Texas Statutes
Chapter 506 - Public Employer Community Right-to-Know Act
Section 506.004. Definitions

Sec. 506.004. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Article" means a manufactured item:
(A) that is formed to a specific shape or design during manufacture;
(B) that has end-use functions dependent in whole or in part on its shape or design during end use; and
(C) that does not release, or otherwise result in exposure to, a hazardous chemical under normal conditions of use.
(2) Repealed by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.1639(101), eff. April 2, 2015.
(3) "Chemical name" means:
(A) the scientific designation of a chemical in accordance with the nomenclature system developed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) or the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) rules of nomenclature; or
(B) a name that clearly identifies the chemical for the purpose of conducting a hazard evaluation.
(3-a) "Commission" means the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
(4) "Common name" means a designation of identification, such as a code name, code number, trade name, brand name, or generic name, used to identify a chemical other than by its chemical name.
(5) Repealed by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 515 (H.B. 942), Sec. 36(3), eff. September 1, 2015.
(6) Repealed by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.1639(101), eff. April 2, 2015.
(7) "EPA" means the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
(8) "EPCRA" or "SARA Title III" means the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act, also known as the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, Title III, Pub. L. No. 99-499 et seq.
(8-a) "Executive director" means the executive director of the commission.
(9) "Extremely hazardous substance" means any substance as defined in EPCRA, Section 302, or listed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 40 CFR Part 355, Appendices A and B.
(10) "Facility" means all buildings, equipment, structures, and other stationary items that are located on a single site or on contiguous or adjacent sites, that are owned or operated by the same person, or by any person who controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with that person and that is operated by the state or a political subdivision of the state.
(11) "Facility operator" or "operator" means the person who controls the day-to-day operations of the facility.
(12) "Fire chief" means the administrative head of a fire department, including a volunteer fire department.
(13) "Hazardous chemical" has the meaning given that term by 29 CFR 1910.1200(c), except that the term does not include:
(A) any food, food additive, color additive, drug, or cosmetic regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration;
(B) any substance present as a solid in any manufactured item to the extent exposure to the substance does not occur under normal conditions of use;
(C) any substance to the extent that it is used for personal, family, or household purposes, or is present in the same form and concentration as a product packaged for distribution and use by the public;
(D) any substance to the extent it is used in a research laboratory or a hospital or other medical facility under the direct supervision of a technically qualified individual; and
(E) any substance to the extent it is used in routine agricultural operations or is a fertilizer held for sale by a retailer to the ultimate consumer.
(14) "Health hazard" has the meaning given that term by the OSHA standard (29 CFR 1910.1200(c)).
(15) "Identity" means any chemical or common name, or alphabetical or numerical identification, that is indicated on the safety data sheet (SDS) for the chemical. The identity used must permit cross-references to be made among the facility chemical list, the label, and the SDS.
(16) "Label" means any written, printed, or graphic material displayed on or affixed to a container of hazardous chemicals.
(17) "Local emergency planning committee" means a committee formed under the requirements of EPCRA, Section 301, and recognized by the state emergency response commission for the purposes of emergency planning and public information.
(19) "OSHA standard" means the Hazard Communication Standard issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and codified as 29 CFR Section 1910.1200.
(20) "Physical hazard" means a chemical that is classified as posing one of the following hazardous effects: explosive; flammable (gases, aerosols, liquids, or solids); oxidizer (liquid, solid, or gas); self-reactive; pyrophoric (liquid or solid); self-heating; organic peroxide; corrosive to metal; gas under pressure; or in contact with water emits flammable gas.
(21) "Public employer" means:
(A) the state and political subdivisions of the state, including state, county, and municipal agencies;
(B) public schools, colleges, and universities;
(C) river authorities and publicly owned utilities;
(D) volunteer emergency service organizations; and
(E) other similar employers who are not covered by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Pub. L. No. 91-596), the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 (Pub. L. No. 91-173), or the Federal Mine Safety and Health Amendments Act of 1977 (Pub. L. No. 95-164).
(21-a) "Safety data sheet" or "SDS" means a document containing chemical hazard and safe handling information that is prepared in accordance with the requirements of the OSHA standard for that document.
(22) "State emergency response commission" means the state emergency management council or other committee appointed by the governor in accordance with EPCRA.
(23) "Threshold planning quantity" means the minimum quantity of an extremely hazardous substance for which a facility owner or operator must participate in emergency planning, as established by the EPA pursuant to EPCRA, Section 302.
(24) "Tier two form" means:
(A) a form specified by the commission under Section 506.006 for listing hazardous chemicals as required by EPCRA; or
(B) a form accepted by the EPA under EPCRA for listing hazardous chemicals together with additional information required by the commission for administering its functions related to EPCRA.
(25) "Workplace chemical list" means a list of hazardous chemicals developed under Section 502.005(a).
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 528, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.
Amended by:
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.1306, eff. April 2, 2015.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.1307, eff. April 2, 2015.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.1639(101), eff. April 2, 2015.

Amended by:
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 515 (H.B. 942), Sec. 14, eff. September 1, 2015.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 515 (H.B. 942), Sec. 36(3), eff. September 1, 2015.