Texas Water Code 5.1771 – Coordination of Complaint Investigations With Local Enforcement Officials: Training
(a) The commission shall share information regarding a complaint about a matter within the commission’s regulatory jurisdiction made to the commission with local officials with authority to act on the complaint in the county or municipality in which the alleged action or omission that is the subject of the complaint occurred or is threatening to occur.
(b) On request, the commission shall provide training for local enforcement officials in investigating complaints and enforcing environmental laws relating to matters under the commission’s jurisdiction under this code or the Health and Safety Code. The training must include, at a minimum:
(1) procedures for local enforcement officials to use in addressing citizen complaints if the commission is unavailable or unable to respond to the complaint; and
(2) an explanation of local government authority to enforce state laws and commission rules relating to the environment.
Terms Used In Texas Water Code 5.1771
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
(c) The commission may charge a reasonable fee for providing training to local enforcement officials as required by Subsection (b) in an amount sufficient to recover the costs of the training.