| 1 | 1 | | 89R441 DRS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: West S.B. No. 212 |
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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 certain public meetings and public hearings concerning |
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| 10 | 10 | | permits issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter M-1, Chapter 5, Water Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 5.5835 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 5.5835. LOCATION AND PAYMENT OF COSTS OF PUBLIC |
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| 15 | 15 | | MEETING OR PUBLIC HEARING. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, if |
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| 16 | 16 | | the commission, the executive director, or the applicant for the |
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| 17 | 17 | | permit, permit amendment, or permit renewal, under authority |
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| 18 | 18 | | authorizing or requiring a public meeting or public hearing to be |
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| 19 | 19 | | held in the county in which the facility or proposed facility that |
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| 20 | 20 | | is the subject of the meeting or hearing is located or proposed to |
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| 21 | 21 | | be located, holds a public meeting or public hearing concerning the |
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| 22 | 22 | | issuance, amendment, or renewal of a permit for a facility or |
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| 23 | 23 | | proposed facility, the meeting or hearing must be held: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) in person; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) at a public location: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (A) not more than one mile from the location or |
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| 27 | 27 | | proposed location of the facility or proposed facility; or |
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| 28 | 28 | | (B) if a public location at which the meeting or |
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| 29 | 29 | | hearing may be held does not exist within one mile of the location |
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| 30 | 30 | | or proposed location, at a public location as near as practicable to |
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| 31 | 31 | | and not more than five miles from the location or proposed location |
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| 32 | 32 | | of the facility or proposed facility. |
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| 33 | 33 | | (b) The applicant for the permit, permit amendment, or |
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| 34 | 34 | | permit renewal shall pay the cost of a public meeting or public |
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| 35 | 35 | | hearing concerning a permit described by this section. The |
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| 36 | 36 | | commission by rule may establish procedures for the payment of |
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| 37 | 37 | | those costs. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 2. Section 5.5835, Water Code, as added by this Act, |
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| 39 | 39 | | applies only to an application for a permit, permit amendment, or |
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| 40 | 40 | | permit renewal submitted on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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