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85th Texas Legislature Regular Session Update – March 30, 2017

The 85th Legislature has been assigning bills to house and senate committees, and some bills have made it out of committee. You can read more on the Texas Senate News page and on the Texas House of Representatives News page.

The Legislative Reference Library provides a detailed chart containing statistics of the 85th Legislature as well as previous sessions. Here is a chart of the 85th Legislature, and here is a chart of the 84th legislature along with all previous sessions.

The current proposal for cuts to the EPA could have an impact on Texas’ environment. Air Alliance Houston wrote an article explaining this topic more in depth and what certain issues may arise.

The League of Conservation Voters is closely watching HB 2395: relating to testing for lead contamination in both public and charter school drinking water. This bill is currently in committee and has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.

Let us know what legislation you are watching!

Additional resources:

Updates on Committees & Bills in the 85th Legislative Session

  • Agriculture & Livestock - Met on March 29
    • Bills to note:
      • Bills pending/in committee:
        • HB 1535 – prohibition of pesticides on public road rights of way
  • Agriculture, Water, & Rural Affairs – Met on March 27
    • Bills to note:
      • Bills pending/in committee:
        • SB 189 – permit to drill injection wells
        • SB 538 – planning for responses to drought
        • SB 1454 – study/approval of lethal pesticides
      • Bills out of committee:
        • SB 546 – quality of water by public drinking water supply
  • Business & Commerce – Met on March 21
    • Bills pending/in committee:
      • SB 59 – energy and water management planning for state agencies and institutions of higher education
      • SB 103 – provision of bags
        • Senator Borris Miles signed a petition in favor of the bag ordinance
      • SB 733 – sanitation and safety requirements for certain artificial bodies of water
  • Energy Resources – Scheduled to meet April 3
    • BIlls to note:
      • Bills pending/in committee:
        • HB 1168 – mineral use of land subdivided for energy development
        • HB 1931 – duties of State Energy Conservation Office, clean energy projects
        • HB 2488 – treatment and recycling for beneficial use of drill cuttings
  • Environmental Regulation - Met on March 28
    • Bills to note:
      • Bills pending/in committee:
      • Bills scheduled for a hearing:
      • Bills out of committee:
        • HB 1515 – dry cleaner environmental response program
        • HB 1619 – prosecution and punishment for outdoor burning
  • Land & Resource Management - Met on March 28
    • Bills pending/in committee:
      • HB 1625 – Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act of 1991
    • Bills out of committee:
      • HCR 106 – storm surge barrier on Texas coast
  • Natural Resources - Met on March 29
    • Bills pending/in committee:
      • HB 1318 – regulation of production of wells
    • Bills scheduled for a hearing:
      • HB 31 – regulation of groundwater
  • Natural Resources & Economic Development - Scheduled to meet on March 30
    • Bills pending/in committee:
      • SB 1045 – public notice requirements for air quality permit applicants
      • SB 1046 – Texas emissions reduction plan funding
      • SB 1064 – outdoor burning
    • Bills out of committee:
      • SB 26 – Texas emissions reduction plan
      • SB 570 – regulation of scrap tires
  • State Affairs – Met on March 21
    • Bills pending/in committee:
      • HB 2204 – water projects, treatment works, flood control measures
  • Urban Affairs - Met on March 14
    • Bills pending/in committee:

Read on for a list of recently filed bills pertaining to the environment.

House Bills

  • HB 4274 - Relating to the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District’s groundwater reduction plan.