SB1154 - Relating to a prohibition on weather and climate modification activities by a governmental entity.

  89R2207 MP-D     By: Hughes S.B. No. 1154       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to a prohibition on weather and climate modification   activities by a governmental entity.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 301, Agriculture Code, is   amended by adding Section 301.002 to read as follows:           Sec.   301.002.     WEATHER OR CLIMATE MODIFICATION BY   GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY PROHIBITED. (a)   In this section,   "geoengineering" means the intentional injection, release, or   dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds,   substances, or apparatus into the atmosphere with the express   purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of   sunlight.           (b)     Notwithstanding any other law, a governmental entity   may not engage in geoengineering, weather modification and control,   or cloud-seeding operations.          SECTION 2.  Section 301.057, Agriculture Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 301.057.  [ CONTRACTS AND ] COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.   [ (a) ] The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation may   cooperate with [ public or ] private agencies to promote the purposes   of this chapter.          [ (b)     The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation may   enter into cooperative agreements with the United States or any of   its agencies, with counties and municipalities of this state, or   with any private or public agencies for conducting weather   modification or cloud-seeding operations.          [ (c)     The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation may   represent the state, counties, municipalities, and public and   private agencies in contracting with private concerns for the   performance of weather modification or cloud-seeding operations. ]          SECTION 3.  Section 301.102(a), Agriculture Code, is amended   to read as follows:          (a)  The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation by   rule, to the extent it considers exemptions practical, shall   provide for exempting the following activities from the license and   permit requirements of this chapter:                (1)  research, development, and experiments conducted   by private [ state and federal agencies, ] institutions of higher   learning[ , ] and bona fide nonprofit research organizations;                (2)  laboratory research and experiments;                (3)  activities of an emergent nature for protection   against fire, frost, sleet, or fog; and                (4)  activities normally conducted for purposes other   than inducing, increasing, decreasing, or preventing precipitation   or hail.          SECTION 4.  The following provisions of the Agriculture   Code are repealed:                (1)  Section 301.056;                (2)  Section 301.058(b); and                (3)  Chapter 302.          SECTION 5.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to   a contract entered into on or after the effective date of this Act.     A contract entered into before the effective date of this Act is   governed by the law in effect on the date the contract was entered   into, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.          SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.