Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2094 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version Filed 02/20/2019

                            86R9119 JRR-F
 By: Thompson of Brazoria H.B. No. 2094


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the administration of and funding for the Texas
 emissions reduction plan.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Section 386.104, Health and Safety Code, is
 amended by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (c-1) and
 (c-2) to read as follows:
 (c)  Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, for
 [For] a proposed project as described by Section 386.102(b), other
 than a project involving a marine vessel or engine, not less than 75
 percent of vehicle miles traveled or hours of operation projected
 for the five years immediately following the award of a grant must
 be projected to take place in a nonattainment area or affected
 county of this state. The commission may set the minimum percentage
 of vehicle miles traveled or hours of operation required to take
 place in a nonattainment area or affected county at a percentage and
 for a period that is different from the percentage and period
 specified by this subsection. The commission may [also] allow
 vehicle travel on highways and roadways, or portions of a highway or
 roadway, designated by the commission and located outside a
 nonattainment area or affected county to count towards the
 percentage of use requirement in this subsection.
 (c-1)  For a proposed project involving a marine vessel or
 engine, the vessel or engine must be operated in the intercoastal
 waterways or bays adjacent to a nonattainment area or affected
 county of this state for a sufficient amount of time over the
 lifetime of the project, as determined by the commission, to meet
 the cost-effectiveness requirements of Section 386.105.
 (c-2)  For a proposed project involving non-road equipment
 used for natural gas recovery purposes, the equipment must be
 operated in a nonattainment area or affected county for a
 sufficient amount of use over the lifetime of the project, as
 determined by the commission, to meet the cost-effectiveness
 requirements of Section 386.105.
 SECTION 2.  Section 386.116(a), Health and Safety Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 (a)  In this section, "small business" means a business owned
 by a person who:
 (1)  owns and operates not more than six [five]
 vehicles, one of which is:
 (A)  an on-road diesel; or
 (B)  a non-road diesel; and
 (2)  has owned the vehicle described by Subdivision
 (1)(A) or (B) for more than two years.
 SECTION 3.  Section 386.251(c), Health and Safety Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 (c)  The fund consists of:
 (1)  the amount of money deposited to the credit of the
 fund under:
 (A)  Section 386.056;
 (B)  Section [Sections 151.0515 and] 152.0215,
 Tax Code; and
 (C)  Sections 501.138, 502.358, and 548.5055,
 Transportation Code; and
 (2)  grant money recaptured under Section 386.111(d)
 and Chapter 391.
 SECTION 4.  Section 386.252, Health and Safety Code, is
 amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (i) to
 read as follows:
 (a)  Money in the fund may be used only to implement and
 administer programs established under the plan.  Subject to the
 reallocation of funds by the commission under Subsection (h), money
 appropriated to the commission to be used for the programs under
 Section 386.051(b) shall initially be allocated as follows:
 (1)  four percent may be used for the clean school bus
 program under Chapter 390;
 (2)  one [three] percent may be used for the new
 technology implementation grant program under Chapter 391, from
 which at least $1 million will be set aside for electricity storage
 projects related to renewable energy;
 (3)  five percent may be used for the Texas clean fleet
 program under Chapter 392;
 (4)  not more than $3 million may be used by the
 commission to fund a regional air monitoring program in commission
 Regions 3 and 4 to be implemented under the commission's oversight,
 including direction regarding the type, number, location, and
 operation of, and data validation practices for, monitors funded by
 the program through a regional nonprofit entity located in North
 Texas having representation from counties, municipalities, higher
 education institutions, and private sector interests across the
 area;
 (5)  10 percent may be used for the Texas natural gas
 vehicle grant program under Chapter 394;
 (6)  not more than $6 million may be used for the Texas
 alternative fueling facilities program under Chapter 393, of which
 a specified amount may be used for fueling stations to provide
 natural gas fuel, except that money may not be allocated for the
 Texas alternative fueling facilities program for the state fiscal
 year ending August 31, 2019;
 (7)  not more than $750,000 may be used each year to
 support research related to air quality as provided by Chapter 387;
 (8)  not more than $200,000 may be used for a health
 effects study;
 (9)  at least $6 million but not more than $8 million is
 allocated to the commission for administrative costs, including all
 direct and indirect costs for administering the plan, costs for
 conducting outreach and education activities, and costs
 attributable to the review or approval of applications for
 marketable emissions reduction credits;
 (10)  six percent may be used by the commission for the
 seaport and rail yard areas emissions reduction program established
 under Subchapter D-1;
 (11)  five percent may be used for the light-duty motor
 vehicle purchase or lease incentive program established under
 Subchapter D;
 (12)  not more than $216,000 is allocated to the
 commission to contract with the Energy Systems Laboratory at the
 Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station annually for the
 development and annual computation of creditable statewide
 emissions reductions obtained through wind and other renewable
 energy resources for the state implementation plan;
 (13)  not more than $500,000 may be used for studies of
 or pilot programs for incentives for port authorities located in
 nonattainment areas or affected counties to encourage cargo
 movement that reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate
 matter; and
 (14)  the balance is to be used by the commission for
 the diesel emissions reduction incentive program under Subchapter C
 as determined by the commission.
 (i)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,
 money in the fund, other than money in the non-road diesel
 subaccount established under Section 386.253, may not be used for a
 purpose described by Section 386.253(c).
 SECTION 5.  Subchapter F, Chapter 386, Health and Safety
 Code, is amended by adding Section 386.253 to read as follows:
 Sec. 386.253.  NON-ROAD DIESEL SUBACCOUNT; USE OF
 SUBACCOUNT. (a) The non-road diesel subaccount is established in
 the fund.
 (b)  The subaccount consists of the amount of money deposited
 to the credit of the subaccount under Section 151.0515, Tax Code.
 Interest earned on the subaccount shall be credited to the
 subaccount.
 (c)  Money in the subaccount may be used only to:
 (1)  provide grants for non-road diesels, as that term
 is described by Section 386.101, under a program established under
 the plan; and
 (2)  implement and administer a program described by
 Subdivision (1), but only to the extent that the program relates to
 the issuance of grants for non-road diesels.
 SECTION 6.  Sections 151.0515(c) and (d), Tax Code, are
 amended to read as follows:
 (c)  The surcharge shall be collected at the same time and in
 the same manner and shall be administered and enforced in the same
 manner as the tax imposed under this chapter. The comptroller shall
 adopt any additional procedures needed for the collection,
 administration, and enforcement of the surcharge authorized by this
 section and shall deposit all remitted surcharges to the credit of
 the non-road diesel subaccount in the Texas emissions reduction
 plan fund.
 (d)  This section expires on the last day of the state fiscal
 biennium during which the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
 publishes in the Texas Register the notice required by Section
 382.037, Health and Safety Code [August 31, 2019].
 SECTION 7.  Section 152.0215(c), Tax Code, is amended to
 read as follows:
 (c)  This section expires on the last day of the state fiscal
 biennium during which the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
 publishes in the Texas Register the notice required by Section
 382.037, Health and Safety Code [August 31, 2019].
 SECTION 8.  Section 501.138(b-3), Transportation Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 (b-3)  This subsection and Subsection (b-2) expire on the
 last day of the state fiscal biennium during which the Texas
 Commission on Environmental Quality publishes in the Texas Register
 the notice required by Section 382.037, Health and Safety Code
 [August 31, 2019].
 SECTION 9.  Section 502.358(c), Transportation Code, is
 amended to read as follows:
 (c)  This section expires on the last day of the state fiscal
 biennium during which the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
 publishes in the Texas Register the notice required by Section
 382.037, Health and Safety Code [August 31, 2019].
 SECTION 10.  The heading to Section 548.5055, Transportation
 Code, is amended to read as follows:
 Sec. 548.5055.  TEXAS EMISSIONS [EMISSION] REDUCTION PLAN
 FEE.
 SECTION 11.  Sections 548.5055(b) and (c), Transportation
 Code, are amended to read as follows:
 (b)  The department shall remit fees collected under this
 section to the comptroller at the time and in the manner prescribed
 by the comptroller for deposit in the Texas emissions [emission]
 reduction plan fund.
 (c)  This section expires on the last day of the state fiscal
 biennium during which the conservation commission publishes in the
 Texas Register the notice required by Section 382.037, Health and
 Safety Code [August 31, 2019].
 SECTION 12.  Sections 8(a-2) and (b), Chapter 755 (S.B.
 1731), Acts of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, are
 repealed.
 SECTION 13.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only
 to a Texas emissions reduction plan grant awarded on or after the
 effective date of this Act. A grant awarded before the effective
 date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the
 award was made, and the former law is continued in effect for that
 purpose.
 SECTION 14.  The change in law made by this Act to Section
 151.0515, Tax Code, applies only to a surcharge collected on or
 after the effective date of this Act. A surcharge collected before
 the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect
 immediately before that date, and the former law is continued in
 effect for that purpose.
 SECTION 15.  This Act takes effect August 30, 2019.