BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1976
89R11160 CMO-F	By: Hughes
	Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs
	4/9/2025
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

S.B. 1976 establishes a requirement for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to conduct quarterly testing for specific urinary metabolites in wastewater from treatment facilities. The purpose is to assess the presence of certain substances that may impact public health and the environment. This bill is part of a broader effort to monitor and regulate the quality of wastewater discharge from facilities serving various population sizes, ensuring public safety and environmental protection.

S.B. 1976:

1. Quarterly Testing: TCEQ will conduct regular testing at wastewater treatment facilities for urinary metabolites, such as benzophenone, bisphenol A, estrone, and others. These metabolites are chemicals that can enter wastewater systems through various human activities and products.
2. Testing Locations: This bill mandates testing at:
• all wastewater treatment facilities within 10 miles of a municipality with a population of 250,000 or more; and
• at least 10 wastewater treatment facilities serving municipalities of varying sizes, from populations of 100,000 to less than 250,000, down to populations of less than 25,000.
3. Priority Testing: When selecting facilities for testing in smaller municipalities, TCEQ must prioritize facilities that represent typical wastewater systems in those population categories.
4. Testing Details: TCEQ will conduct testing at facilities based on the metabolites listed in the bill, and the results must be documented and published online, ensuring transparency. This includes:
• the date and location of each sample collection;
• the date the sample was tested; and
• the test results, measured in parts per trillion, for each urinary metabolite.

As proposed, S.B. 1976 amends current law relating to certain testing requirements at certain wastewater treatment facilities.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.� Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 26, Water Code, by adding Section 26.054, as follows:

Sec. 26.054.� URINARY METABOLITE TESTING FOR CERTAIN WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES.� (a) Requires the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to conduct quarterly testing for the urinary metabolites listed in Subsection (b) of all intakes and outflows of the wastewater treatment facilities described by Subsection (c). Requires that tests conducted under this section be performed by an accredited or certified environmental testing laboratory.

(b)� Requires TCEQ, in accordance with Subsection (a), to conduct testing for certain urinary metabolites in the form of gluconates.

(c)� Requires TCEQ to conduct the testing required by this section at:

(1) each wastewater treatment facility located within 10 miles of a municipality with a population of 250,000 or more; and

(2) at least 10 wastewater treatment facilities located within 10 miles of municipalities with certain populations.

(d) Requires TCEQ, in selecting wastewater treatment facilities for testing under Subsection (c)(2), to prioritize facilities that reasonably represent typical wastewater systems of municipalities of the population categories in that subsection.

(e)� Requires TCEQ to maintain detailed records of all testing conducted under this section and publish the records on TCEQ's Internet website. Requires that the records include certain information.

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2025.