| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to the duty of the Texas Water Development Board to conduct |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | studies of and prepare and submit reports on aquifer storage and |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | recovery. |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 11.155, Water Code, is amended to read as |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | follows: |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 11.155. AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY REPORTS. (a) The |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | board shall make studies, investigations, and surveys of the |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | aquifers in the state as it considers necessary to determine the |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | occurrence, quantity, quality, and availability of aquifers in |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | which water may be stored and subsequently retrieved for beneficial |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | use. |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | (b) The board, working with appropriate interested persons, |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | including groundwater conservation districts, regional water |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | planning groups, and potential sponsors of aquifer storage and |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | recovery projects, shall: |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | (1) conduct studies of aquifer storage and recovery |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | projects identified in the state water plan or by interested |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | persons; and |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (2) report the results of each study conducted under |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | Subdivision (1) to regional water planning groups and interested |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | persons. |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | (c) This subsection expires January 1, 2019. The board |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | shall: |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (1) conduct a statewide survey of the most favorable |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | areas for aquifer storage and recovery; |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (2) prepare a report that includes an overview of the |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | survey conducted under Subdivision (1); and |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (3) not later than December 15, 2018, submit the |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | report described by Subdivision (2) to the governor, lieutenant |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | governor, and speaker of the house of representatives. [The board |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | shall undertake the studies, investigations, and surveys in the |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | following order of priority: |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | [(1) areas designated by the commission as "priority |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | groundwater management areas" under Section 35.008; and |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | [(2) other areas of the state in a priority to be |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | determined by the board's ranking of where the greatest need |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | exists.] |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | Act takes effect December 1, 2017. |
|---|