Sec. 361.014. USE OF SOLID WASTE FEE REVENUE. (a) Revenue received by the commission under Section 361.013 shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the commission. Of that revenue, 66.7 percent is dedicated to the commission's municipal solid waste permitting programs, enforcement programs, and site remediation programs, and to pay for activities that will enhance the state's solid waste management program. The commission shall issue a biennial report to the legislature describing in detail how the money was spent. The activities to enhance the state's solid waste management program may include:

(1) provision of funds for the municipal solid waste management planning fund and the municipal solid waste resource recovery applied research and technical assistance fund established by the Comprehensive Municipal Solid Waste Management, Resource Recovery, and Conservation Act (Chapter 363);

(2) conduct of demonstration projects and studies to help local governments of various populations and the private sector to convert to accounting systems and set rates that reflect the full costs of providing waste management services and are proportionate to the amount of waste generated;

(3) provision of technical assistance to local governments concerning solid waste management;

(4) establishment of a solid waste resource center in the commission and an office of waste minimization and recycling;

(5) provision of supplemental funding to local governments for the enforcement of this chapter, the Texas Litter Abatement Act (Chapter 365), and Chapters 391 and 683, Transportation Code;

(6) conduct of a statewide public awareness program concerning solid waste management;

(7) provision of supplemental funds for other state agencies with responsibilities concerning solid waste management, recycling, and other initiatives with the purpose of diverting recyclable waste from landfills;

(8) conduct of research to promote the development and stimulation of markets for recycled waste products;

(9) creation of a state municipal solid waste superfund, from funds appropriated, for:

(A) the cleanup of unauthorized tire dumps and solid waste dumps for which a responsible party cannot be located or is not immediately financially able to provide the cleanup;

(B) the cleanup or proper closure of abandoned or contaminated municipal solid waste sites for which a responsible party is not immediately financially able to provide the cleanup; and

(C) remediation, cleanup, and proper closure of unauthorized recycling sites for which a responsible party is not immediately financially able to perform the remediation, cleanup, and closure;

(10) provision of funds to mitigate the economic and environmental impacts of lead-acid battery recycling activities on local governments;

(11) provision of funds for the conduct of research by a public or private entity to assist the state in developing new technologies and methods to reduce the amount of municipal waste disposed of in landfills; and

(12) provision of funds for grants to encourage entities located in an affected county or a nonattainment area, as defined by Section 386.001, to convert heavy-duty vehicles used for municipal solid waste collection into vehicles powered by natural gas engines.

(b) Of the revenue received by the commission under Section 361.013, 33.3 percent is dedicated to local and regional solid waste projects consistent with regional plans approved by the commission in accordance with this chapter and to update and maintain those plans. Those revenues shall be allocated to municipal solid waste geographic planning regions for use by local governments and regional planning commissions according to a formula established by the commission that takes into account population, area, solid waste fee generation, and public health needs. Each planning region shall issue a biennial report to the legislature detailing how the revenue is spent. A project or service funded under this subsection must promote cooperation between public and private entities and may not be otherwise readily available or create a competitive advantage over a private industry that provides recycling or solid waste services.

(c) Revenue derived from fees charged under Section 361.013(c) to a transporter of whole used or scrap tires or shredded tire pieces shall be deposited to the credit of the waste tire recycling account.

(d) Revenues allocated to the commission for the purposes authorized by Subsection (a) shall be deposited to the credit of the waste management account. Revenues allocated to local and regional solid waste projects shall be deposited to the credit of an account in the general revenue fund known as the municipal solid waste disposal account.

Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 678, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989. Amended by Acts 1990, 71st Leg., 6th C.S., ch. 10, art. 2, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 6, 1990; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 303, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 899, Sec. 1.10, 3.10, eff. Aug. 30, 1993; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 1045, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 11.21, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 838, Sec. 1, eff. June 16, 1995; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 30.205, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 333, Sec. 35, eff; Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 340, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Amended by:

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 835 (H.B. 7), Sec. 4, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 448 (H.B. 7), Sec. 19, eff. September 1, 2015.