| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the establishment of a work group to study issues that |
|
|
impede the removal of wet debris. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
|
|
(1) "Work group" means the work group established |
|
|
under this Act. |
|
|
(2) "Wet debris" means natural or man-made debris |
|
|
located in water bodies including lakes, rivers, streams, bays, |
|
|
wetlands and tidal areas that result from a disaster as defined by |
|
|
Section 418.004, Government Code. |
|
|
SECTION 2. WORK GROUP ESTABLISHED. (a) The work group |
|
|
shall be composed of representatives of local, state, and federal |
|
|
governmental entities and private entities who are appointed by the |
|
|
governor from a list of candidates submitted by the lieutenant |
|
|
governor and the speaker of the house of representatives. |
|
|
(b) The work group shall consist of, at a minimum, |
|
|
representatives of: |
|
|
(1) the Texas Department of Emergency Management; |
|
|
(2) the Federal Emergency Management Agency; |
|
|
(3) the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; |
|
|
(4) the Texas Department of Transportation; |
|
|
(5) the Texas General Land Office; |
|
|
(6) the Texas Historical Commission; |
|
|
(7) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric |
|
|
Administration; |
|
|
(8) the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; |
|
|
(9) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and |
|
|
(10) local government stakeholders. |
|
|
(c) The Texas Department of Emergency Management will act as |
|
|
Group Leader for the work group. |
|
|
(d) The work group shall consist of no more than 21 nor less |
|
|
than 13 members. |
|
|
(e) Appointments to the work group under Subsection (a) of |
|
|
this section must be made not later than November 1, 2019. |
|
|
SECTION 3. WORK GROUP DUTIES. (a) The work group shall |
|
|
conduct a study on issues that impede the removal of wet debris. |
|
|
(b) The study conducted under Subsection (a) of this section |
|
|
must include: |
|
|
(1) identification of wet debris removal categories |
|
|
for water bodies in this state; |
|
|
(2) identification of current jurisdictions of the |
|
|
local, state, federal and private entities responsible for wet |
|
|
debris removal; |
|
|
(3) identification of concurrent, joint or |
|
|
overlapping roles and responsibilities of the local, state, federal |
|
|
and private entities responsible for wet debris removal; |
|
|
(4) identification of the applicable laws for each wet |
|
|
debris category; |
|
|
(5) identification of funding sources applicable to |
|
|
each wet debris removal category; |
|
|
(6) identification of recurring issues encountered in |
|
|
this state that impede wet debris removal; and |
|
|
(7) recommendations for: |
|
|
(A) minimizing issues that impede wet debris |
|
|
removal; |
|
|
(B) clarifying local, state, federal and private |
|
|
entities' roles and responsibilities for wet debris removal; and |
|
|
(c) educating statewide stakeholders on the |
|
|
results of this study. |
|
|
SECTION 4. REPORT. Not later than November 1, 2020, the |
|
|
work group shall submit a written report to the members of the |
|
|
legislature with the results of the study required under Section 3 |
|
|
of this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 5. EXPIRATION DATE. This Act expires and the work |
|
|
group is abolished January 1, 2021. |
|
|
SECTION 6. 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. |