| 1 | 1 | | By: Reynolds H.B. No. 77 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to the creation of the Climate Change Impact Assessment |
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| 7 | 7 | | Council. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. (a) In this section, "council" means the Climate |
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| 10 | 10 | | Change Impact Assessment Council established by this Act. |
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| 11 | 11 | | (b) The council is established to study the impact of |
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| 12 | 12 | | climate change on the health, safety, and welfare of the residents |
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| 13 | 13 | | of this state. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (c) The council is composed of the following members: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) two members of the senate appointed by the |
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| 16 | 16 | | lieutenant governor; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) two members of the house of representatives |
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| 18 | 18 | | appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | (3) seven members of the public appointed jointly by |
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| 20 | 20 | | the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of |
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| 21 | 21 | | representatives, including: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (A) one member with expertise in climatology; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (B) one member with expertise in this state's |
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| 24 | 24 | | economy; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (C) one member with expertise in land management |
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| 26 | 26 | | and natural resource maintenance; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (D) one member representing the tourism |
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| 28 | 28 | | industry. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (d) A public member of the council is entitled to |
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| 30 | 30 | | reimbursement of the travel expenses incurred by the member while |
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| 31 | 31 | | conducting the business of the council, as provided by the General |
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| 32 | 32 | | Appropriations Act. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (e) The House Committee on Environmental Regulation and the |
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| 34 | 34 | | Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development |
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| 35 | 35 | | shall provide personnel and administrative support to the council |
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| 36 | 36 | | as needed. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (f) The council shall conduct a study to: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (1) assess the current and potential effects of |
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| 39 | 39 | | climate change trends on the residents, natural resources, public |
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| 40 | 40 | | health, and economy of this state; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (2) estimate the costs to this state of adverse |
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| 42 | 42 | | effects associated with climate change; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (3) research measures for preventing or mitigating the |
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| 44 | 44 | | effects of flooding, erosion, drought, and wildfires that may be |
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| 45 | 45 | | caused or worsened by climate change; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (4) recommend legislation or other regulations to |
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| 47 | 47 | | minimize the adverse impact of climate change on this state. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (g) The council shall hold public hearings in various parts |
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| 49 | 49 | | of this state to gather information related to the study described |
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| 50 | 50 | | in Subsection (f) of this section. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (h) Not later than June 1, 2025, the council shall prepare |
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| 52 | 52 | | and submit a report to the legislature containing the findings of |
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| 53 | 53 | | the study described in Subsection (f) of this section. |
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| 54 | 54 | | (i) The council is abolished and this Act expires September |
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| 55 | 55 | | 1, 2025. |
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| 56 | 56 | | SECTION 2. Not later than March 1, 2024, the lieutenant |
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| 57 | 57 | | governor and the speaker of the house of representatives shall |
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| 58 | 58 | | appoint members to the Climate Change Impact Assessment Council as |
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| 59 | 59 | | required by this Act. |
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| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect on the 91st day after the |
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| 61 | 61 | | last day of the legislative session. |
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