By: Springer (Senate Sponsor - Perry) H.B. No. 965
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2017;
May 4, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on
Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs; May 16, 2017, reported
favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 16, 2017,
sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the authority of a retail public water utility to
require an operator of a correctional facility to comply with water
conservation measures.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 13, Water Code, is amended
by adding Section 13.1461 to read as follows:
Sec. 13.1461. CORRECTIONAL FACILITY COMPLIANCE WITH
CONSERVATION MEASURES. (a) This section applies only to a
correctional facility operated by the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice or operated under contract with that department.
(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a retail public
utility may require the operator of a correctional facility that
receives retail water or sewer utility service from the retail
public utility to comply with water conservation measures adopted
or implemented by the retail public utility.
(c) A correctional facility is not required to comply with a
water conservation measure under Subsection (b) if the operator of
the correctional facility submits to the retail public utility a
written statement from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
that states that the measure would endanger health and safety at the
facility or unreasonably increase the costs of operating the
facility.
(d) If a retail public utility suspends a water conservation
measure and later implements the same measure, the operator of a
correctional facility that received an exemption from the original
measure under Subsection (c) must submit a new written statement
from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to obtain an
exemption under Subsection (c) from the newly implemented measure.
SECTION 2. 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, 2017.
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