H.B. No. 2452 amends various sections of the Health and Safety Code and the Government Code to enhance the provision of solid waste disposal services by certain counties in Texas. The bill allows commissioners courts to contract for solid waste services in areas within a municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction if the municipality does not provide such services. It specifies that this applies to counties with populations over 1.5 million where at least 70% of the population resides in a single municipality, or to counties with populations under 1.3 million that contain a municipality with a population of 750,000 or more. Additionally, the bill modifies the criteria for certain counties to apply to specific sections of the Local Government Code regarding solid waste services.

Furthermore, the bill establishes a criminal offense for individuals who intentionally or knowingly burn household refuse outdoors in designated unincorporated areas of counties that meet the specified population criteria. The offense is applicable if the area is either located in a neighborhood or smaller than five acres, or if the county has a mandatory solid waste program in place. The changes in law will only apply to offenses committed after the effective date of the Act, which will take immediate effect if it receives a two-thirds vote from both houses of the legislature, or otherwise will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 791.037, Local Government Code 352.082 (Government Code 791, Local Government Code 352)