83R9778 JXC-D
By: King of Taylor H.B. No. 3167
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to water programs administered by the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality and the Texas Water Development Board.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter Q, Chapter 15, Water Code, is amended
by adding Section 15.982 to read as follows:
Sec. 15.982. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. (a) In
addition to using the fund for the other purposes authorized by this
subchapter, the board may use the fund to provide technical or
financial assistance to an eligible political subdivision for a
project designed to alleviate a severe water shortage affecting the
political subdivision that is caused by an emergency condition such
as a drought or public calamity.
(b) To be eligible to receive technical or financial
assistance under this section, an eligible political subdivision
must apply to the board and provide to the board evidence that the
political subdivision is affected by a severe water shortage that
is caused by an emergency condition such as a drought or public
calamity.
(c) The board shall expedite review of an application the
board receives under this section.
(d) The board shall coordinate with the commission, the
Department of Agriculture, and any other agency as necessary to
implement this section.
(e) The board may provide technical or financial assistance
under this section for a project regardless of whether the project
is recommended through the state and regional water planning
processes under Sections 16.051 and 16.053.
SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Water Development Board and the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality shall jointly:
(1) conduct a study regarding:
(A) streamlining the application and permitting
processes described by Chapters 15, 16, and 17, Water Code, for
water projects that the Texas Water Development Board has
determined are priority projects; and
(B) the feasibility and desirability of
requiring a state agency to:
(i) compile state and federal permitting
requirements applicable to applicants for financial assistance or
permits for water projects described by Chapters 15, 16, and 17,
Water Code; and
(ii) provide to the applicants a
description or list of the requirements; and
(2) conduct a study regarding the effect of the repeal
of provisions of the Wagstaff Act, Chapter 128 (S.B. 93), General
Laws, Acts of the 42nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1931, and the
feasibility and desirability of reenacting any of those provisions.
(b) The Texas Water Development Board shall submit a report
on the results of the studies required by this section to the
lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives
not later than September 1, 2014.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.