Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3942 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R15388 T
2	2	By: Paddie H.B. No. 3942
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the authority to determine the supply of groundwater in
8	8	certain regional water plans.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 16.053(e), Water Code, is amended to
11	11	read as follows:
12	12	(e) Each regional water planning group shall submit to the
13	13	development board a regional water plan that:
14	14	(1) is consistent with the guidance principles for the
15	15	state water plan adopted by the development board under Section
16	16	16.051(d);
17	17	(2) provides information based on data provided or
18	18	approved by the development board in a format consistent with the
19	19	guidelines provided by the development board under Subsection (d);
20	20	(2-a) is consistent with the desired future conditions
21	21	adopted under Section 36.108 for the relevant aquifers located in
22	22	the regional water planning area as of the date the board most
23	23	recently adopted a state water plan under Section 16.051 or, at the
24	24	option of the regional water planning group, established subsequent
25	25	to the adoption of the most recent plan; provided, however, that if
26	26	no groundwater conservation district exists within the area of the
27	27	regional water planning group, the regional water planning group
28	28	shall determine the supply of groundwater for regional planning
29	29	purposes;
30	30	(3) identifies:
31	31	(A) each source of water supply in the regional
32	32	water planning area, including information supplied by the
33	33	executive administrator on the amount of modeled available
34	34	groundwater in accordance with the guidelines provided by the
35	35	development board under Subsections (d) and (f);
36	36	(B) factors specific to each source of water
37	37	supply to be considered in determining whether to initiate a
38	38	drought response;
39	39	(C) actions to be taken as part of the response;
40	40	and
41	41	(D) existing major water infrastructure
42	42	facilities that may be used for interconnections in the event of an
43	43	emergency shortage of water;
44	44	(4) has specific provisions for water management
45	45	strategies to be used during a drought of record;
46	46	(5) includes but is not limited to consideration of
47	47	the following:
48	48	(A) any existing water or drought planning
49	49	efforts addressing all or a portion of the region;
50	50	(B) approved groundwater conservation district
51	51	management plans and other plans submitted under Section 16.054;
52	52	(C) all potentially feasible water management
53	53	strategies, including but not limited to improved conservation,
54	54	reuse, and management of existing water supplies, conjunctive use,
55	55	acquisition of available existing water supplies, and development
56	56	of new water supplies;
57	57	(D) protection of existing water rights in the
58	58	region;
59	59	(E) opportunities for and the benefits of
60	60	developing regional water supply facilities or providing regional
61	61	management of water supply facilities;
62	62	(F) appropriate provision for environmental
63	63	water needs and for the effect of upstream development on the bays,
64	64	estuaries, and arms of the Gulf of Mexico and the effect of plans on
65	65	navigation;
66	66	(G) provisions in Section 11.085(k)(1) if
67	67	interbasin transfers are contemplated;
68	68	(H) voluntary transfer of water within the region
69	69	using, but not limited to, regional water banks, sales, leases,
70	70	options, subordination agreements, and financing agreements; and
71	71	(I) emergency transfer of water under Section
72	72	11.139, including information on the part of each permit, certified
73	73	filing, or certificate of adjudication for nonmunicipal use in the
74	74	region that may be transferred without causing unreasonable damage
75	75	to the property of the nonmunicipal water rights holder;
76	76	(6) identifies river and stream segments of unique
77	77	ecological value and sites of unique value for the construction of
78	78	reservoirs that the regional water planning group recommends for
79	79	protection under Section 16.051;
80	80	(7) assesses the impact of the plan on unique river and
81	81	stream segments identified in Subdivision (6) if the regional water
82	82	planning group or the legislature determines that a site of unique
83	83	ecological value exists;
84	84	(8) describes the impact of proposed water projects on
85	85	water quality; and
86	86	(9) includes information on:
87	87	(A) projected water use and conservation in the
88	88	regional water planning area; and
89	89	(B) the implementation of state and regional
90	90	water plan projects, including water conservation strategies,
91	91	necessary to meet the state's projected water demands.
92	92	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.