Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2078 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R9031 MTB-D
2	2	By: Anchia H.B. No. 2078
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the creation and duties of the Global Climate Change
8	8	Commission.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. STATEMENT OF POLICY. (a) There is broad
11	11	agreement between nations, across states, and among scientists that
12	12	increasing emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other
13	13	greenhouse gases released into the earth's atmosphere are affecting
14	14	the earth's climate.
15	15	(b) There is further consensus that global climate change,
16	16	national security, and energy dependence are a related set of
17	17	global challenges.
18	18	(c) The potential adverse effects of global climate change
19	19	in the coming decades include extreme weather events, drought, a
20	20	decline in air quality, rising sea levels and global temperatures,
21	21	and exacerbation of challenges such as infectious disease and
22	22	terrorism.
23	23	(d) The state of the world's climate in the future largely
24	24	depends on how global leaders react to global climate change now.
25	25	(e) Many states and countries have reached across borders to
26	26	collaborate and develop policies to reduce greenhouse gas
27	27	emissions, spur private investment in clean energy, and enhance
28	28	energy security.
29	29	(f) By not taking aggressive action to reduce greenhouse gas
30	30	emissions, the state is missing out on an opportunity to become a
31	31	global leader in protecting against global climate change and risks
32	32	exposing the state's economy and its citizens to unmitigated
33	33	consequences.
34	34	(g) Global warming will have deleterious effects on the
35	35	state's labor productivity, infrastructure, and industries,
36	36	including agriculture, water, energy, forestry, and tourism.
37	37	(h) Actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as
38	38	energy conservation and development of renewable energy sources,
39	39	may have multiple benefits, including economic development, job
40	40	creation, cost savings, and improved air quality in and beyond the
41	41	boundaries of this state.
42	42	(i) Recognizing the potential threat to the environment,
43	43	economy, and national security, it is the intent of the Texas
44	44	Legislature to create a global climate change commission committed
45	45	to working toward mitigating the impacts of global climate change
46	46	nationally and internationally.
47	47	SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS. In this Act:
48	48	(1) "Commission" means the Global Climate Change
49	49	Commission.
50	50	(2) "Greenhouse gas" has the meaning assigned by
51	51	Section 403.028, Government Code.
52	52	(3) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
53	53	assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code.
54	54	SECTION 3. COMMISSION CREATED; COMPOSITION. (a) The Global
55	55	Climate Change Commission is created.
56	56	(b) The commission is composed of:
57	57	(1) one member appointed by the governor;
58	58	(2) one member appointed by the lieutenant governor;
59	59	(3) one member appointed by the speaker of the house of
60	60	representatives;
61	61	(4) one member appointed by the most senior member of
62	62	the minority party of the house of representatives;
63	63	(5) one member appointed by the most senior member of
64	64	the minority party of the senate; and
65	65	(6) the following members appointed evenly between the
66	66	governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of
67	67	representatives:
68	68	(A) a representative of the public energy sector;
69	69	(B) a representative of rural electric
70	70	cooperatives;
71	71	(C) a representative of the municipal
72	72	electricity sector;
73	73	(D) two representatives of separate nonprofit
74	74	environmental organizations;
75	75	(E) three scientists at separate institutions of
76	76	higher education, including one climatologist;
77	77	(F) an economist from an institution of higher
78	78	education;
79	79	(G) a representative of business and industry;
80	80	(H) a representative of the manufacturing or
81	81	mining industry;
82	82	(I) a representative of the agriculture or
83	83	forestry industry;
84	84	(J) a representative of the fossil fuel industry;
85	85	(K) a representative from the Health and Human
86	86	Services Commission; and
87	87	(L) four representatives of the public.
88	88	SECTION 4. PRESIDING OFFICER; MEETINGS; COMPENSATION. (a)
89	89	The commission shall elect one of its members to serve as presiding
90	90	officer.
91	91	(b) The commission shall meet at least quarterly and at the
92	92	call of the presiding officer.
93	93	(c) A commission member is not entitled to receive
94	94	compensation for service on the commission but is entitled to
95	95	reimbursement for travel expenses incurred by the member while
96	96	conducting the business of the commission, as provided by the
97	97	General Appropriations Act.
98	98	SECTION 5. DUTIES OF COMMISSION. (a) Not later than
99	99	September 1, 2016, the commission shall prepare and deliver a
100	100	comprehensive inventory and forecast of greenhouse gas emissions in
101	101	this state from 2000 to 2030 to the governor, lieutenant governor,
102	102	speaker of the house of representatives, state energy conservation
103	103	office, and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
104	104	(b) The commission shall:
105	105	(1) design a multiregional, multistate, and
106	106	multilateral approach to:
107	107	(A) reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
108	108	(B) reduce energy demands;
109	109	(C) protect public health; and
110	110	(D) increase public and private investment in
111	111	clean energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable infrastructure;
112	112	(2) assess the impact of global climate change on
113	113	important matters of national security; and
114	114	(3) develop and recommend a portfolio of feasible and
115	115	affordable policy options to reduce this state's vulnerability to
116	116	the predictable effects of global climate change.
117	117	(c) The commission shall submit a preliminary written
118	118	report of its activities and progress under Subsection (b) of this
119	119	section to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house
120	120	of representatives, state energy conservation office, and Texas
121	121	Commission on Environmental Quality not later than September 1,
122	122	2016. The report must include a comprehensive and coordinated plan
123	123	for adapting the state's economy, infrastructure, security
124	124	policies, and public health policies to:
125	125	(1) address the consequences of global climate change;
126	126	and
127	127	(2) ensure continued economic global competitiveness.
128	128	(d) The commission shall submit a final written report of
129	129	its activities and recommendations under Subsection (b) of this
130	130	section on or before January 1, 2017, to the legislature, including
131	131	the state affairs committee of each house of the legislature.
132	132	SECTION 6. APPOINTMENTS. As soon as possible after this Act
133	133	takes effect:
134	134	(1) the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the
135	135	house of representatives, and members of the legislature described
136	136	by Section 3 of this Act shall make the appointments required by
137	137	that section; and
138	138	(2) the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of
139	139	the house of representatives or their designees shall meet to
140	140	apportion the appointments under Section 3(b)(6) of this Act.
141	141	SECTION 7. EXPIRATION. This Act expires and the commission
142	142	is abolished effective March 1, 2017.
143	143	SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September
144	144	1, 2015.