LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 84TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION May 7, 2015 TO: Honorable Geanie Morrison, Chair, House Committee on Environmental Regulation FROM: Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE:HB1642 by Pickett (relating to the rights, remedies, and liability of certain owners and operators of environmentally contaminated property in certain counties.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. The bill would allow innocent owners/operators of environmentally contaminated property torequest a court to determine the amount of reasonable compensation for responsible parties toaccess their property for purposes of assessment and remediation if they are unable to agree uponthe compensation. The bill would change the liability protections afforded by the InnocentOwner/Operator Program operated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)by allowing owners/operators of property with a pipeline across it to be considered innocentowners/operators regarding contamination originating from the pipeline as long as theowners/operators of the property do not own or operate the pipeline.The bill would apply only to property in a county on the international border with a population of 800,000 or more. Based on the 2010 U.S. Census, this would only apply to El Paso County. The TCEQ does not expect the bill to result in significant fiscal implications to the agency. Local Government Impact Because the bill would not have statewide impact on units of local government of the same type or class, no comment from this office is required by the rules of the House/Senate as to its probable fiscal implication on units of local government. Source Agencies:304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality LBB Staff: UP, SZ, MW, TL
LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas
FISCAL NOTE, 84TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION
May 7, 2015
TO: Honorable Geanie Morrison, Chair, House Committee on Environmental Regulation FROM: Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE:HB1642 by Pickett (relating to the rights, remedies, and liability of certain owners and operators of environmentally contaminated property in certain counties.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
TO: Honorable Geanie Morrison, Chair, House Committee on Environmental Regulation
FROM: Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE: HB1642 by Pickett (relating to the rights, remedies, and liability of certain owners and operators of environmentally contaminated property in certain counties.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
Honorable Geanie Morrison, Chair, House Committee on Environmental Regulation
Honorable Geanie Morrison, Chair, House Committee on Environmental Regulation
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
HB1642 by Pickett (relating to the rights, remedies, and liability of certain owners and operators of environmentally contaminated property in certain counties.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
HB1642 by Pickett (relating to the rights, remedies, and liability of certain owners and operators of environmentally contaminated property in certain counties.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would allow innocent owners/operators of environmentally contaminated property torequest a court to determine the amount of reasonable compensation for responsible parties toaccess their property for purposes of assessment and remediation if they are unable to agree uponthe compensation. The bill would change the liability protections afforded by the InnocentOwner/Operator Program operated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)by allowing owners/operators of property with a pipeline across it to be considered innocentowners/operators regarding contamination originating from the pipeline as long as theowners/operators of the property do not own or operate the pipeline.The bill would apply only to property in a county on the international border with a population of 800,000 or more. Based on the 2010 U.S. Census, this would only apply to El Paso County. The TCEQ does not expect the bill to result in significant fiscal implications to the agency.
Local Government Impact
Because the bill would not have statewide impact on units of local government of the same type or class, no comment from this office is required by the rules of the House/Senate as to its probable fiscal implication on units of local government.
Source Agencies: 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality
LBB Staff: UP, SZ, MW, TL
UP, SZ, MW, TL