Bill Caption

Fiscal Notes

Bill Analysis

Summary:

Under current Texas law, when the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) issues a fine to an entity, that entity has the choice of paying the fine to TCEQ or to a supplemental environmental project in its own county (or as close to it as possible). Many of these projects require going through the normal, extensive regulation and licensing procedures. Hiring an employee to handle the administrative process can be costly enough to prevent some counties from taking on these projects to begin with. As it is now, none of the money from the fines administered by TCEQ are able to go towards the administrative procedure. HB 2290 would allow for up to 10% of the project's budget to go towards the administrative process and would allow the money from fines to go to that process as well.

Analysis:

HB 2290 removes a restriction on what an entity can do with the money it is being fined. Also, it allows the for the intent of the statute - fines handed out for pollution go to help the environment - to be realized. If the administrative process is too extensive, as it can be for smaller counties with less employees, then that prevents these projects from being started. TPPA supports HB 2290.