Texas Legislature, Senate, Natural Resources Committee:

An Inventory of Senate Natural Resources Committee Records at the Texas State Archives, 1940, 1956-1957, 1971-1984, 1989-1997, 2001, bulk 1989-2001

Agency History

The Texas Senate Natural Resources Committee is a standing legislative committee which reviews matters concerning the environment and natural resources of Texas and has oversight of such agencies as the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission (as of 2002, renamed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality). Subcommittees on agriculture and/or water frequently have been created to concentrate efforts to study issues related to those fields.

As a standing committee (according to the Texas Administrative Code, Section 301, Subchapter B), the Senate Natural Resources Committee is expected to operate regardless of whether or not the legislature is currently in session and must do the following: conduct a continuing study of any matter within its jurisdiction and of the instrumentalities of government administering or executing the matter; examine the administration and execution of all laws relating to jurisdictional matters; conduct investigations to collect adequate information and materials necessary to perform its duties; formulate legislative programs; and initiate, draft, and recommend to the senate any legislation the committee deems necessary and desirable. The committee chair must introduce or cause to be introduced the legislative programs developed by the committee and shall mobilize efforts to secure the passage of such proposals. The committee may inspect the records, documents, and files of each state department, agency, or office, as needed, to perform its duties. As a standing committee, it is not limited to considering items submitted by individual legislators, but must search for problems within its jurisdiction and develop, formulate, initiate, and secure passage of any legislative solution the committee deems desirable. When the legislature is in session, the committee may meet when it chooses, so long as it adheres to applicable legislative requirements and rules of procedure. When the legislature is not in session, it will meet when necessary to transact the committee's business wherever authorized by the legislation which created the committee.

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Scope and Contents of the Records

The Texas Senate Natural Resources Committee is a standing legislative committee which reviews matters concerning the environment and natural resources of Texas and has oversight of such agencies as the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission (as of 2002, renamed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality). Records of the Senate Natural Resources Committee include correspondence, minutes, agenda, legislative records, legal documents, printed materials, newspaper clippings, memoranda, reports, speeches, and exhibits dating 1940, 1956-1957, 1971-1984, 1989-1997, 2001, bulk 1989-2001. These materials represent work undertaken by the committee during the 67th, 68th, 72nd through 75th, and 77th Texas Legislatures.

The records were maintained by the committee chairs who served from 1989 to 2001: Senators H. Tati Santiesteban, Bill Sims, J.E. "Buster" Brown, and Robert Duncan. Meeting files document formal committee gatherings to consider legislation directed to the committee and local hearings held to address concerns and gather information regarding proposed and existing legislation and procedures. Within these files are hearing files of the Joint Committee on Water Resources, 68th Legislature, Interim Session (1983-1984), concurrently chaired by Senator Santiesteban. During the 68th Legislature a water resources package containing several constitutional amendments passed the Texas Senate but stalled in the House. The legislature thus decided to hold interim hearings on the matter and appointed the Joint Committee on Water Resources. The records of this joint committee appear to have been maintained alongside the records of the Natural Resources Committee and were therefore transferred with them to the State Archives.

Bill files consist of legislation considered and proposed by the committee during the 75th and 77th Legislatures, 1997, 2001. The committee created and assembled its Working files in the process of developing positions on legislation and analyzing topics such as the proposed Columbia Bottomlands National Wildlife Refuge, the impact of endangered species on private property, fishery management, clean air, aquaculture, waste tire recycling, and petroleum storage tanks. Research files contain background materials on agencies and issues of interest to the committee. Subjects cover water resources and regulations, clean air, low-level radiation issues, Superfund sites, pests and pesticides, recycling, leasing and management of public lands, hunting and fishing issues, and aquaculture (specifically, the possible regulation of aquatic activities such as fisheries, shrimperies, the management of exotic aquatic plants and animals, and the discharge of wastewater and material from such aquatic industries). Also featured are materials regarding House Bill 2473 (the Texas Environmental, Health, and Safety Audit Privilege Act concerning voluntary environmental self-audits), the proposed Columbia Bottomlands National Wildlife Refuge, revision of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, and various administrative, operational, and regulatory issues regarding the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission.

To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to delineate series, to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Because of the possibility that portions of these records fall under Public Information Act exceptions including, but not limited to: confidentiality of a memorandum of a communication of a resident with a member of the legislature (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 306.003); confidentiality of a communication of a citizen with a member of the legislature (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 306.004); confidentiality of communication of an assistant or employee of the Texas Legislative Council with a member of the legislature (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 323.017); and privacy (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Section 552.101), an archivist must review these records before they can be accessed for research. The records may be requested for research under the provisions of the Public Information Act (V.T.C.A., Government Code, Chapter 552). The researcher may request an interview with an archivist or submit a request by mail (Texas State Library and Archives Commission, P. O. Box 12927, Austin, TX 78711), fax (512-463-5436), email (Dir_Lib@tsl.state.tx.us), or see our web page ( http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/agency/customer/pia.html). Include enough description and detail about the information requested to enable the archivist to accurately identify and locate the information. If our review reveals information that may be excepted by the Public Information Act, we are obligated to seek an open records decision from the Attorney General on whether the records can be released. The Public Information Act allows the Archives ten working days after receiving a request to make this determination. The Attorney General has 45 working days to render a decision. Alternately, the Archives can inform you of the nature of the potentially excepted information and if you agree, that information can be redacted or removed and you can access the remainder of the records.

Restrictions on Use

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted and may be freely used in any way. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements

None.

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Related Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item and cite the series), Senate Natural Resources Committee records, Texas Legislature. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession numbers: 1984/220, 1986/117, 1999/095, 2001/090, 2005/090

These records were transferred to the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission by Senator H. Tati Santiesteban on July 31, 1984, and by the Senate Natural Resources Committee on March 14, 1986; January 21, 1999; January 16, 2001; and January 20, 2005.

Processing Information

Processed by Nancy Enneking, January 1999

New accession of meeting files and working files added by Nancy Enneking, January 2001

Finding aid converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by TARO using the conversion stylesheet v1to02.xsl, July 22, 2003

New accession of bill files added, encoding to EAD 2002 and DACS standards, and corrections by Rebecca Romanchuk, September 2009

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Detailed Description of the Records

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