Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development - 85th R.S. (2017)

Committee:	Senate Natural Resources and Economic Development
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Economy | Environmental protection | Hotel occupancy taxes | Natural disasters | Rules and regulations | Solid waste disposal |
Library Call Number:	L1836.85 N219E
Session:	85th R.S. (2017)
Online version:	View report [87 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Hotel Occupancy Taxes: Study and make recommendations regarding the collection and use of hotel occupancy taxes to increase transparency in the imposition, rate, and use of such taxes.
2.	Regulatory Barriers: Identify options to maintain our state's competitive advantage and make recommendations to remove or reduce administrative or regulatory barriers hindering economic growth, including permitting or registration requirements and fees.
3.	Environmental Safety: Study the strategies and best practices for ensuring environmental safety during maintenance, startup, and shutdown activities due to emergencies. Recommend actions to improve safety without compromising compliance or penalizing good actors.
4.	Waste Disposal Regulation: Study the permitting and compliance processes for waste disposal and processing, including evaluating the criteria for approval, denial, and application return. Make recommendations for improving and streamlining the permitting and compliance processes while maximizing public participation for effective outreach and education. Review the allocation of the Municipal Solid Waste disposal fees and make recommendations regarding allocation methods to adequately support existing programs.
5.	Monitoring: Conduct legislative oversight and monitoring of the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction and the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 85th Legislature, including: • Texas Railroad Commission Sunset and funding; • Environmental Regulatory and Legal Primacy; and • The effectiveness of emission reductions recognized from the Texas Emissions Reduction Program (TERP) and grant flexibility.

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