Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1400 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Harris, Jones of Dallas, et al. H.B. No. 1400
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	1	+	89R4449 ANG-F
	2	+	By: Harris , et al. H.B. No. 1400
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6	5		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	6		AN ACT
8	7		relating to creation of the groundwater science, research, and
9	8		innovation fund to be administered by the Texas Water Development
10	9		Board.
11	10		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	11		SECTION 1. Chapter 15, Water Code, is amended by adding
13	12		Subchapter F-1 to read as follows:
14	13		SUBCHAPTER F-1. GROUNDWATER SCIENCE, RESEARCH, AND INNOVATION FUND
15	14		Sec. 15.421. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
16	15		(1) "District" means a groundwater conservation
17	16		district created under Section 52, Article III, or Section 59,
18	17		Article XVI, Texas Constitution, that has the authority to regulate
19	18		the spacing of wells producing from groundwater reservoirs in the
20	19		district and regulate the production from those wells.
21	20		(2) "Fund" means the groundwater science, research,
22	21		and innovation fund.
23	22		Sec. 15.422. GROUNDWATER SCIENCE, RESEARCH, AND INNOVATION
24	23		FUND. (a) The groundwater science, research, and innovation fund
25	24		is a special fund in the state treasury to be administered by the
26	25		board under this subchapter and rules adopted by the board under
27	26		this subchapter.
28	27		(b) The fund consists of:
29	28		(1) money appropriated for transfer or deposit to the
30	29		credit of the fund;
31	30		(2) money the board transfers to the fund from any
32	31		available source;
33	32		(3) depository interest allocable to the fund and
34	33		other investment returns on money in the fund;
35	34		(4) money from gifts, grants, or donations to the
36	35		fund; and
37	36		(5) any other fees or sources of revenue that the
38	37		legislature may dedicate for deposit to the fund.
39	38		Sec. 15.423. USE OF FUND. (a) The board may use the fund
40	39		only to provide financial assistance in the form of grants to
41	40		finance district programs and projects that will further
42	41		groundwater science, research, and innovation in this state,
43	42		including local research, data, modeling, and innovative programs
44	43		and projects designed to:
45	44		(1) improve understanding of local groundwater
46	45		conditions;
47	46		(2) develop or improve groundwater models relied on
48	47		for planning and decision-making;
49	48		(3) improve groundwater use efficiency and increase
50	49		water conservation efforts;
51	50		(4) increase groundwater recharge; or
52	51		(5) protect groundwater quality.
53	52		(b) The fund may be used for any purpose described by
54	53		Subsection (a) under criteria developed by the board.
55	54		Sec. 15.424. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. The board shall adopt
56	55		rules necessary to administer this subchapter, including rules
57	56		establishing procedures for the application for and award of
58	57		financial assistance, the distribution of financial assistance,
59	58		and the administration of financial assistance and the fund.
60	59		Sec. 15.425. EVALUATION OF APPLICATION. (a) When
61	60		evaluating an application for financial assistance from a district,
62	61		the board shall consider:
63	62		(1) the expected benefit of the program or project in
64	63		informing the management, planning, or decision-making of the
65	64		district;
66	65		(2) whether the program or project meets any science,
67	66		data, and modeling objectives of the board;
68	67		(3) the extent to which the program's or project's
69	68		outcome may benefit the state and regional water planning processes
70	69		under Sections 16.051 and 16.053; and
71	70		(4) the district's need for financial assistance based
72	71		on the district's available revenue or other sources of financial
73	72		assistance available to the district.
74	73		(b) The board by resolution may approve an application if,
75	74		after considering the factors listed in Subsection (a) and other
76	75		relevant factors, the board finds that the public interest is
77	76		served by state assistance for the program or project and the
78	77		district has met the matching funds requirement under Section
79	78		15.426.
80	79		(c) The board shall ensure that a district that receives
81	80		financial assistance for a program or project provides the board
82	81		with all data, science, and other research findings gathered
83	82		through the implementation of the program or project for which the
84	83		district received financial assistance.
85	84		(d) The board shall ensure that at least 35 percent of the
86	85		money transferred from the fund is used to fund programs or projects
87	86		by districts with:
88	87		(1) populations of not more than 100,000; and
89	88		(2) annual revenues of not more than $250,000, as
90	89		determined at the close of the previous fiscal year.
91		-	Sec. 15.426. MATCHING FUNDS REQUIRED. (a) Subject to
92		-	Subsection (b), the board by rule may require a district that is the
93		-	recipient of a grant using money from the fund to provide matching
94		-	funds, which may include direct expenditures or in-kind services
95		-	related to the program or project, in an amount equal to 25 percent
96		-	of the amount of the grant.
97		-	(b) The board may not require a district that is the
98		-	recipient of a grant to provide matching funds under Subsection (a)
99		-	for money from the fund used to finance a program or project
100		-	conducted in partnership with an institution of higher education,
101		-	as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code.
	90	+	Sec. 15.426. MATCHING FUNDS REQUIRED. The board by rule may
	91	+	require a district that is the recipient of a grant using money from
	92	+	the fund to provide matching funds, which may include direct
	93	+	expenditures or in-kind services related to the program or project,
	94	+	in an amount equal to 25 percent of the amount of the grant.
102	95		SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.