Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3744 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.B. No. 3744
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to the regulation of water well drillers and water well
6	6	pump installers.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. Section 1901.051(a), Occupations Code, is
9	9	amended to read as follows:
10	10	(a) The department[, with the advice of the council,] shall
11	11	provide for the examination of license applicants [prepare
12	12	licensing examinations].
13	13	SECTION 2. Section 1901.155, Occupations Code, is amended
14	14	to read as follows:
15	15	Sec. 1901.155. LICENSE EXPIRATION[; RENEWAL]. [(a)] A
16	16	license issued under this chapter is valid for one or two years as
17	17	determined by commission rule [expires annually. On or before the
18	18	license expiration date, a license holder must pay an annual
19	19	renewal fee to the department].
20	20	SECTION 3. Section 1901.201, Occupations Code, is amended
21	21	to read as follows:
22	22	Sec. 1901.201. EXAMINATION. The department may prepare,
23	23	recognize, administer, or arrange for the administration of an
24	24	examination required [shall offer examinations for a license] under
25	25	this chapter.
26	26	SECTION 4. Section 1901.202(a), Occupations Code, is
27	27	amended to read as follows:
28	28	(a) The department shall ensure that examinations are
29	29	designed [design written examinations] to disqualify a person who
30	30	lacks the necessary knowledge of drilling, of completion and
31	31	plugging methods and techniques, and of groundwater formations to
32	32	the extent that drilling by the person would create a serious risk
33	33	of polluting fresh water.
34	34	SECTION 5. Section 1902.051(a), Occupations Code, is
35	35	amended to read as follows:
36	36	(a) The department[, with the advice of the council,] shall
37	37	provide for the examination of license applicants [prepare
38	38	licensing examinations].
39	39	SECTION 6. Section 1902.155, Occupations Code, is amended
40	40	to read as follows:
41	41	Sec. 1902.155. LICENSE EXPIRATION[; RENEWAL]. [(a)] A
42	42	license issued under this chapter is valid for one or two years as
43	43	determined by commission rule [expires annually. On or before the
44	44	license expiration date, a license holder must pay an annual
45	45	renewal fee to the department].
46	46	SECTION 7. Section 1902.201, Occupations Code, is amended
47	47	to read as follows:
48	48	Sec. 1902.201. EXAMINATION. The department may prepare,
49	49	recognize, administer, or arrange for the administration of an
50	50	examination required [shall offer examinations for a license] under
51	51	this chapter.
52	52	SECTION 8. Section 1902.202, Occupations Code, is amended
53	53	to read as follows:
54	54	Sec. 1902.202. CONTENTS OF EXAMINATION. The department
55	55	shall ensure that examinations are designed [design written
56	56	examinations] to disqualify a person who lacks the knowledge of
57	57	pump installation to the extent that pump installation by the
58	58	person would create a serious risk of polluting fresh water.
59	59	SECTION 9. The following provisions of the Occupations Code
60	60	are repealed:
61	61	(1) Section 1901.054;
62	62	(2) Section 1901.203;
63	63	(3) Section 1901.204;
64	64	(4) Section 1902.054; and
65	65	(5) Section 1902.203.
66	66	SECTION 10. Not later than January 1, 2024, the Texas
67	67	Commission of Licensing and Regulation shall adopt rules to
68	68	implement the changes in law made by this Act to Chapters 1901 and
69	69	1902, Occupations Code.
70	70	SECTION 11. Sections 1901.155 and 1902.155, Occupations
71	71	Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to a license issued under
72	72	Chapter 1901 or 1902, Occupations Code, that expires on or after
73	73	January 1, 2024. A license issued under Chapter 1901 or 1902,
74	74	Occupations Code, that expires before January 1, 2024, is governed
75	75	by the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this
76	76	Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
77	77	SECTION 12. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
78	78	______________________________ ______________________________
79	79	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
80	80	I certify that H.B. No. 3744 was passed by the House on May 2,
81	81	2023, by the following vote: Yeas 131, Nays 14, 2 present, not
82	82	voting.
83	83	______________________________
84	84	Chief Clerk of the House
85	85	I certify that H.B. No. 3744 was passed by the Senate on May
86	86	24, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
87	87	______________________________
88	88	Secretary of the Senate
89	89	APPROVED: _____________________
90	90	Date
91	91	_____________________
92	92	Governor