Bill Text: TX HB1068 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the construction of a meteorological tower near a federally owned or operated radar installation or military installation; providing an administrative penalty.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-05-08 - Failed to receive affirmative vote in comm. [HB1068 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB1068-Introduced.html
88R3499 DIO-D | ||
By: Frank | H.B. No. 1068 |
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relating to the construction of a meteorological tower near a | ||
federally owned or operated radar installation or military | ||
installation; providing an administrative penalty. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Title 6, Utilities Code, is amended by adding | ||
Chapter 303 to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 303. METEOROLOGICAL TOWERS | ||
Sec. 303.0001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "commission" | ||
means the Public Utility Commission of Texas. | ||
Sec. 303.0002. NOTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR CERTAIN | ||
METEOROLOGICAL TOWERS. (a) This section applies only to a | ||
meteorological tower that: | ||
(1) is located: | ||
(A) on dry land in this state; and | ||
(B) within 50 nautical miles of the boundaries of | ||
a federally owned or operated radar installation or military | ||
installation in this state; | ||
(2) extends 200 feet or higher above ground level; and | ||
(3) is constructed for the purpose of conducting a | ||
wind study to determine if an area is suitable for wind-powered | ||
electric generation. | ||
(b) A person constructing a meteorological tower described | ||
by Subsection (a) shall provide written notice to the commission of | ||
the construction not later than the date that construction begins | ||
on the tower. | ||
(c) The notice required under Subsection (b) must include: | ||
(1) the name of the person constructing the | ||
meteorological tower; | ||
(2) the location of the tower; and | ||
(3) the name and location of each federally owned or | ||
operated radar installation or military installation in this state | ||
whose boundaries are within 50 nautical miles of the tower. | ||
(d) Not later than 30 days after the date the commission | ||
receives notice of the construction of a meteorological tower under | ||
Subsection (b), the commission shall provide a copy of the notice | ||
to: | ||
(1) a federally owned or operated radar installation | ||
or military installation in this state whose boundaries are within | ||
50 nautical miles of the tower; | ||
(2) the county judge of each county in this state that | ||
contains a radar or military installation described by Subdivision | ||
(1); and | ||
(3) the county judge of each county in this state that | ||
borders a county described by Subdivision (2). | ||
(e) The commission and attorney general may enforce the | ||
provisions of this section and rules adopted under this section in | ||
the manner authorized for the judicial or administrative | ||
enforcement of a provision of Title 2 by Subchapter B, Chapter 15, | ||
including by imposing administrative penalties. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act applies only to a person who begins | ||
construction of a meteorological tower on or after the effective | ||
date of this Act. A person who begins construction of a | ||
meteorological tower before the effective date of this Act is | ||
governed by the law in effect on the date construction began, and | ||
that law is continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |