Bill Text: TX HB2948 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of an advisory panel to study and compile a report on best management practices and funding mechanisms for the prevention, mitigation, and abatement of windblown and waterborne litter in communities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-12 - Referred to Environmental Regulation [HB2948 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB2948-Introduced.html
| 86R13801 SLB-F | ||
| By: Guillen | H.B. No. 2948 | |
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| relating to the creation of an advisory panel to study and compile a | ||
| report on best management practices and funding mechanisms for the | ||
| prevention, mitigation, and abatement of windblown and waterborne | ||
| litter in communities. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "advisory panel" means | ||
| the Texas Litter Advisory Panel created under Section 2 of this Act. | ||
| SECTION 2. TEXAS LITTER ADVISORY PANEL. (a) The Texas | ||
| Litter Advisory Panel consists of members appointed not later than | ||
| November 1, 2019, as follows: | ||
| (1) the executive director or the executive director's | ||
| designee of the following entities shall appoint a representative | ||
| for that entity: | ||
| (A) the Department of Agriculture; | ||
| (B) the General Land Office; | ||
| (C) the Parks and Wildlife Department; | ||
| (D) the Railroad Commission of Texas; | ||
| (E) the Texas Commission on Environmental | ||
| Quality; | ||
| (F) the Texas Department of Transportation; and | ||
| (G) the Texas Economic Development and Tourism | ||
| Office within the office of the governor; | ||
| (2) the lieutenant governor shall appoint three | ||
| members with each member to represent one of the following: | ||
| (A) a county; | ||
| (B) an irrigation district; and | ||
| (C) a navigation district or a flood control | ||
| district; | ||
| (3) the governor shall appoint four members with each | ||
| member to represent one of the following: | ||
| (A) the interests of the private solid waste | ||
| remediation industry; | ||
| (B) a statewide nonprofit organization focused | ||
| on litter prevention, mitigation, and abatement; | ||
| (C) the interests of agricultural land owners; | ||
| and | ||
| (D) the interests of cattle raisers; and | ||
| (4) the speaker of the house of representatives shall | ||
| appoint three members with each member to represent one of the | ||
| following: | ||
| (A) a municipality; | ||
| (B) a river authority; and | ||
| (C) a drainage district. | ||
| (b) The representative of the Texas Commission on | ||
| Environmental Quality is the presiding officer of the advisory | ||
| panel. | ||
| (c) A member of the advisory panel is not entitled to | ||
| receive compensation for service on the advisory panel but is | ||
| entitled to reimbursement of the travel expenses incurred by the | ||
| member while conducting the business of the advisory panel. | ||
| (d) The advisory panel may accept gifts and grants from any | ||
| source to be used to carry out a function of the advisory panel. | ||
| SECTION 3. STUDY. The advisory panel shall conduct a study | ||
| on existing best management practices and funding mechanisms in | ||
| this state for the prevention, mitigation, and abatement of | ||
| windblown and waterborne litter, including helium balloons, in | ||
| communities by: | ||
| (1) identifying and evaluating best management | ||
| practices for municipal, commercial, industrial, and agricultural | ||
| properties, including the feasibility, costs, and benefits of those | ||
| practices; and | ||
| (2) evaluating: | ||
| (A) the feasibility and implementation needs of | ||
| best management practices in different regions of the state; | ||
| (B) the jurisdiction and effectiveness of law | ||
| enforcement; | ||
| (C) the role of state funding for incentive | ||
| programs; and | ||
| (D) the appropriate state oversight and | ||
| community support efforts. | ||
| SECTION 4. RECOMMENDATIONS. At the conclusion of the | ||
| study, the advisory panel shall make recommendations to the Texas | ||
| Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Department of | ||
| Transportation on: | ||
| (1) standardized methods for reporting and using best | ||
| management practices; and | ||
| (2) other possible strategies, as appropriate. | ||
| SECTION 5. ASSISTANCE OF STATE AGENCIES. On request by the | ||
| advisory panel, a state agency shall provide assistance to the | ||
| advisory panel, including necessary support staff. | ||
| SECTION 6. PUBLIC MEETINGS. The advisory panel may hold | ||
| public meetings as needed to carry out the duties described by this | ||
| Act. | ||
| SECTION 7. BEST PRACTICES GUIDE AND REPORT TO LEGISLATURE. | ||
| Not later than November 1, 2020, the advisory panel shall: | ||
| (1) publish a best management practices guide for use | ||
| by state agencies and counties, municipalities, and other political | ||
| subdivisions responsible for the prevention, mitigation, and | ||
| abatement of litter, including information on potential funding | ||
| sources; and | ||
| (2) make a final report to the lieutenant governor, | ||
| the speaker of the house of representatives, and the legislative | ||
| committees with primary jurisdiction over the issues described in | ||
| the report. The report must include recommendations on additional | ||
| legislative action, if any, that is needed to implement the | ||
| recommended best management practices. | ||
| SECTION 8. EXPIRATION. This Act expires and the advisory | ||
| panel is abolished on January 1, 2022. | ||
| SECTION 9. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect | ||
| immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members | ||
| elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas | ||
| Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for | ||
| immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
