HBA-AMW S.B. 352 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 352 By: Truan Environmental Regulation 4/4/2001 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law provides counties the authority to offer and require solid waste services and authorizes counties to collect fees for services rendered. Although a public agency or county is authorized to suspend solid waste disposal service to a person who is delinquent in payment until the delinquent claim is fully paid, this current method of enforcement may not provide the most effective enforcement mechanism. Senate Bill 352 permits a county to contract with a private or public entity to collect solid waste disposal fees and authorizes the suspension of solid waste disposal service and utility service until a delinquent claim is fully paid. 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 Senate Bill 352 amends the Health and Safety Code to authorize a county to contract with a public or private utility to collect a fee for solid waste disposal service (fee). The bill also authorizes a fee to be collected by a county, a private or public entity that contracts with the county to provide the service, or another private or public entity that contracts with the county to collect the fees. The contract may require the billing of the fee within the bill for other utility services, may allow a fee to be paid to the utility for billing and collecting the fee, may require a system of accounting for fees collected by an entity other than the county, and may contain other terms as agreed to by the parties. S.B. 352 authorizes the public or private entity that has contracted with the county to provide the service to suspend service to a person who is delinquent in payment of fees until the delinquent claim is fully paid to aid enforcement of fee collection. The bill also authorizes a public or private utility that bills and collects fees to suspend service of that utility, in addition to the suspension of solid waste disposal service, to a person who is delinquent in the payment of the fee until the delinquent claim is fully paid. EFFECTIVE DATE January 1, 2002.