BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 960

By: Allen

Environmental Regulation

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, local public meetings to discuss certain waste facility permits, including permits for the construction of a new facility, are not strictly required to be held in the state house district in which a facility is or will be located, even if that district's state representative requested the meeting. Concerns have been raised that such a meeting should be held in the district to enable more direct local participation. H.B. 960 seeks to address this issue by requiring the location of applicable public meetings to be set in the appropriate state house district.

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. 960 amends the Water Code to require the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to set the location of a public meeting regarding a certain type of environmental permit application in the state house district containing the location or proposed location of the applicable facility if the meeting is required due to the request of a qualifying member of the legislature.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.