| 1 | 1 | | By: Menéndez S.B. No. 799 |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to the installment of electric school buses and solar |
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| 9 | 9 | | panels in Texas public schools. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | ARTICLE 1: FINDING AND PURPOSE |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1.01. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. The |
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| 13 | 13 | | legislature finds that: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) The legislature is committed to ensuring federal |
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| 15 | 15 | | funding and state resources are equitably allocated to prevent a |
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| 16 | 16 | | disaster such as Winter Storm Uri from occurring once again. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) The legislature equally commits to reviewing and |
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| 18 | 18 | | utilizing efficient methods such as battery storage and |
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| 19 | 19 | | dispatchable energy, to the best of its ability to ensure all Texas |
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| 20 | 20 | | residents have access to energy in the case of another state |
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| 21 | 21 | | disaster. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (3) The legislature finds that public school |
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| 23 | 23 | | facilities are in a unique position because of the hours of |
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| 24 | 24 | | operation to serve as an energy storage facility. Solar panels can |
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| 25 | 25 | | be installed on these public schools and electric school buses may |
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| 26 | 26 | | be reliable form for energy to be stored, distributed, and reserved |
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| 27 | 27 | | daily and/or dispatched in case of an emergency. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (4) The legislature is committed to appropriating |
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| 29 | 29 | | funds to assist in the updated infrastructure of our public schools |
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| 30 | 30 | | and to ensure the reliability of the Texas grid. |
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| 31 | 31 | | (5) The federal government has created new programs |
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| 32 | 32 | | and tax credits allowing public schools to benefit from the use of |
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| 33 | 33 | | electric school buses and clean energy measures such as solar |
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| 34 | 34 | | panels. These benefits include nearly $5 billion dollars to replace |
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| 35 | 35 | | school buses with electric models. Additionally, there are at least |
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| 36 | 36 | | 51 Texas projects amounting to $164 million that have been |
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| 37 | 37 | | waitlisted, demonstrating a strong interest and need for assistance |
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| 38 | 38 | | in applying for these methods. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (6) The legislature understands that in a state of |
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| 40 | 40 | | disaster public schools may be able to serve as an emergency shelter |
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| 41 | 41 | | because of the storage generated by the electric school buses and |
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| 42 | 42 | | solar panels on public schools. |
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| 43 | 43 | | ARTICLE 2: USE OF THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL |
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| 44 | 44 | | QUALITY OFFICE |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 2. Sec. 447.002. and 447.003., Government Code, is |
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| 46 | 46 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 47 | 47 | | Sec. 447.002. INFORMATION; PROCEDURES AND RULES; MEASURES |
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| 48 | 48 | | AND PROGRAMS. (a) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality |
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| 49 | 49 | | office shall develop and provide energy and water conservation |
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| 50 | 50 | | information for the state. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (b) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality office |
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| 52 | 52 | | may establish procedures and adopt rules relating to the |
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| 53 | 53 | | development and implementation of energy and water conservation |
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| 54 | 54 | | measures and programs applicable to state buildings and facilities. |
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| 55 | 55 | | (c) A procedure established or a rule adopted under |
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| 56 | 56 | | Subsection (b) may include provisions relating to: |
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| 57 | 57 | | (1) the retrofitting of existing state buildings and |
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| 58 | 58 | | facilities with energy-saving or water-saving devices; and |
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| 59 | 59 | | (2) the energy-related or water-related renovation of |
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| 60 | 60 | | those buildings and facilities; and |
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| 61 | 61 | | (3) assistance to public school districts to submit |
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| 62 | 62 | | applications for federal and state funding for the installation |
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| 63 | 63 | | and purchase of electric school buses and solar panels in public |
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| 64 | 64 | | schools. |
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| 65 | 65 | | Sec. 447.003. LIAISON TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. The Texas |
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| 66 | 66 | | Commission on Environmental Quality is the state liaison to the |
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| 67 | 67 | | federal government for the implementation and administration of |
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| 68 | 68 | | federal programs relating to state agency energy matters. The |
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| 69 | 69 | | office shall administer state programs established under: |
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| 70 | 70 | | (1) Part D, Title III, Energy Policy and Conservation |
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| 71 | 71 | | Act (42 U.S.C. Section 6321 et seq.), and its subsequent |
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| 72 | 72 | | amendments; |
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| 73 | 73 | | (2) Part G, Title III, Energy Policy and Conservation |
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| 74 | 74 | | Act (42 U.S.C. Section 6371 et seq.), and its subsequent |
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| 75 | 75 | | amendments; and |
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| 76 | 76 | | (3) other federal energy conservation programs |
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| 77 | 77 | | including the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure |
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| 78 | 78 | | Investment and Jobs Act, and other state sources of funding as |
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| 79 | 79 | | assigned to the office by the governor or the legislature. |
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| 80 | 80 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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