2001-06-08                     House Journal                      Page 1832
HB 260                                                                                            
A message dated June 8, 2001, was read stating the Senate has passed:                               
                                                                                                    
    CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 260(FIN) am                                                               
    "An Act requiring the owners or operators of certain commercial                                 
    passenger vessels operating in the marine waters of the state to                                
    register with the Department of Environmental Conservation;                                     
    establishing information-gathering, record keeping, and reporting                               
    requirements relating to the vessels' graywater, sewage, hazardous                              
    substances, hazardous wastes, solid wastes, and other pollutants;                               
    establishing certain sampling, testing, reporting, and record-                                  
    keeping requirements as terms and conditions of permitting                                      
    discharges from the vessels; authorizing the Department of                                      
    Environmental Conservation to provide for independent                                           
    verification of compliance by the vessels, and to monitor and                                   
    supervise discharges from the vessels; prohibiting the discharge of                             
    untreated sewage from the vessels; placing limits on discharges of                              
    treated sewage and graywater from the vessels; providing that                                   
    there is no audit report privilege for complying with a requirement                             
    that the owner or operator of a commercial passenger vessel must                                

2001-06-08                     House Journal                      Page 1833
    report discharges of sewage or graywater that violate laws;                                     
    establishing a fee, ranging from $.70 - $1.75 per berth, with a                                 
    maximum of $3,750 per voyage, on commercial passenger vessels                                   
    that are not operated by the state for each voyage during which the                             
    vessels operate in the marine waters of the state based on the                                  
    overnight accommodation capacity of the vessels determined with                                 
    reference to the number of lower berths; providing for a fee for                                
    vessels operated by the state to be determined by an agreement                                  
    between the commissioner of environmental conservation and the                                  
    commissioner of transportation and public facilities; authorizing                               
    the Department of Environmental Conservation to research,                                       
    monitor, and study discharges and releases from commercial                                      
    passenger vessels, including the opacity of air emissions from the                              
    vessels; establishing penalties for failure to comply with certain                              
    laws relating to the vessels; authorizing the Department of                                     
    Environmental Conservation to encourage and recognize superior                                  
    environmental protection efforts related to commercial passenger                                
    vessels; authorizing the Department of Environmental                                            
    Conservation to adopt regulations to implement laws relating to                                 
    commercial passenger vessels and directing the department to use                                
    negotiated regulation procedures, when appropriate, to develop the                              
    regulations; establishing a commercial passenger vessel coastal                                 
    protection fund; requiring a report from the Department of                                      
    Environmental Conservation concerning matters relating to the                                   
    vessels; and providing for an effective date."                                                  
                                                                                                    
with the following amendment and it is transmitted for consideration:                               
                                                                                                    
    CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 260(FIN) am S                                                             
    "An Act relating to marine passenger vessels; and providing for an                              
    effective date."                                                                                
                                                                                                    
 (SCR 18 - title change resolution)                                                                 
                                                                                                    
CSHB 260(FIN) am is under Unfinished Business.