HBA-CBW C.S.H.B. 484 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 484
By: Craddick
Energy Resources
3/25/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law requires community liaison to be conducted in person to
maintain communication with appropriate fire, police, and local public
officials regarding preparations for pipeline emergencies.  C.S.H.B. 484
sets forth alternate methods of conducting community liaison meetings with
such officials should meetings in person not be possible. 

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

C.S.H.B.  484 amends the Natural Resources and Utilities codes regarding
response to an emergency involving a gas, hazardous liquid, or carbon
dioxide pipeline facility. The bill requires the Railroad Commission of
Texas (commission) to require operators or their designated representatives
to communicate and conduct liaison activities with fire, police, and other
appropriate public emergency response officials. The bill provides that
liaison activities must be conducted by meetings in person except as
provided in the Act. The bill authorizes an operator or the operator's
representative to conduct required community liaison activities that are
not in person only if the operator or the operator's representative has
made the following efforts to conduct a community liaison meeting in person
with the officials: 

  _mailing a written request for a meeting in person to the appropriate
officials by certified mail, return receipt requested; 

  _sending a request for a meeting in person to the appropriate officials
by facsimile transmission; and  

  _making one or more telephone calls or e-mail message transmissions to
the appropriate officials to request a meeting in person. 

If the operator or the operator's representative can not arrange a meeting
in person, the bill requires the operator or the operator's representative
to make specified efforts to conduct community liaison activities by means
of a telephone conference call with the officials.  The bill provides that
if the operator or the operator's representative has made such efforts but
has not successfully arranged a meeting or conference call, the information
required to be conveyed may be delivered by certified mail, return receipt
requested. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.



 COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 484 differs from the original bill by requiring the Railroad
Commission of Texas (commission) to require operators or their designated
representatives to communicate and conduct liaison activities with fire,
police, and other appropriate public emergency response officials by
meetings in person, unless the operator or the operator's representative
has made specified efforts to conduct a community liaison meeting in person
with the officials and can not arrange such a meeting, in which case the
operator or the operator's representative is required to make specified
efforts to conduct community liaison activities by means of a telephone
conference call.  The original bill prohibited the commission from
requiring community liaison to be conducted by meetings in person.  The
substitute also differs from the original bill by providing procedures that
are to be taken to conduct community liaison activities in person, by
telephone conference call, or through delivery by mail of community liaison
information.