| 1 | 1 | | 84R5932 SGA-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Ashby H.B. No. 898 |
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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 confidentiality of certain water well reports. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. The heading to Section 36.111, Water Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 36.111. RECORDS AND REPORTS; CONFIDENTIALITY. |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 2. Section 36.111, Water Code, is amended by adding |
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| 13 | 13 | | Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (c) A groundwater withdrawal report submitted by the owner |
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| 15 | 15 | | or operator of a privately owned water well to a district that |
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| 16 | 16 | | requires withdrawal reporting under Subsection (b) is not subject |
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| 17 | 17 | | to public disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, if the |
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| 18 | 18 | | owner or operator of the well submits a written request to the |
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| 19 | 19 | | district in which the well is located to have the well's withdrawal |
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| 20 | 20 | | reports treated as confidential information. A district that |
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| 21 | 21 | | receives a request for confidentiality may release groundwater |
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| 22 | 22 | | production information contained in the reports only if the |
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| 23 | 23 | | information is summarized in a manner that prevents the |
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| 24 | 24 | | identification of individual well owners or operators or the parcel |
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| 25 | 25 | | of land on which a well is located. This subsection does not apply |
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| 26 | 26 | | to a well that is owned or operated by a public entity, including a |
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| 27 | 27 | | conservation and reclamation district operating under Section 59, |
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| 28 | 28 | | Article XVI, Texas Constitution, or a municipality. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 3. Section 36.111, Water Code, as amended by this |
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| 30 | 30 | | Act, applies only to a water well withdrawal report required to be |
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| 31 | 31 | | filed with a groundwater conservation district on or after the |
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| 32 | 32 | | effective date of this Act. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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