Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB988 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R8359 KBB-F
2	2	By: Perry S.B. No. 988
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of the TexMesonet Hydrometeorology
8	8	Network and creation of the TexMesonet Advisory Committee.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 16.012(b), Water Code, is amended to
11	11	read as follows:
12	12	(b) The executive administrator shall:
13	13	(1) determine suitable locations for future water
14	14	facilities, including reservoir sites;
15	15	(2) determine suitable, cost-effective water supply
16	16	alternatives on a regional basis, including voluntary means of
17	17	encouraging aggressive water conservation;
18	18	(3) locate land best suited for irrigation;
19	19	(4) make estimates of the cost of proposed irrigation
20	20	works and the improvement of reservoir sites;
21	21	(5) examine and survey reservoir sites;
22	22	(6) monitor the effects of fresh water inflows upon
23	23	the bays and estuaries of Texas;
24	24	(7) monitor instream flows;
25	25	(7-a) monitor hydrometeorological conditions;
26	26	(8) lead a statewide effort, in coordination with
27	27	federal, state, and local governments, institutions of higher
28	28	education, and other interested parties, to develop a network for
29	29	collecting and disseminating water resource-related information
30	30	that is sufficient to support assessment of ambient water
31	31	conditions statewide;
32	32	(9) make recommendations for optimizing the
33	33	efficiency and effectiveness of water resource data collection and
34	34	dissemination as necessary to ensure that basic water resource data
35	35	are maintained and available for Texas; and
36	36	(10) make basic data and summary information developed
37	37	under this subsection accessible to state agencies and other
38	38	interested persons.
39	39	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 16, Water Code, is amended
40	40	by adding Section 16.026 to read as follows:
41	41	Sec. 16.026. TEXMESONET HYDROMETEOROLOGY NETWORK;
42	42	TEXMESONET ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) In this section, "network"
43	43	means the TexMesonet Hydrometeorology Network.
44	44	(b) The executive administrator shall establish the
45	45	TexMesonet Hydrometeorology Network to provide a statewide
46	46	resource for hydrometeorological data and summary information
47	47	benefiting weather forecasting, flood preparedness, drought
48	48	monitoring, wildfire management, water resources planning, water
49	49	conservation, agricultural readiness and productivity, industrial
50	50	readiness, and related business readiness and productivity across
51	51	this state.
52	52	(c) The network shall:
53	53	(1) establish a series of stations throughout this
54	54	state to monitor hydrometeorological conditions;
55	55	(2) coordinate mesoscale, evapotranspiration, and
56	56	soil moisture monitoring efforts in this state by:
57	57	(A) collecting, receiving, analyzing,
58	58	processing, and facilitating access to basic hydrometeorological
59	59	data; and
60	60	(B) developing and disseminating products,
61	61	tools, and summary information related to that data;
62	62	(3) serve as the centralized repository for
63	63	hydrometeorological data in this state; and
64	64	(4) provide appropriate technical assistance related
65	65	to the duties described by Subdivisions (1)-(3).
66	66	(d) The executive administrator may, on behalf of the
67	67	network, enter into:
68	68	(1) any agreement with an individual or a federal,
69	69	state, or local governmental entity to provide site location and
70	70	access for earth observation stations; and
71	71	(2) a partnership with a public or private entity to
72	72	provide additional funding and resources for improved access to and
73	73	development of hydrometeorological data, products, and tools.
74	74	(e) Each state agency or political subdivision of this state
75	75	that collects hydrometeorological information, including public
76	76	institutions of higher education, shall cooperate with the network
77	77	in the development of a coordinated, efficient, and effective
78	78	statewide hydrometeorological data collection and dissemination
79	79	resource.
80	80	(f) The executive administrator may establish the
81	81	TexMesonet Advisory Committee to advise and make recommendations to
82	82	the executive administrator on ensuring data quality and optimizing
83	83	the efficiency and effectiveness of hydrometeorological data
84	84	collection, product development, and dissemination of data and
85	85	information. Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the
86	86	size, composition, or duration of the advisory committee. Members
87	87	of the advisory committee serve without compensation but are
88	88	entitled to reimbursement for actual or necessary expenses incurred
89	89	in performing functions as a member of the advisory committee
90	90	subject to any applicable limitation on reimbursement provided by
91	91	the General Appropriations Act. The committee may include members
92	92	representing the following entities or interest groups:
93	93	(1) the office of the state climatologist;
94	94	(2) the National Weather Service;
95	95	(3) existing hydrometeorological networks; and
96	96	(4) other appropriate entities.
97	97	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.