| 1 | 1 | | By: Vasut (Senate Sponsor - Huffman) H.B. No. 3604 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2023; |
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| 3 | 3 | | May 9, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Water, |
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| 4 | 4 | | Agriculture & Rural Affairs; May 19, 2023, reported favorably by |
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| 5 | 5 | | the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 19, 2023, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | 6 | | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | |
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| 9 | 9 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 10 | 10 | | AN ACT |
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| 11 | 11 | | relating to the cleaning of a structure used to grow oysters for |
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| 12 | 12 | | cultivated oyster mariculture. |
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| 13 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 26, Water Code, is amended |
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| 15 | 15 | | by adding Section 26.0406 to read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | Sec. 26.0406. GENERAL PERMITS FOR AQUACULTURE; EXEMPTION |
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| 17 | 17 | | FOR CLEANING STRUCTURES USED FOR GROWING OYSTERS. (a) A general |
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| 18 | 18 | | permit for aquaculture issued by the commission must allow the |
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| 19 | 19 | | holder of a cultivated oyster mariculture permit under Chapter 75, |
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| 20 | 20 | | Parks and Wildlife Code, to discharge into waters of this state |
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| 21 | 21 | | waste related to the cleaning of a structure used to grow oysters |
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| 22 | 22 | | for cultivated oyster mariculture in accordance with Subsection |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b). |
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| 24 | 24 | | (b) A cultivated oyster mariculture permit holder cleaning |
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| 25 | 25 | | a structure as described by Subsection (a): |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) must clean the structure at the location where the |
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| 27 | 27 | | permit holder is authorized to operate and only with water from that |
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| 28 | 28 | | location; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) prior to use in cleaning, may not alter the |
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| 30 | 30 | | cleaning water in any way, including with the addition of soap, |
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| 31 | 31 | | chemicals, or any other similar substance; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (3) in consultation with the Texas Parks and Wildlife |
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| 33 | 33 | | Department, must comply with all other permit conditions |
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| 34 | 34 | | established by the commission. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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| 36 | 36 | | * * * * * |
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