Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1868 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Lozano, Anderson, Zwiener, Stephenson H.B. No. 1868
	1	+	86R17754 JAM-F
	2	+	By: Lozano, Anderson, Zwiener H.B. No. 1868
	3	+	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1868:
	4	+	By: Anderson C.S.H.B. No. 1868
2	5
3	6
4	7		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	8		AN ACT
6	9		relating to the creation of the Texas Rural Water Advisory Council.
7	10		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	11		SECTION 1. Title 3, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding
9	12		Chapter 50D to read as follows:
10	13		CHAPTER 50D. TEXAS RURAL WATER ADVISORY COUNCIL
11	14		Sec. 50D.0101. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "council"
12	15		means the Texas Rural Water Advisory Council.
13	16		Sec. 50D.0102. COMPOSITION. (a) The council is composed of
14	17		15 members appointed as follows:
15	18		(1) the executive director or the executive director's
16	19		designee of the following entities shall appoint a representative
17	20		for that entity:
18	21		(A) the Parks and Wildlife Department;
19	22		(B) the Texas Commission on Environmental
20	23		Quality;
21	24		(C) the Texas Department of Transportation; and
22	25		(D) the State Soil and Water Conservation Board;
23	26		(2) the commissioner of the Department of Agriculture
24	27		shall appoint a representative of that agency from the Office of
25	28		Water;
26	29		(3) the commissioner of the General Land Office shall
27	30		appoint a representative of that agency;
28	31		(4) the lieutenant governor shall appoint three
29	32		members with each member to represent one of the following:
30	33		(A) a rural county;
31	34		(B) an irrigation district; and
32	35		(C) a statewide nonprofit organization that
33	36		represents the interests of water supply corporations and other
34	37		rural water utilities;
35	38		(5) the commissioner shall appoint three members with
36	39		each member representing an interest or issue under consideration
37	40		by the council and with the initial three members each representing
38	41		one of the following:
39	42		(A) the interests of pesticide applicators;
40	43		(B) the interests of a statewide nonprofit
41	44		organization focused on litter prevention, mitigation, and
42	45		abatement; and
43		-	(C) the interests of agricultural ~~users of~~
44		-	~~groundwater;~~ and
	46	+	(C) the interests of agricultural landowners;
	47	+	and
45	48		(6) the speaker of the house of representatives shall
46	49		appoint three members with each member to represent one of the
47	50		following:
48	51		(A) a rural municipality;
49	52		(B) a river authority; and
50	53		(C) a drainage district.
51	54		(b) The council shall elect a presiding officer from among
52	55		its members.
53	56		(c) Members of the council serve staggered terms of two
54	57		years, with either seven or eight members' terms, as applicable,
55	58		expiring February 1 of each year.
56	59		(d) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the
57	60		size, composition, or duration of the council.
58	61		(e) Service on the council by a state officer or employee is
59	62		an additional duty of the member's office or employment. Members of
60		-	the ~~council~~ are not entitled to compensation or reimbursement of
	63	+	the board are not entitled to compensation or reimbursement of
61	64		expenses.
62	65		(f) The council may accept gifts and grants from any source
63	66		to be used to carry out a function of the council.
64	67		Sec. 50D.0103. DUTIES. On an ongoing basis, the council
65	68		shall assist the department in assessing the existence of,
66	69		effectiveness of, or need for rural water initiatives in this state
67	70		regarding the prevention, mitigation, and abatement of windblown
68	71		and waterborne litter and illegal dumping in rural communities,
69	72		pesticide runoff from agricultural lands, rainwater harvesting,
70	73		rural water use, and other topics as requested by the department by:
71	74		(1) identifying and evaluating best management
72	75		practices for municipal, commercial, industrial, and agricultural
73	76		properties as they relate to the water initiatives assessed by this
74	77		section, including the feasibility, costs, and benefits of those
75	78		practices; and
76	79		(2) evaluating:
77	80		(A) the feasibility and implementation needs of
78	81		best management practices in different regions of the state;
79	82		(B) the jurisdiction and effectiveness of law
80	83		enforcement;
81	84		(C) the role of state funding for incentive
82	85		programs; and
83	86		(D) the appropriate state oversight and
84	87		community support efforts.
85	88		Sec. 50D.0104. MEETINGS. The council shall meet at least
86	89		twice each year and may meet at other times considered necessary by
87	90		the commissioner.
88	91		Sec. 50D.0105. STAFF. The council is administratively
89	92		attached to the Office of Water within the department. The
90	93		department shall provide the council with the staff necessary to
91	94		carry out the council's duties under this chapter.
92	95		Sec. 50D.0106. ASSISTANCE OF STATE AGENCIES. On request by
93	96		the council, a state agency shall provide assistance to the
94	97		council, including necessary support staff.
95	98		Sec. 50D.0107. BEST PRACTICES GUIDE AND REPORT TO
96	99		LEGISLATURE. (a) Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered
97	100		year, the council shall:
98	101		(1) publish a best management practices guide for use
99	102		by state agencies and counties, municipalities, and other political
100	103		subdivisions responsible for initiatives identified and assessed
101	104		by the council, including information on potential funding sources;
102	105		and
103	106		(2) make a report to the lieutenant governor, the
104	107		speaker of the house of representatives, and the legislative
105	108		committees with primary jurisdiction over the issues described in
106	109		the report.
107	110		(b) The report under Subsection (a) must include
108	111		recommendations on additional legislative action, if any, that is
109	112		needed to implement the recommended best management practices.
110	113		SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.