| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the creation of a wet debris work group. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 418, Government Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 418.054 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 418.054. WET DEBRIS WORK GROUP. (a) In this section: |
|
|
(1) "Wet debris" means natural or man-made debris |
|
|
located in bodies of water, including lakes, rivers, streams, bays, |
|
|
wetlands, and tidal areas, that results from a disaster. |
|
|
(2) "Work group" means the wet debris work group |
|
|
established under this section. |
|
|
(b) The wet debris work group is established and consists of |
|
|
at least 13 but not more than 21 representatives of local, state, |
|
|
and federal governmental entities and private entities who are |
|
|
appointed by the governor from a list submitted by the lieutenant |
|
|
governor and speaker of the house of representatives. The governor |
|
|
shall, to the extent possible, appoint to the work group |
|
|
representatives of: |
|
|
(1) the division; |
|
|
(2) the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; |
|
|
(3) the Texas Department of Transportation; |
|
|
(4) the General Land Office; |
|
|
(5) the Texas Historical Commission; |
|
|
(6) the Federal Emergency Management Agency; |
|
|
(7) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric |
|
|
Administration; |
|
|
(8) the United States Army Corps of Engineers; |
|
|
(9) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and |
|
|
(10) local governments. |
|
|
(c) A representative of the division appointed to the work |
|
|
group shall serve as presiding officer of the work group. |
|
|
(d) The work group shall conduct a study to: |
|
|
(1) identify: |
|
|
(A) wet debris removal categories for bodies of |
|
|
water in the state and the applicable laws for each category; |
|
|
(B) current jurisdictions of local, state, |
|
|
federal, and private entities responsible for wet debris removal, |
|
|
including any concurrent, joint, or overlapping roles and |
|
|
responsibilities of those entities; |
|
|
(C) funding sources applicable to each wet debris |
|
|
removal category; and |
|
|
(D) issues that impede wet debris removal; and |
|
|
(2) provide recommendations for: |
|
|
(A) minimizing impediments to wet debris |
|
|
removal; |
|
|
(B) clarifying local, state, federal, and |
|
|
private entities' roles and responsibilities for wet debris |
|
|
removal; and |
|
|
(C) educating interested persons on the results |
|
|
of the study described by this subsection. |
|
|
(e) Not later than November 1, 2020, the work group shall |
|
|
submit a report containing the results of the study described by |
|
|
Subsection (d) to each member of the legislature. |
|
|
(f) The work group is abolished and this section expires |
|
|
January 1, 2021. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Not later than November 1, 2019, the governor |
|
|
shall appoint members to the wet debris work group as required by |
|
|
Section 418.054, Government Code, as added by this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |