Texas Senate Bill SB2514

Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

• Out of Senate Committee: 4/23/09
• Voted on by Senate: 4/28/09
• Out of House Committee: 5/13/09
• Voted on by House: 5/25/09
• Governor Action: 6/19/09
• Enrolled: 5/26/09
• Passed: 6/19/09

Caption

Relating to the powers of the North Fort Bend Water Authority.

Impact

The inclusion of legal recourse in the authority's toolkit represents a significant change in how local governments can interact with the authority. The waiver of sovereign immunity in the context of these legal acts means that local entities cannot use this protection to evade financial responsibilities to the authority. Consequently, this could lead to increased financial accountability for local entities and encourage better adherence to the authority's groundwater reduction plan.

Summary

Senate Bill 2514 focuses on augmenting the powers and enforcement capabilities of the North Fort Bend Water Authority. This legislation allows the authority to initiate legal actions against individuals, districts, or local governments within its jurisdiction to recover outstanding fees, rates, and charges. By doing so, the bill aims to provide the authority with more robust tools to ensure compliance with its regulations and manage water resources effectively.

Contention

One notable point of contention surrounding SB2514 is its imposition of legal actions on local governments, which may raise concerns about the autonomy of local entities. Critics may argue that this shift could infringe on local governance principles and create tensions between state mandates and local needs. Additionally, the specificity of water management regulations, particularly in an environmentally sensitive area, brings potential for pushback from environmental advocates focused on maintaining local control over water resources.