By: Zwiener H.B. No. 5186
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to information relied on by the Railroad Commission of
Texas for purposes of rules involving rainfall estimates.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 81, Natural Resources
Code, is amended by adding Section 81.076 to read as follows:
Sec. 81.076. RULES REFERENCING RAINFALL INTENSITY,
DURATION, AND FREQUENCY. (a) This section applies only to a
commission rule the adoption of which involved an evaluation of
rainfall intensity, duration, or frequency.
(b) The commission shall update rules as necessary to
incorporate the latest available rainfall intensity, duration, and
frequency data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration or a comparable source at least once every five
years.
(c) The commission shall update rules as necessary to
incorporate the latest available rainfall intensity, duration, and
frequency data from each new volume of the Precipitation-Frequency
Atlas of the United States published by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
(d) During each rulemaking required by Subsection (b), the
commission shall consider:
(1) the value of costs avoided by the state as a result
of updating the rainfall intensity, frequency, and duration data;
(2) a description of the variance between the existing
and newly available rainfall intensity, frequency, and duration
data; and
(3) the accuracy of the newly available rainfall
intensity, frequency, and duration data in comparison to the
existing rainfall intensity, frequency, and duration data.
SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2026, the Railroad
Commission of Texas shall adopt the first updated rules required by
Section 81.076, Natural Resources Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.