By: Hopson H.B. No. 3861
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to Texas Water Development Board financing for the Lake
Columbia reservoir project.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the proposed Lake
Columbia reservoir project authorized by Permit to Appropriate
State Water Number 4228 (Application No. 4537) is a rural water
project for political subdivisions and that its construction and
development are in the public interest. The legislature further
finds that the Texas Water Development Board has committed to the
Angelina and Neches River Authority, through the state
participation account of the development fund, to acquire an
interest in the proposed Lake Columbia reservoir project not to
exceed fifty percent of the total project costs in order to support
the optimum regional development of the project's site. The
legislature further finds that the Texas Water Development Board
has determined that it is reasonable to expect that the state will
recover its investment in the facility.
SECTION 2. In making any statutory findings necessary to
complete financing of the Lake Columbia reservoir project, the
Texas Water Development Board shall exercise the discretion that is
available to the Board under Section 16.135(1), Water Code, to
include future revenues from political subdivisions not currently
under contract with the Angelina and Neches River Authority to
participate in paying the costs of the Site Acquisition Stage of the
Lake Columbia reservoir project and political subdivisions not
currently under contract to purchase a portion of the water to be
supplied by the project. Such political subdivisions do not need to
be identified at the time of the Board's findings.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.