Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3096 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R7737 SLB-D
2	2	By: Burrows H.B. No. 3096
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the creation and activities of the Texas Produced Water
8	8	Consortium.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 109, Education Code, is amended by
11	11	adding Subchapter E to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER E. TEXAS PRODUCED WATER CONSORTIUM
13	13	Sec. 109.201. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
14	14	(1) "Board" means the board established by Section
15	15	109.203.
16	16	(2) "Consortium" means the Texas Produced Water
17	17	Consortium.
18	18	(3) "Host university" means Texas Tech University.
19	19	(4) "Private entity" means an individual,
20	20	corporation, or nonprofit corporation.
21	21	(5) "Produced water" means naturally occurring water
22	22	that emerges from the ground during the production of oil or gas.
23	23	Sec. 109.202. TEXAS PRODUCED WATER CONSORTIUM. The Texas
24	24	Produced Water Consortium is a consortium consisting of the host
25	25	university, the board, and private entities. The consortium is
26	26	created to bring together information resources to study the
27	27	economics of and technology related to beneficial uses of produced
28	28	water.
29	29	Sec. 109.203. ADMINISTRATION. (a) The consortium is
30	30	governed by a board composed of representatives of the:
31	31	(1) Railroad Commission of Texas;
32	32	(2) State Energy Conservation Office;
33	33	(3) Texas Commission on Environmental Quality;
34	34	(4) Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office
35	35	within the office of the governor; and
36	36	(5) Texas Water Development Board.
37	37	(b) Each entity described by Subsection (a) shall select a
38	38	representative to serve on the board.
39	39	(c) The board shall meet as often as necessary to ensure the
40	40	consortium meets the requirements of this subchapter.
41	41	Sec. 109.204. DUTIES. (a) The consortium shall study the
42	42	economics of beneficial uses of produced water and technology
43	43	needed for those uses. After October 1, 2022, the research and
44	44	investigation goals of the consortium shall be directed by the
45	45	sponsors of the consortium.
46	46	(a-1) This subsection expires October 1, 2022. Not later
47	47	than September 1, 2022, the consortium shall produce a report that
48	48	includes:
49	49	(1) suggested changes to law to better enable
50	50	beneficial uses of produced water;
51	51	(2) an economically feasible pilot project for state
52	52	participation in a produced water facility; and
53	53	(3) an economic model for using produced water in an
54	54	economic and efficient way.
55	55	(b) The host university shall:
56	56	(1) provide staff and other resources necessary for
57	57	the consortium to meet the requirements of this subchapter; and
58	58	(2) solicit participation from:
59	59	(A) the oil and gas industry;
60	60	(B) companies that own or manage the
61	61	infrastructure to store produced water and transport that water to
62	62	other locations for reuse; and
63	63	(C) water users, including:
64	64	(i) agricultural users;
65	65	(ii) political subdivisions;
66	66	(iii) universities; and
67	67	(iv) water utilities.
68	68	(c) The host university may coordinate with other members of
69	69	the state university system and state agencies to provide resources
70	70	necessary for the consortium to meet the requirements of this
71	71	subchapter.
72	72	Sec. 109.205. FUNDING. (a) The board and the host
73	73	university shall collaborate to create a fee structure for private
74	74	sponsors that establishes fees for various sponsorship levels for
75	75	private entities that may contribute money to the consortium for
76	76	research and investigation.
77	77	(b) Money paid by private entities as sponsorship fees may
78	78	be used only for research and investigation conducted by the
79	79	consortium.
80	80	(c) Except for state money appropriated to the host
81	81	university for use in meeting the requirements of Section
82	82	109.204(a-1), and resources provided by the host university, other
83	83	state university system entities, or state agencies, the consortium
84	84	may not receive state money.
85	85	(d) The consortium may accept gifts and grants of money,
86	86	equipment, or other resources necessary to accomplish the duties of
87	87	this subchapter.
88	88	Sec. 109.206. ACCESS TO DATA. (a) In exchange for
89	89	sponsorship of the consortium, a private entity may receive access
90	90	to data produced as a result of investigation by the consortium in
91	91	an amount proportionate to the entity's level of sponsorship.
92	92	(b) A private entity's access to the consortium's
93	93	investigation data must be governed by a sponsorship contract
94	94	between the host university and the entity that describes the data
95	95	to be released to the private entity.
96	96	SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 1, 2021, each state
97	97	agency described by Section 109.203(a), Education Code, as added by
98	98	this Act, shall select a representative for the board of the Texas
99	99	Produced Water Consortium, as required by Section 109.203(b),
100	100	Education Code, as added by this Act.
101	101	(b) Not later than September 1, 2022, the Texas Produced
102	102	Water Consortium shall deliver the report required by Section
103	103	109.204(a-1), Education Code, as added by this Act.
104	104	(c) Not later than September 1, 2023, the Texas Produced
105	105	Water Consortium shall create the pilot project required by Section
106	106	109.204(a-1)(2), Education Code, as added by this Act.
107	107	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.