Bill Text: TX HB930 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to water well drillers and pump installers; authorizing fees.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-19 - Effective on 9/1/15 [HB930 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB930-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to water well drillers and pump installers; authorizing fees.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-19 - Effective on 9/1/15 [HB930 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB930-Introduced.html
84R3039 SRS-F | ||
By: Miller of Comal | H.B. No. 930 |
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relating to water well drillers and pump installers; authorizing | ||
fees. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 1901.001, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
by amending Subdivisions (7), (7-b), and (16) and adding | ||
Subdivision (7-c) to read as follows: | ||
(7) "Driller" means a water well driller, injection | ||
well driller, dewatering well driller, closed-loop geothermal well | ||
driller, or monitoring well driller. | ||
(7-b) "Field operator" means a qualified employee of | ||
one of the following entities that has a memorandum of | ||
understanding with the department: | ||
(A) a state agency with jurisdiction over wells; | ||
(B) a municipality; or | ||
(C) another political subdivision that assists | ||
the department with enforcement activities. | ||
(7-c) "Groundwater conservation district" means a | ||
district to which Chapter 36, Water Code, applies. | ||
(16) "Well" means a water well, injection well, | ||
dewatering well, closed-loop geothermal well, or monitoring well. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 1901, Occupations Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 1901.056 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1901.056. FIELD OPERATIONS PROGRAM. (a) The | ||
commission by rule shall establish a field operations program using | ||
field operators. | ||
(b) Rules adopted under Subsection (a) must establish: | ||
(1) training requirements for a field operator; | ||
(2) registration procedures for a field operator; | ||
(3) policies governing the acts of a field operator in | ||
conducting an inspection or investigation; and | ||
(4) policies governing the conditions under which a | ||
field operator may enter private property for the purpose of | ||
conducting an inspection. | ||
(c) A field operator may enter private property, as provided | ||
by commission rule, for the purpose of conducting an inspection. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 1901.152, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1901.152. LICENSE APPLICATION[ |
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department [ |
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(1) an application that includes: | ||
(A) the applicant's name; | ||
(B) [ |
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(C) [ |
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address; and | ||
(D) [ |
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required by the department; and[ |
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(2) [ |
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application [ |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter D, Chapter 1901, Occupations Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 1901.153 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1901.153. APPRENTICE DRILLER PROGRAM. The commission | ||
by rule shall establish an apprentice driller program. | ||
SECTION 5. Section 1901.201, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1901.201. [ |
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department shall offer examinations for a license under this | ||
chapter [ |
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SECTION 6. Sections 1901.251(a) and (b), Occupations Code, | ||
are amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) Each driller who drills, deepens, or otherwise alters a | ||
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accurate well log in accordance with rules adopted by the | ||
commission and on forms prescribed by the executive director. The | ||
well log shall be recorded at the time of drilling, deepening, or | ||
otherwise altering the well and must contain: | ||
(1) the depth, thickness, and character of the strata | ||
penetrated; | ||
(2) the location of water-bearing strata; | ||
(3) the depth, size, and character of casing | ||
installed; and | ||
(4) any other information required by rules adopted by | ||
the commission. | ||
(b) Not later than the 60th day after the date of the | ||
completion or cessation of drilling, deepening, or otherwise | ||
altering the well, the driller shall deliver, [ |
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class [ |
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well log to: | ||
(1) the department; | ||
(2) the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality | ||
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(3) the owner of the well or the person for whom the | ||
well was drilled; and | ||
(4) any groundwater conservation district in which the | ||
well is located. | ||
SECTION 7. Subchapter F, Chapter 1901, Occupations Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 1901.258 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1901.258. CONVERSION OF OIL OR GAS WELL TO WATER WELL. | ||
A driller shall supervise the recompletion, perforation, or | ||
conversion of an oil or gas well to a water well. An oil or gas well | ||
converted to a water well used by a public water system must meet | ||
the requirements of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. | ||
SECTION 8. Subchapter I, Chapter 1901, Occupations Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 1901.405 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1901.405. FIELD OPERATORS; ENFORCEMENT. (a) The | ||
department may enter into a memorandum of understanding with an | ||
entity described by Subsection (b) to assist in the enforcement of | ||
this chapter or a rule adopted under this chapter, including rules | ||
governing the performance of inspections and the conduct of | ||
investigations. | ||
(b) The department may enter into a memorandum of | ||
understanding under Subsection (a) with: | ||
(1) a state agency with jurisdiction over wells; | ||
(2) a municipality; or | ||
(3) another political subdivision that assists the | ||
department with enforcement activities. | ||
SECTION 9. Section 1902.001, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
by adding Subdivision (4-b) to read as follows: | ||
(4-b) "Field operator" means a qualified employee of | ||
one of the following entities that has a memorandum of | ||
understanding with the department: | ||
(A) a state agency with jurisdiction over wells; | ||
(B) a municipality; or | ||
(C) another political subdivision that assists | ||
the department with enforcement activities. | ||
SECTION 10. Section 1902.152, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1902.152. LICENSE APPLICATION[ |
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[ |
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department [ |
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(1) an application that includes: | ||
(A) the applicant's name; | ||
(B) [ |
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(C) [ |
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address; and | ||
(D) [ |
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department; and [ |
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(2) [ |
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application [ |
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SECTION 11. Subchapter D, Chapter 1902, Occupations Code, | ||
is amended by adding Section 1902.153 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1902.153. APPRENTICE PUMP INSTALLER PROGRAM. The | ||
commission by rule shall establish an apprentice pump installer | ||
program. | ||
SECTION 12. Section 1902.201, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1902.201. [ |
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department shall offer examinations for a license under this | ||
chapter [ |
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[ |
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SECTION 13. Subchapter I, Chapter 1902, Occupations Code, | ||
is amended by adding Section 1902.405 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1902.405. FIELD OPERATORS; ENFORCEMENT. (a) The | ||
department may enter into a memorandum of understanding with an | ||
entity described by Subsection (b) to assist in the enforcement of | ||
this chapter or a rule adopted under this chapter, including rules | ||
governing the performance of inspections and the conduct of | ||
investigations. | ||
(b) The department may enter into a memorandum of | ||
understanding under Subsection (a) with: | ||
(1) a state agency with jurisdiction over wells; | ||
(2) a municipality; or | ||
(3) another political subdivision that assists the | ||
department with enforcement activities. | ||
SECTION 14. Not later than December 1, 2015, the Texas | ||
Commission of Licensing and Regulation shall adopt rules to | ||
implement the changes in law made by this Act to Chapters 1901 and | ||
1902, Occupations Code. | ||
SECTION 15. The Texas Commission of Licensing and | ||
Regulation may not require a person to hold a license or license | ||
specialty endorsement as an apprentice driller or apprentice pump | ||
installer under Sections 1901.153 and 1902.153, Occupations Code, | ||
as added by this Act, before June 1, 2016. | ||
SECTION 16. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |