (a)  The Border
  Security Council is abolished.
         (b)  Section 421.0025, Government Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 5.  COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY ACT COMMITTEE. (a)  The
  College Opportunity Act committee is abolished.
         (b)  Chapter 1233, Government Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 6.  TEXAS DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS COMMITTEE.
  (a)  The Texas Distinguished Service Awards Committee is
  abolished.
         (b)  Chapter 3102, Government Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 7.  ADVISORY BOARD OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
  STAKEHOLDERS. (a)  The advisory board of economic development
  stakeholders is abolished.
         (b)  Section 481.169, Government Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 8.  TEXAS EMISSIONS REDUCTION PLAN ADVISORY BOARD.
  (a)  The Texas Emissions Reduction Plan Advisory Board is
  abolished.
         (b)  Sections 386.057(a) and (b), Health and Safety Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The commission[, in consultation with the advisory
  board,] annually shall review programs established under the plan,
  including each project funded under the plan, the amount granted
  for the project, the emissions reductions attributable to the
  project, and the cost-effectiveness of the project.
         (b)  Not later than December 1, 2002, and not later than
  December 1 of each subsequent second year, the commission[, in
  consultation with the advisory board,] shall publish and submit to
  the legislature a biennial plan report. The report must include:
               (1)  the information included in the annual reviews
  conducted under Subsection (a);
               (2)  specific information for individual projects as
  required by Subsection (c);
               (3)  information contained in reports received under
  Sections 386.205, 388.003(e), 388.006, and 391.104; and
               (4)  a summary of the commission's activities under
  Section 386.052.
         (c)  Section 386.104(f), Health and Safety Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (f)  A proposed retrofit, repower, replacement, or add-on
  equipment project must document, in a manner acceptable to the
  commission, a reduction in emissions of oxides of nitrogen of at
  least 30 percent compared with the baseline emissions adopted by
  the commission for the relevant engine year and application. After
  study of available emissions reduction technologies and[,] after
  public notice and comment, [and after consultation with the
  advisory board,] the commission may revise the minimum percentage
  reduction in emissions of oxides of nitrogen required by this
  subsection to improve the ability of the program to achieve its
  goals.
         (d)  Sections 386.107, 386.114, and 386.115, Health and
  Safety Code, are amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 386.107.  ADJUSTMENT TO MAXIMUM COST-EFFECTIVENESS
  AMOUNT AND AWARD AMOUNT. After study of available emissions
  reduction technologies and costs and after public notice and
  comment, the commission[, in consultation with the advisory board,]
  may change the values of the maximum grant award criteria
  established in Section 386.106 to account for inflation or to
  improve the ability of the program to achieve its goals.
         Sec. 386.114.  MODIFICATION OF INCENTIVE EMISSIONS
  STANDARDS. After evaluating new technologies and after public
  notice and comment, the commission[, in consultation with the
  advisory board,] may change the incentive emissions standards
  established by Section 386.113 to improve the ability of the
  program to achieve its goals.
         Sec. 386.115.  MODIFICATION OF VEHICLE ELIGIBILITY. After
  evaluating the availability of vehicles meeting the emissions
  standards and after public notice and comment, the commission[, in
  consultation with the advisory board,] may expand the program to
  include other on-road vehicles, regardless of fuel type used, that
  meet the emissions standards, have a gross vehicle weight rating of
  greater than 8,500 pounds, and are purchased or leased in lieu of a
  new on-road diesel.
         (e)  Section 386.252(d), Health and Safety Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (d)  The commission may reallocate money designated for the
  Texas natural gas vehicle grant program under Chapter 394 to other
  programs described under Subsection (a) if:
               (1)  the commission, in consultation with the governor
  [and the advisory board], determines that the use of the money in
  the fund for that program will cause the state to be in
  noncompliance with the state implementation plan to the extent that
  federal action is likely; and
               (2)  the commission finds that the reallocation of some
  or all of the funding for the program would resolve the
  noncompliance.
         (f)  Sections 394.005(a) and (g), Health and Safety Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The commission by rule shall establish criteria for
  prioritizing qualifying vehicles eligible to receive grants under
  this chapter. The commission shall review and revise the criteria
  as appropriate [after consultation with the advisory board].
         (g)  The commission shall establish baseline emission levels
  for emissions of nitrogen oxides for on-road heavy-duty or
  medium-duty motor vehicles being replaced by using the emission
  certification for the engine or vehicle being replaced. The
  commission may consider deterioration of the emission performance
  of the engine of the vehicle being replaced in establishing the
  baseline emission level. The commission may consider and establish
  baseline emission rates for additional pollutants of concern, as
  determined by the commission [after consultation with the advisory
  board].
         (g)  The following provisions of the Health and Safety Code
  are repealed:
               (1)  Section 386.001(1);
               (2)  Section 386.058; and
               (3)  Section 394.001(1).
         SECTION 9.  FIRE ANT RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT ACCOUNT
  ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a)  The Fire Ant Research and Management
  Account Advisory Committee is abolished.
         (b)  The following provisions are repealed:
               (1)  Section 77.022, Agriculture Code; and
               (2)  Section 88.215, Education Code.
         SECTION 10.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.