Pete Sessions Applauds Passage of the North Texas Invasive Species Barrier Act of 2014

Statement

U.S. Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX-32), Chairman of the House Rules Committee and a Member of House Republican Leadership, today released the following statement regarding House passage of H.R. 4032, the North Texas Invasive Species Barrier Act of 2014:

"More than 1.5 million customers of the North Texas Municipal Water District, many of whom reside in the 32nd Congressional District, could face restricted access to water as a result of the discovery of invasive species in Lake Texoma. Last Congress, the House and Senate worked together in a bicameral, bipartisan manner on a solution to exempt the Texoma Pump Station from the Lacey Act in instances of zebra mussel transfers. The North Texas Invasive Species Barrier Act simply expands the zebra mussel exemption to other invasive species, which are transferred from Lake Texoma in a closed conveyance system to guarantee that 100 percent of invasive species are removed and extirpated.

"This important bill ensures that 28 percent of the North Texas Municipal Water District's critical water supplies will not be unnecessarily shut off and that millions of Texans will have an adequate supply of water in the future. I am pleased that the House passed this important legislation to restore the steady stream of water to North Texans, without the use of taxpayer dollars, while complying with the Lacey Act's intended goal of preventing the spread of invasive species."

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