Bill Text: TX HB2995 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to an exemption for urban farms from payment for wastewater service.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-17 - Referred to State Affairs [HB2995 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB2995-Introduced.html
| 82R8782 JXC-D | ||
| By: Miles | H.B. No. 2995 | |
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| relating to an exemption for urban farms from payment for | ||
| wastewater service. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 13, Water Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Section 13.148 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 13.148. URBAN FARM WASTEWATER FEE EXEMPTION. (a) In | ||
| this section: | ||
| (1) "Community garden" means land gardened by a | ||
| cooperative group of people residing in a neighborhood or community | ||
| for the purpose of providing fresh produce for the benefit of the | ||
| residents of the neighborhood or community. | ||
| (2) "Urban farm" means land used to cultivate, | ||
| process, and distribute food in or near an urban area. The term | ||
| includes a food plot in a community garden, on an inner-city lot, or | ||
| on the property of a school, a fish farm, a municipal composting | ||
| facility, an apiary, a garden that provides food for local | ||
| restaurants, or an orchard in the yard of a residence. | ||
| (b) Notwithstanding another provision of this chapter, a | ||
| retail public utility may not receive compensation for wastewater | ||
| service provided to an owner or operator of an urban farm and used | ||
| by the owner or operator for purposes of the farm. | ||
| (c) The commission may develop standards to determine | ||
| whether a farm or garden qualifies as an urban farm or community | ||
| garden under this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | ||
