Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

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NATURAL RESOURCES/Air
77 th Texas Legislature
Requires TNRCC to send EPA a revision of the SIP, deleting the requirements of the construction shift and
the early purchase of Tier 2 and Tier 3 equipment and adding the provisions of this bill.
Funding for the Texas emissions reduction plan comes from various fees and surcharges that expire in
2008, including the following:
• one-percent surcharge imposed by each county on the retail sale, lease, or rental price of new or
used construction equipment;
• two and one-half-percent surcharge on the sale or lease price of every on-road diesel motor
vehicle over 14,000 pounds that is of a model year 1996 or earlier;
• 10-percent surcharge on the total fees due for the registration of a truck-tractor or commercial
motor vehicle;
• $225 fee for inspection of vehicles brought into the state for registration in Texas (inspection station
may retain $5 administrative costs); and
• $10 additional inspection fee for every motor vehicle required to be inspected under the motor
vehicle purchase or lease incentive program.
Performance Measures for some of TNRCC’s Regulatory Programs - S.B. 356
by Senator Lucio
House Sponsor: Representative Hamric
Requires the TNRCC to work with the Legislative Budget Board in creating performance measures to
assess the improvements in environmental quality achieved by innovative regulatory programs
implemented by TNRCC.
Permits Required for Concrete Batch Plants - S.B. 1390
by Senator Brown
House Sponsor: Representative Kuempel
Currently there are several concrete batch plants operating in Texas without the necessary operating
permits.
Directs the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) to impose penalties and
immediately shut down operations at a facility lacking the required permits.
Senate Research Center 216