| 1 | 1 | | By: Estes S.B. No. 691 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (King of Zavala) |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the exemption from permitting by groundwater |
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| 8 | 8 | | conservation districts for certain water wells used for domestic, |
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| 9 | 9 | | livestock, and poultry watering purposes. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subsection (b), Section 36.117, Water Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (b) A district may not require any permit issued by the |
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| 14 | 14 | | district for: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) a well used solely for domestic use, or for |
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| 16 | 16 | | providing water for livestock or poultry, if the well is: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (A) located on a tract of land larger than 10 |
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| 18 | 18 | | acres; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | (B) [that is] either drilled, completed, or |
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| 20 | 20 | | equipped so that it is incapable of producing more than 25,000 |
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| 21 | 21 | | gallons of groundwater a day; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) the drilling of a water well used solely to supply |
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| 23 | 23 | | water for a rig that is actively engaged in drilling or exploration |
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| 24 | 24 | | operations for an oil or gas well permitted by the Railroad |
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| 25 | 25 | | Commission of Texas provided that the person holding the permit is |
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| 26 | 26 | | responsible for drilling and operating the water well and the well |
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| 27 | 27 | | is located on the same lease or field associated with the drilling |
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| 28 | 28 | | rig; or |
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| 29 | 29 | | (3) the drilling of a water well authorized under a |
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| 30 | 30 | | permit issued by the Railroad Commission of Texas under Chapter |
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| 31 | 31 | | 134, Natural Resources Code, or for production from such a well to |
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| 32 | 32 | | the extent the withdrawals are required for mining activities |
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| 33 | 33 | | regardless of any subsequent use of the water. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
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