Bill Text: TX HB1821 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to climate change planning and reporting.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-11 - Referred to Environmental Regulation [HB1821 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB1821-Introduced.html
| By: Zwiener | H.B. No. 1821 | |
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| relating to climate change planning and reporting. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 5, Health and Safety Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Chapter 396 to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 396. CLIMATE CHANGE PLANNING AND REPORTING | ||
| Sec. 396.0001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
| (1) "Commission" means the Texas Commission on | ||
| Environmental Quality. | ||
| (2) "Office" means the office of the state | ||
| climatologist. | ||
| Sec. 396.0002. CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT REPORT. (a) Not later | ||
| than June 1, 2022, and before the end of each successive four-year | ||
| period after that date, the commission and the office shall prepare | ||
| a report on the potential impact of climate change in this state. | ||
| (b) The report required by this section must include | ||
| information regarding: | ||
| (1) scientific predictions regarding changes in | ||
| temperature and precipitation patterns and amounts in this state | ||
| that could result from climate change; | ||
| (2) the potential impact of climate change on: | ||
| (A) human health; | ||
| (B) the economy and the management of economic | ||
| risk; | ||
| (C) forests, wildlife, and fisheries; | ||
| (D) agriculture; | ||
| (E) recreation and tourism; | ||
| (F) infrastructure; | ||
| (G) surface water and groundwater; | ||
| (H) emergency preparedness; and | ||
| (I) state and local government finances; | ||
| (3) significant uncertainties about climate change; | ||
| and | ||
| (4) economic opportunities created by the potential | ||
| need for: | ||
| (A) alternative sources of energy; | ||
| (B) climate-related technologies, services, and | ||
| strategies; | ||
| (C) carbon sequestration technologies; and | ||
| (D) technologies for the capture and utilization | ||
| of fugitive greenhouse gas emissions or other mitigation | ||
| strategies. | ||
| (c) In preparing the report required by this section, the | ||
| commission and the office may consult with other state or federal | ||
| agencies or academic institutions, as appropriate. The report | ||
| shall reflect any diversity of views within the scientific | ||
| community and among the entities consulted by the commission and | ||
| the office. | ||
| (d) The commission and the office shall make the report | ||
| required by this section available to the public in print and on the | ||
| commission's Internet website. | ||
| Sec. 396.0003. GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY. (a) The | ||
| commission and the office shall annually compile an inventory of | ||
| greenhouse gases emitted in this state by all sources. | ||
| (b) The inventory required by this section must establish: | ||
| (1) a baseline of greenhouse gas emissions to be used | ||
| to project future greenhouse gas emissions in the absence of | ||
| governmental intervention; | ||
| (2) greenhouse gas emission trends; and | ||
| (3) the relative contributions of major sectors, | ||
| including the transportation, electricity generation, industrial, | ||
| commercial, mineral and natural resources, alternative fuel, | ||
| agricultural, and domestic sectors. | ||
| Sec. 396.0004. CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION PLAN. (a) Not later | ||
| than December 1, 2022, and before the end of each successive | ||
| four-year period after that date, the commission and the office | ||
| shall create a climate change action plan. | ||
| (b) The climate change action plan required by this section | ||
| shall: | ||
| (1) include the information gathered as part of the | ||
| greenhouse gas inventory described by Section 396.0003; | ||
| (2) evaluate cost-effective strategies for reducing | ||
| or offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, including the costs, | ||
| benefits, and co-benefits of those strategies, and how those | ||
| strategies impact the capability of meeting future energy demands; | ||
| (3) identify areas of disagreement regarding | ||
| strategies covered by the plan; and | ||
| (4) recommend legislative changes necessary to | ||
| implement the plan. | ||
| (c) The commission and the office shall deliver the climate | ||
| action plan required by this section to the relevant standing | ||
| committees of the senate and the house of representatives and make | ||
| the plan available to the public in print and on the commission's | ||
| Internet website. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
