| 1 | 1 | | By: Shapleigh, Watson S.B. No. 1405 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to the establishment of an advisory committee to assist |
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| 7 | 7 | | the Texas Water Development Board in incorporating the potential |
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| 8 | 8 | | effects of climate variability into the state water plan. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. CREATION, PURPOSE, AND COMPOSITION OF ADVISORY |
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| 11 | 11 | | COMMITTEE. The executive administrator of the Texas Water |
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| 12 | 12 | | Development Board shall appoint an advisory committee to assist the |
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| 13 | 13 | | board in incorporating the potential effects of climate variability |
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| 14 | 14 | | into the 2012 state water plan. The advisory committee shall |
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| 15 | 15 | | consist of experts from any field who have experience in the process |
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| 16 | 16 | | of creating a regional water plan. |
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| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 2. DUTIES OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE. The advisory |
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| 18 | 18 | | committee shall: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) assess past and predicted variations in climate; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) assess the potential effects of climate |
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| 21 | 21 | | variability on: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (A) groundwater resources; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (B) surface water resources; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (C) water demand; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) review case studies of major water providers that |
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| 26 | 26 | | include quantitative sensitivity analyses for water demand and |
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| 27 | 27 | | supply under a range of climate variation scenarios; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (4) review and analyze information regarding natural |
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| 29 | 29 | | climate variability to determine whether an area of this state is |
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| 30 | 30 | | experiencing a new drought of record; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (5) assess existing global climate models to determine |
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| 32 | 32 | | whether the models may be helpful in water planning on a regional or |
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| 33 | 33 | | local level; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (6) make recommendations for improving the collection |
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| 35 | 35 | | of general information regarding: |
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| 36 | 36 | | (A) groundwater resources; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (B) surface water resources; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (C) evapotranspiration; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | (D) water use; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | (7) make recommendations for the use of innovative |
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| 41 | 41 | | water technologies that will help mitigate water supply issues, in |
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| 42 | 42 | | addition to those water supply issues that would be experienced in a |
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| 43 | 43 | | drought of record, including: |
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| 44 | 44 | | (A) desalination technology; |
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| 45 | 45 | | (B) water reuse technology; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (C) other emerging technologies. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than December 1 of each |
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| 48 | 48 | | even-numbered year, the advisory committee shall submit its |
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| 49 | 49 | | findings and recommendations to: |
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| 50 | 50 | | (1) the Texas Water Development Board; |
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| 51 | 51 | | (2) the governor; and |
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| 52 | 52 | | (3) the relevant committees of the senate and house of |
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| 53 | 53 | | representatives. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 4. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ABOLISHED; EXPIRATION OF ACT. |
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| 55 | 55 | | The advisory committee is abolished and this Act expires January 1, |
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| 56 | 56 | | 2013. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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| 58 | 58 | | immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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| 59 | 59 | | elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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| 60 | 60 | | Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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| 61 | 61 | | immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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