HBA-AMW H.B. 257 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 257 By: McClendon Environmental Regulation 3/15/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE During the recent Sunset Advisory Commission hearings on the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), citizens expressed concern regarding possible conflicts between TNRCC members' interests in the entities TNRCC regulates and TNRCC's role in representing the public's interest in environmental concerns. Under current law, a person is not prohibited from serving as a TNRCC commissioner if the person previously served in some capacity as a representative of a private business entity regulated by TNRCC or had a financial interest in a private business entity regulated by TNRCC. House Bill 257 prohibits a person from serving as a commissioner of TNRCC if the person has had a financial interest in or has served in some capacity for a private business entity regulated by TNRCC in the last two years. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 257 amends the Water Code to prohibit a person from serving on the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) if the person, at any time during the two years preceding the person's appointment, personally served as an officer, director, owner, employee, partner, or legal representative of a private business entity regulated by TNRCC, or owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, stocks or bonds of any class with a value of $10,000 or more in a private business entity regulated by the TNRCC. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.