| 1 | 1 | | By: Oliverson H.B. No. 1643 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to the authority of the Harris-Galveston Subsidence |
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| 9 | 9 | | District over the North Harris County Regional Water Authority. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 8801.005, Special District Local Laws |
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| 12 | 12 | | Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 8801.005. DISTRICT TERRITORY. The district includes |
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| 14 | 14 | | the territory located within the boundaries of Harris County and |
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| 15 | 15 | | Galveston County, as that territory may have been modified under[: |
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| 16 | 16 | | [(1) Section 8801.006 or its predecessor statute, |
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| 17 | 17 | | former Section 151.003(b), Water Code; or |
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| 18 | 18 | | [(2)] other law. |
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| 19 | 19 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 8801, Special District |
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| 20 | 20 | | Local Laws Code, is amended by adding Section 8801.007 to read as |
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| 21 | 21 | | follows: |
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| 22 | 22 | | Sec. 8801.007. APPLICABILITY TO CERTAIN TERRITORY. |
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| 23 | 23 | | Notwithstanding any other law, this chapter does not apply to: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) the North Harris County Regional Water Authority; |
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| 25 | 25 | | or |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2) property located in the territory of the North |
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| 27 | 27 | | Harris County Regional Water Authority, as described by Subchapter |
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| 28 | 28 | | B, Chapter 8888. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 3. Section 8888.001(7), Special District Local Laws |
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| 30 | 30 | | Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (7) "Groundwater reduction plan" means a plan adopted |
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| 32 | 32 | | or implemented to supply water, reduce reliance on groundwater, |
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| 33 | 33 | | regulate groundwater pumping and water usage, or require and |
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| 34 | 34 | | allocate water usage among persons [in order to comply with or |
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| 35 | 35 | | exceed the minimum requirements imposed by the subsidence |
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| 36 | 36 | | district], including any applicable groundwater reduction |
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| 37 | 37 | | requirements. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 4. Section 8888.005(c), Special District Local Laws |
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| 39 | 39 | | Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (c) The following laws do not apply to the authority: |
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| 41 | 41 | | (1) Chapter 8801 of this code; |
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| 42 | 42 | | (2) Chapter 36, Water Code; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (3) [(2)] Section 49.052, Water Code; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (4) [(3)] Sections 49.451-49.455, Water Code. |
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| 45 | 45 | | SECTION 5. Section 8888.156(b), Special District Local Laws |
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| 46 | 46 | | Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 47 | 47 | | (b) [The board by rule shall exempt from the fee established |
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| 48 | 48 | | under Subsection (a) each class of wells that is not subject to a |
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| 49 | 49 | | groundwater reduction requirement imposed by the subsidence |
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| 50 | 50 | | district. If an exempted class of wells becomes subject to a |
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| 51 | 51 | | groundwater reduction requirement imposed by the subsidence |
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| 52 | 52 | | district, the authority may charge the fee established under |
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| 53 | 53 | | Subsection (a) on the wells of that class.] The board by rule may |
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| 54 | 54 | | exempt any [other] class of wells from the fee established under |
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| 55 | 55 | | Subsection (a). |
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| 56 | 56 | | SECTION 6. Section 8888.157(b), Special District Local Laws |
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| 57 | 57 | | Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 58 | 58 | | (b) The groundwater reduction plan may be amended at the |
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| 59 | 59 | | discretion of the authority [subject to the requirements and |
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| 60 | 60 | | procedures of the subsidence district applicable to the amendment |
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| 61 | 61 | | of groundwater reduction plans]. |
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| 62 | 62 | | SECTION 7. Section 8888.165(a), Special District Local Laws |
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| 63 | 63 | | Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 64 | 64 | | (a) In implementing this chapter, the board may cooperate |
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| 65 | 65 | | with and request the assistance of the Texas Water Development |
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| 66 | 66 | | Board, the commission, the United States Geological Survey, the |
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| 67 | 67 | | Harris-Galveston Subsidence District [subsidence district], other |
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| 68 | 68 | | local governments, and other agencies of the United States and this |
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| 69 | 69 | | state. |
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| 70 | 70 | | SECTION 8. Section 8888.166(b), Special District Local Laws |
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| 71 | 71 | | Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 72 | 72 | | (b) The authority may expedite the financing and |
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| 73 | 73 | | construction of a surface water delivery system, or other projects |
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| 74 | 74 | | of the authority, to accomplish a conversion from reliance on |
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| 75 | 75 | | groundwater to reliance on surface water not later than [the |
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| 76 | 76 | | earlier of: |
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| 77 | 77 | | [(1) the date required by the subsidence district; or |
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| 78 | 78 | | [(2)] the date determined by the board to be in the |
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| 79 | 79 | | interest of the authority or one or more districts inside or outside |
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| 80 | 80 | | the authority. |
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| 81 | 81 | | SECTION 9. The following provisions of the Special District |
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| 82 | 82 | | Local Laws Code are repealed: |
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| 83 | 83 | | (1) Section 8888.001(12); |
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| 84 | 84 | | (2) Section 8888.005(b); |
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| 85 | 85 | | (3) Section 8888.156(c); |
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| 86 | 86 | | (4) Section 8888.157(c); |
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| 87 | 87 | | (5) Section 8888.165(b); and |
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| 88 | 88 | | (6) Section 8888.201. |
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| 89 | 89 | | SECTION 10. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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