| 1 | 1 | | 89R10830 ANG-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Menéndez, Bettencourt S.B. No. 1929 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to water testing by the Texas Commission on Environmental |
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| 10 | 10 | | Quality at correctional facilities operated by the Texas Department |
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| 11 | 11 | | of Criminal Justice and county jails. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 341, Health and Safety |
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| 14 | 14 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 341.0392 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 341.0392. WATER TESTING AT CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AND |
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| 16 | 16 | | COUNTY JAILS. (a) In this section: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) "Correctional facility" means a correctional |
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| 18 | 18 | | facility operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) "Safe Drinking Water Act" means the federal Safe |
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| 20 | 20 | | Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. Section 300f et seq.). |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) "Tap test" means a water sample collected and |
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| 22 | 22 | | tested in the manner prescribed by the federal monitoring |
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| 23 | 23 | | requirements for lead, copper, and arsenic in tap water under 40 |
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| 24 | 24 | | C.F.R. Part 141, Subpart I. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (b) In addition to any water test required by the Safe |
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| 26 | 26 | | Drinking Water Act, the commission shall require commission staff |
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| 27 | 27 | | or a qualified contractor to perform regular tap tests at each |
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| 28 | 28 | | correctional facility and county jail to monitor the water from |
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| 29 | 29 | | potable water outlets at the facility or jail. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (c) If the commissioner determines that the amount of lead, |
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| 31 | 31 | | copper, or arsenic in a potable water outlet of a correctional |
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| 32 | 32 | | facility or county jail exceeds the level of lead, copper, or |
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| 33 | 33 | | arsenic considered safe for human consumption as established by |
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| 34 | 34 | | rules adopted under Subsection (f), the affected correctional |
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| 35 | 35 | | facility or county jail shall prevent the use of the potable water |
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| 36 | 36 | | outlet until tests confirm the water in the potable water outlet is |
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| 37 | 37 | | safe for human consumption. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (d) The commission may establish the frequency of tap |
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| 39 | 39 | | testing at a correctional facility or county jail that is necessary |
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| 40 | 40 | | to ensure the levels of lead, copper, and arsenic do not exceed the |
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| 41 | 41 | | levels of lead, copper, and arsenic safe for human consumption as |
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| 42 | 42 | | established by the commission. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (e) A correctional facility or county jail shall allow the |
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| 44 | 44 | | commission access to necessary facilities for purposes of tap |
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| 45 | 45 | | testing under this section. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (f) The commission, in consultation with the Texas |
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| 47 | 47 | | Department of Criminal Justice and the commissioners court of each |
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| 48 | 48 | | county, shall adopt rules to implement this section, including |
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| 49 | 49 | | rules to establish the level of lead, copper, and arsenic in |
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| 50 | 50 | | drinking water that is considered safe for human consumption. The |
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| 51 | 51 | | rules adopted under this section must be consistent with the |
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| 52 | 52 | | requirements for public water systems under the Safe Drinking Water |
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| 53 | 53 | | Act. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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