85R14866 GRM-D
By: Bell H.B. No. 4274
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District's
groundwater reduction plan.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 1321, Acts of the 77th Legislature,
Regular Session, 2001, is amended by adding Section 13A to read as
follows:
Sec. 13A. GROUNDWATER REDUCTION PLAN. (a) If the district
implements a groundwater reduction plan to reduce use of
groundwater throughout the district, the plan shall require that an
entity that participates in the plan follow the accounting
practices described in this section.
(b) If transferable credits are used to comply with the
groundwater reduction plan, the entity administering the
transferable credits:
(1) must:
(A) provide a credit for a user that produces a
volume of groundwater below the minimum production volume
established under the groundwater reduction plan;
(B) calculate the credit required by Paragraph
(A) based on the volume of groundwater that falls below the minimum
production volume; and
(C) apply the credit calculated under Paragraph
(B) to the account of the user; and
(2) may not assess usage charges or fees in excess of
the minimum usage fee before the credit described by Subdivision
(1) is exhausted.
(c) A credit required by Subsection (b) may not expire.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
a charge or fee assessed under a groundwater reduction plan on or
after the effective date of this Act. A fee or charge assessed
under a groundwater reduction plan before the effective date of
this Act is governed by the law in effect when the charge or fee was
assessed, and the former law is continued in effect for that
purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.