Bill Text: TX HB942 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation and duties of the Global Climate Change Commission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-02-25 - Referred to Environmental Regulation [HB942 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB942-Introduced.html
86R4796 MTB-D | ||
By: Anchia | H.B. No. 942 |
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relating to the creation and duties of the Global Climate Change | ||
Commission. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. STATEMENT OF POLICY. (a) There is broad | ||
agreement between nations, across states, and among scientists that | ||
increasing emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other | ||
greenhouse gases released into the earth's atmosphere are affecting | ||
the earth's climate. | ||
(b) There is further consensus that global climate change, | ||
national security, and energy dependence are a related set of | ||
global challenges. | ||
(c) The potential adverse effects of global climate change | ||
in the coming decades include extreme weather events, drought, a | ||
decline in air quality, rising sea levels and global temperatures, | ||
and exacerbation of challenges such as infectious disease and | ||
terrorism. | ||
(d) The state of the world's climate in the future largely | ||
depends on how global leaders react to global climate change now. | ||
(e) Many states and countries have reached across borders to | ||
collaborate and develop policies to reduce greenhouse gas | ||
emissions, spur private investment in clean energy, and enhance | ||
energy security. | ||
(f) By not taking aggressive action to reduce greenhouse gas | ||
emissions, this state is missing out on an opportunity to become a | ||
global leader in protecting against global climate change and risks | ||
exposing the state's economy and its citizens to unmitigated | ||
consequences. | ||
(g) Global warming will have deleterious effects on the | ||
state's labor productivity, infrastructure, and industries, | ||
including agriculture, water, energy, forestry, and tourism. | ||
(h) Actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as | ||
energy conservation and development of renewable energy sources, | ||
may have multiple benefits, including economic development, job | ||
creation, cost savings, and improved air quality in and beyond the | ||
boundaries of this state. | ||
(i) Recognizing the potential threat to the environment, | ||
economy, and national security, it is the intent of the Texas | ||
Legislature to create a global climate change commission committed | ||
to working toward mitigating the impacts of global climate change | ||
nationally and internationally. | ||
SECTION 2. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: | ||
(1) "Commission" means the Global Climate Change | ||
Commission. | ||
(2) "Greenhouse gas" has the meaning assigned by | ||
Section 403.028, Government Code. | ||
(3) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning | ||
assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code. | ||
SECTION 3. COMMISSION CREATED; COMPOSITION. (a) The | ||
Global Climate Change Commission is created. | ||
(b) The commission is composed of: | ||
(1) one member appointed by the governor; | ||
(2) one member appointed by the lieutenant governor; | ||
(3) one member appointed by the speaker of the house of | ||
representatives; | ||
(4) one member appointed by the most senior member of | ||
the minority party of the house of representatives; | ||
(5) one member appointed by the most senior member of | ||
the minority party of the senate; and | ||
(6) the following members appointed evenly between the | ||
governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of | ||
representatives: | ||
(A) a representative of the public energy sector; | ||
(B) a representative of rural electric | ||
cooperatives; | ||
(C) a representative of the municipal | ||
electricity sector; | ||
(D) two representatives of separate nonprofit | ||
environmental organizations; | ||
(E) three scientists at separate institutions of | ||
higher education, including one climatologist; | ||
(F) an economist from an institution of higher | ||
education; | ||
(G) a representative of business and industry; | ||
(H) a representative of the manufacturing or | ||
mining industry; | ||
(I) a representative of the agriculture or | ||
forestry industry; | ||
(J) a representative of the fossil fuel industry; | ||
(K) a representative from the Health and Human | ||
Services Commission; | ||
(L) a representative from the Texas Military | ||
Preparedness Commission; | ||
(M) a representative from the Texas Division of | ||
Emergency Management; | ||
(N) a representative from the Texas Water | ||
Development Board; and | ||
(O) three representatives of the public. | ||
SECTION 4. PRESIDING OFFICER; MEETINGS; COMPENSATION. (a) | ||
The commission shall elect one of its members to serve as presiding | ||
officer. | ||
(b) The commission shall meet at least quarterly and at the | ||
call of the presiding officer. | ||
(c) A commission member is not entitled to receive | ||
compensation for service on the commission but is entitled to | ||
reimbursement for travel expenses incurred by the member while | ||
conducting the business of the commission, as provided by the | ||
General Appropriations Act. | ||
SECTION 5. DUTIES OF COMMISSION. (a) Not later than | ||
September 1, 2020, the commission shall prepare and deliver a | ||
comprehensive inventory and forecast of greenhouse gas emissions in | ||
this state from 2000 to 2030 to the governor, lieutenant governor, | ||
speaker of the house of representatives, state energy conservation | ||
office, and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. | ||
(b) The commission shall: | ||
(1) design a multiregional, multistate, and | ||
multilateral approach to: | ||
(A) reduce greenhouse gas emissions; | ||
(B) reduce energy demands; | ||
(C) protect public health; and | ||
(D) increase public and private investment in | ||
clean energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable infrastructure; | ||
(2) assess the impact of global climate change on | ||
important matters of national security; | ||
(3) develop and recommend a portfolio of feasible and | ||
affordable policy options to reduce this state's vulnerability to | ||
the predictable effects of global climate change; and | ||
(4) develop for inclusion in the state hazard | ||
mitigation plan submitted under Section 322, Robert T. Stafford | ||
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. Section | ||
5165), a strategy that considers the impact of climate change on | ||
risks from natural hazards. | ||
(c) The commission shall submit a preliminary written | ||
report of its activities and progress under Subsection (b) of this | ||
section to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house | ||
of representatives, state energy conservation office, and Texas | ||
Commission on Environmental Quality not later than September 1, | ||
2020. | ||
(d) The commission shall submit a final written report of | ||
its activities and recommendations under Subsection (b) of this | ||
section on or before January 1, 2021, to the governor, lieutenant | ||
governor, state energy conservation office, Texas Commission on | ||
Environmental Quality, and legislature, including the state | ||
affairs committee of each house of the legislature. The report must | ||
include a comprehensive and coordinated plan for adapting this | ||
state's economy, infrastructure, security policies, and public | ||
health policies to: | ||
(1) address the consequences of global climate change; | ||
and | ||
(2) ensure continued economic global competitiveness. | ||
SECTION 6. APPOINTMENTS. As soon as possible after the | ||
effective date of this Act: | ||
(1) the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the | ||
house of representatives, and members of the legislature described | ||
by Section 3 of this Act shall make the appointments required by | ||
that section; and | ||
(2) the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of | ||
the house of representatives or their designees shall meet to | ||
apportion the appointments under Section 3(b)(6) of this Act. | ||
SECTION 7. EXPIRATION. This Act expires and the commission | ||
is abolished March 1, 2021. | ||
SECTION 8. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September | ||
1, 2019. |