Texas 2011 82nd Regular

Texas House Bill HB3543 Introduced / Bill

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                    82R3228 SLB-F
 By: Farrar H.B. No. 3543


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the inclusion of certain local government enforcement
 actions in the evaluation of compliance history by the Texas
 Commission on Environmental Quality.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 5.753(b), Water Code, is amended to read
 as follows:
 (b)  The components of compliance history must include:
 (1)  enforcement orders, court judgments, consent
 decrees, and criminal convictions of a local government to which
 the commission refers complaints for investigation, this state, and
 the federal government relating to compliance with applicable legal
 requirements under the jurisdiction of the commission or the United
 States Environmental Protection Agency;
 (2)  notwithstanding any other provision of this code,
 orders issued under Section 7.070;
 (3)  to the extent readily available to the commission,
 enforcement orders, court judgments, and criminal convictions
 relating to violations of environmental laws of other states; and
 (4)  changes in ownership.
 SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
 to an enforcement order, court judgment, consent decree, or
 criminal conviction of a local government that becomes final on or
 after the effective date of 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, 2011.