HBA-AMW H.B. 1899 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1899 By: Turner, Sylvester Environmental Regulation 4/5/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) allocates one-half of the revenue generated by state fees on municipal solid waste disposed of at landfills to grants for regional and local municipal solid waste projects. Approximately $11 million per year in municipal solid waste grants are awarded to regional and local governments for these projects. Concerns have been raised that the current revenue share that municipalities receive is disproportionate to the amount the municipalities initially pay into the fund. House Bill 1899 requires TNRCC to consult with local governments and regional planning commissions on the allocation of the solid waste fee revenue and requires each local government and regional planning commission to submit a biennial report to TNRCC detailing how the solid waste fee revenue is spent. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 1899 amends the Health and Safety Code to require each local government and planning commission to submit a biennial report by December 1 of each even-numbered year to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) detailing how the municipality's solid waste fee revenue is spent. The bill requires TNRCC to submit a summary of the report as part of its annual report to the governor and legislature. The bill removes the requirement that each planning region issue a biennial report to the legislature detailing how the solid waste fee revenue is spent. The bill requires TNRCC to allow a home-rule municipality that has enacted an ordinance to impose a local environmental protection fee for disposal services as of January 1, 2002, rather than January 1, 1993, to offer environmental programs or services. The bill removes disposal programs or services from the types of programs or services such a municipality shall be allowed by TNRCC to offer. The bill removes the requirement that the solid waste fee revenue be allocated to municipal solid waste geographic planning regions and requires TNRCC to consult with the local governments and regional planning commissions in establishing the formula for allocating the revenue. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.