Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB942 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R4796 MTB-D
2	2	By: Anchia H.B. No. 942
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, this 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
55	55	Global 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;
87	87	(L) a representative from the Texas Military
88	88	Preparedness Commission;
89	89	(M) a representative from the Texas Division of
90	90	Emergency Management;
91	91	(N) a representative from the Texas Water
92	92	Development Board; and
93	93	(O) three representatives of the public.
94	94	SECTION 4. PRESIDING OFFICER; MEETINGS; COMPENSATION. (a)
95	95	The commission shall elect one of its members to serve as presiding
96	96	officer.
97	97	(b) The commission shall meet at least quarterly and at the
98	98	call of the presiding officer.
99	99	(c) A commission member is not entitled to receive
100	100	compensation for service on the commission but is entitled to
101	101	reimbursement for travel expenses incurred by the member while
102	102	conducting the business of the commission, as provided by the
103	103	General Appropriations Act.
104	104	SECTION 5. DUTIES OF COMMISSION. (a) Not later than
105	105	September 1, 2020, the commission shall prepare and deliver a
106	106	comprehensive inventory and forecast of greenhouse gas emissions in
107	107	this state from 2000 to 2030 to the governor, lieutenant governor,
108	108	speaker of the house of representatives, state energy conservation
109	109	office, and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
110	110	(b) The commission shall:
111	111	(1) design a multiregional, multistate, and
112	112	multilateral approach to:
113	113	(A) reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
114	114	(B) reduce energy demands;
115	115	(C) protect public health; and
116	116	(D) increase public and private investment in
117	117	clean energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable infrastructure;
118	118	(2) assess the impact of global climate change on
119	119	important matters of national security;
120	120	(3) develop and recommend a portfolio of feasible and
121	121	affordable policy options to reduce this state's vulnerability to
122	122	the predictable effects of global climate change; and
123	123	(4) develop for inclusion in the state hazard
124	124	mitigation plan submitted under Section 322, Robert T. Stafford
125	125	Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Section
126	126	5165), a strategy that considers the impact of climate change on
127	127	risks from natural hazards.
128	128	(c) The commission shall submit a preliminary written
129	129	report of its activities and progress under Subsection (b) of this
130	130	section to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house
131	131	of representatives, state energy conservation office, and Texas
132	132	Commission on Environmental Quality not later than September 1,
133	133	2020.
134	134	(d) The commission shall submit a final written report of
135	135	its activities and recommendations under Subsection (b) of this
136	136	section on or before January 1, 2021, to the governor, lieutenant
137	137	governor, state energy conservation office, Texas Commission on
138	138	Environmental Quality, and legislature, including the state
139	139	affairs committee of each house of the legislature. The report must
140	140	include a comprehensive and coordinated plan for adapting this
141	141	state's economy, infrastructure, security policies, and public
142	142	health policies to:
143	143	(1) address the consequences of global climate change;
144	144	and
145	145	(2) ensure continued economic global competitiveness.
146	146	SECTION 6. APPOINTMENTS. As soon as possible after the
147	147	effective date of this Act:
148	148	(1) the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the
149	149	house of representatives, and members of the legislature described
150	150	by Section 3 of this Act shall make the appointments required by
151	151	that section; and
152	152	(2) the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of
153	153	the house of representatives or their designees shall meet to
154	154	apportion the appointments under Section 3(b)(6) of this Act.
155	155	SECTION 7. EXPIRATION. This Act expires and the commission
156	156	is abolished March 1, 2021.
157	157	SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September
158	158	1, 2019.