Chairman Pete Bettencourt recognized Senate sponsor Senator Perry to explain the committee substitute to House Bill 3,483.

Senator Perry said the substitute would require the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to develop a streamlined review process for revenue bonds issued by special utility districts, removing requirements that apply only to tax-secured bonds. "Under existing law, SUDs must seek approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for revenue bonds," Perry said, and the current process is "geared more for taxing revenue bonds, like property taxes. This is a revenue stream, and we're just asking them to come up with a little bit different path."

Michelle Risco of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality told the committee that TCEQ already has a revenue-bond review process but that the rules lack clarity on expedited or simplified handling for non-tax revenue bonds. She estimated an expedited process could be on the order of a "60 day process or if they follow certain particular criteria, can get it as low as 45 days. So, we'd be saving a couple months at this point."

Laura Zent, executive director of the Texas Rural Water Association, testified in support and described the bill as providing more funding options for over 900 water and wastewater utilities serving rural communities.

After brief questioning, the chair closed public testimony; the committee substitute was left pending subject to call of the chair, with no roll-call recorded during this hearing.