| 1 | 1 | | S.B. No. 2406 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to the authority of hospitals in certain counties to drill |
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| 6 | 6 | | a water well for the purpose of producing water for use in the event |
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| 7 | 7 | | of an emergency or natural disaster. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 311, Health and Safety |
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| 10 | 10 | | Code, is amended by adding Section 311.005 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 311.005. WATER WELLS FOR USE BY HOSPITALS IN CERTAIN |
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| 12 | 12 | | COUNTIES IN EVENT OF EMERGENCY OR NATURAL DISASTER. (a) This |
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| 13 | 13 | | section applies only to a hospital located in a county that: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) has a population of more than 250,000; and |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) borders the Neches River. |
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| 16 | 16 | | (b) A hospital to which this section applies may drill a |
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| 17 | 17 | | water well on property owned by the hospital for the purpose of |
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| 18 | 18 | | producing water to supplement the hospital's water supply in the |
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| 19 | 19 | | event that an emergency or natural disaster prevents the hospital |
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| 20 | 20 | | from receiving water from the hospital's usual source. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (c) This section does not affect the authority of a |
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| 22 | 22 | | groundwater conservation district to regulate groundwater |
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| 23 | 23 | | production under Chapter 36, Water Code, or other law governing a |
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| 24 | 24 | | groundwater conservation district. |
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| 25 | 25 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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| 26 | 26 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 27 | 27 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 28 | 28 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2406 passed the Senate on |
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| 29 | 29 | | April 20, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 30 | 30 | | ______________________________ |
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| 31 | 31 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 32 | 32 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 2406 passed the House on |
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| 33 | 33 | | May 24, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 117, Nays 21, |
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| 34 | 34 | | one present not voting. |
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| 35 | 35 | | ______________________________ |
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| 36 | 36 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 37 | 37 | | Approved: |
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| 38 | 38 | | ______________________________ |
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| 39 | 39 | | Date |
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| 40 | 40 | | ______________________________ |
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| 41 | 41 | | Governor |
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