Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1616 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R12324 SLB-D
2	2	By: Lucio S.B. No. 1616
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the composition of the Texas Water Development Board.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 6.052, Water Code, is amended by
10	10	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
11	11	follows:
12	12	(a) The board is composed of five [three] members as
13	13	follows:
14	14	(1) one [who are appointed by the governor with the
15	15	advice and consent of the senate. One] member who must have
16	16	experience in the field of engineering;
17	17	(2)[,] one member who must have experience in the field
18	18	of public or private finance;
19	19	(3)[, and] one member who must have experience in the
20	20	field of law or business;
21	21	(4) the commissioner of agriculture; and
22	22	(5) the commissioner of the General Land Office.
23	23	(a-1) Members described by Subsections (a)(1), (2), and (3)
24	24	are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the
25	25	senate. The commissioner of agriculture and the commissioner of
26	26	the General Land Office serve ex officio and may not receive
27	27	compensation for service on the board.
28	28	SECTION 2. Section 6.053(a), Water Code, is amended to read
29	29	as follows:
30	30	(a) Appointed members [Members] of the board must be members
31	31	of the general public.
32	32	SECTION 3. Sections 6.054(a) and (d), Water Code, are
33	33	amended to read as follows:
34	34	(a) It is a ground for removal from the board of an appointed
35	35	member that the [a] member:
36	36	(1) does not have at the time of taking office the
37	37	qualifications required for appointment to the board;
38	38	(2) does not maintain during service on the board the
39	39	qualifications required for appointment to the board;
40	40	(3) is ineligible for membership under Sections 6.053,
41	41	6.057, and 6.058;
42	42	(4) cannot, because of illness or disability,
43	43	discharge the member's duties for a substantial part of the member's
44	44	term; or
45	45	(5) is absent from more than half of the regularly
46	46	scheduled board meetings that the member is eligible to attend
47	47	during a calendar year without an excuse approved by a majority vote
48	48	of the board.
49	49	(d) The governor, with the advice and consent of the senate,
50	50	may remove an appointed [a] board member from office as provided by
51	51	Section 9, Article XV, Texas Constitution.
52	52	SECTION 4. Section 6.056(a), Water Code, is amended to read
53	53	as follows:
54	54	(a) The appointed members of the board hold office for
55	55	staggered terms of six years, with the term of one member expiring
56	56	February 1 of each odd-numbered year. Each appointed member holds
57	57	office until a successor is appointed and has qualified.
58	58	SECTION 5. Section 6.057(b), Water Code, is amended to read
59	59	as follows:
60	60	(b) A person may not be an appointed [a] member of the board
61	61	and may not be a board employee employed in a "bona fide executive,
62	62	administrative, or professional capacity," as that phrase is used
63	63	for purposes of establishing an exemption to the overtime
64	64	provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29
65	65	U.S.C. Section 201 et seq.), and its subsequent amendments, if:
66	66	(1) the person is an officer, employee, or paid
67	67	consultant of a Texas trade association in the field of water
68	68	planning or water financing; or
69	69	(2) the person's spouse is an officer, employee, or
70	70	paid consultant of a Texas trade association in the field of water
71	71	planning or water financing.
72	72	SECTION 6. Section 6.058, Water Code, is amended to read as
73	73	follows:
74	74	Sec. 6.058. LOBBYIST PROHIBITION. A person may not be an
75	75	appointed [a] member of the board or act as the general counsel to
76	76	the board if the person is required to register as a lobbyist under
77	77	Chapter 305, Government Code, because of the person's activities
78	78	for compensation on behalf of a profession related to the operation
79	79	of the board.
80	80	SECTION 7. Section 6.061, Water Code, is amended to read as
81	81	follows:
82	82	Sec. 6.061. FULL-TIME SERVICE. Each appointed member of the
83	83	board shall serve on a full-time basis.
84	84	SECTION 8. Sections 6.062(a) and (c), Water Code, are
85	85	amended to read as follows:
86	86	(a) A person who is appointed to and qualifies for office as
87	87	a member of the board or serves as an ex officio member of the board
88	88	may not vote, deliberate, or be counted as a member in attendance at
89	89	a meeting of the board until the person completes a training program
90	90	that complies with this section.
91	91	(c) A person appointed to the board or who serves as an ex
92	92	officio member of the board is entitled to reimbursement, as
93	93	provided by the General Appropriations Act, for the travel expenses
94	94	incurred in attending the training program regardless of whether
95	95	the attendance at the program occurs before or after the person
96	96	qualifies for office.
97	97	SECTION 9. Section 20.012(a), Water Code, is amended to
98	98	read as follows:
99	99	(a) The authority is governed by a board of directors
100	100	composed of the [six] directors of the development board.
101	101	SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.