SB 1753

This bill expands Texas's regulation of radioactive waste by broadening existing transportation and safety requirements from just "low-level" radioactive waste to all radioactive waste. The legislation requires shippers and carriers to adopt emergency response plans, notify local emergency planning committees along transport routes, and carry adequate liability insurance, while removing the previous $10 per cubic foot fee cap and instead allowing fees to be set at amounts sufficient to remediate potential radiation releases. Additionally, the bill mandates the development of contingency plans for various emergency scenarios (such as financial failure of license holders or radiation releases) and establishes requirements for biannual independent inspections of radioactive waste sites to verify waste volumes, monitor safety, check for radiation releases, and audit financial assurance adequacy.