Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB718 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R4449 ANG-F
2	2	By: Kolkhorst, Johnson S.B. No. 718
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to creation of the groundwater science, research, and
10	10	innovation fund to be administered by the Texas Water Development
11	11	Board.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Chapter 15, Water Code, is amended by adding
14	14	Subchapter F-1 to read as follows:
15	15	SUBCHAPTER F-1. GROUNDWATER SCIENCE, RESEARCH, AND INNOVATION FUND
16	16	Sec. 15.421. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
17	17	(1) "District" means a groundwater conservation
18	18	district created under Section 52, Article III, or Section 59,
19	19	Article XVI, Texas Constitution, that has the authority to regulate
20	20	the spacing of wells producing from groundwater reservoirs in the
21	21	district and regulate the production from those wells.
22	22	(2) "Fund" means the groundwater science, research,
23	23	and innovation fund.
24	24	Sec. 15.422. GROUNDWATER SCIENCE, RESEARCH, AND INNOVATION
25	25	FUND. (a) The groundwater science, research, and innovation fund
26	26	is a special fund in the state treasury to be administered by the
27	27	board under this subchapter and rules adopted by the board under
28	28	this subchapter.
29	29	(b) The fund consists of:
30	30	(1) money appropriated for transfer or deposit to the
31	31	credit of the fund;
32	32	(2) money the board transfers to the fund from any
33	33	available source;
34	34	(3) depository interest allocable to the fund and
35	35	other investment returns on money in the fund;
36	36	(4) money from gifts, grants, or donations to the
37	37	fund; and
38	38	(5) any other fees or sources of revenue that the
39	39	legislature may dedicate for deposit to the fund.
40	40	Sec. 15.423. USE OF FUND. (a) The board may use the fund
41	41	only to provide financial assistance in the form of grants to
42	42	finance district programs and projects that will further
43	43	groundwater science, research, and innovation in this state,
44	44	including local research, data, modeling, and innovative programs
45	45	and projects designed to:
46	46	(1) improve understanding of local groundwater
47	47	conditions;
48	48	(2) develop or improve groundwater models relied on
49	49	for planning and decision-making;
50	50	(3) improve groundwater use efficiency and increase
51	51	water conservation efforts;
52	52	(4) increase groundwater recharge; or
53	53	(5) protect groundwater quality.
54	54	(b) The fund may be used for any purpose described by
55	55	Subsection (a) under criteria developed by the board.
56	56	Sec. 15.424. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. The board shall adopt
57	57	rules necessary to administer this subchapter, including rules
58	58	establishing procedures for the application for and award of
59	59	financial assistance, the distribution of financial assistance,
60	60	and the administration of financial assistance and the fund.
61	61	Sec. 15.425. EVALUATION OF APPLICATION. (a) When
62	62	evaluating an application for financial assistance from a district,
63	63	the board shall consider:
64	64	(1) the expected benefit of the program or project in
65	65	informing the management, planning, or decision-making of the
66	66	district;
67	67	(2) whether the program or project meets any science,
68	68	data, and modeling objectives of the board;
69	69	(3) the extent to which the program's or project's
70	70	outcome may benefit the state and regional water planning processes
71	71	under Sections 16.051 and 16.053; and
72	72	(4) the district's need for financial assistance based
73	73	on the district's available revenue or other sources of financial
74	74	assistance available to the district.
75	75	(b) The board by resolution may approve an application if,
76	76	after considering the factors listed in Subsection (a) and other
77	77	relevant factors, the board finds that the public interest is
78	78	served by state assistance for the program or project and the
79	79	district has met the matching funds requirement under Section
80	80	15.426.
81	81	(c) The board shall ensure that a district that receives
82	82	financial assistance for a program or project provides the board
83	83	with all data, science, and other research findings gathered
84	84	through the implementation of the program or project for which the
85	85	district received financial assistance.
86	86	(d) The board shall ensure that at least 35 percent of the
87	87	money transferred from the fund is used to fund programs or projects
88	88	by districts with:
89	89	(1) populations of not more than 100,000; and
90	90	(2) annual revenues of not more than $250,000, as
91	91	determined at the close of the previous fiscal year.
92	92	Sec. 15.426. MATCHING FUNDS REQUIRED. The board by rule may
93	93	require a district that is the recipient of a grant using money from
94	94	the fund to provide matching funds, which may include direct
95	95	expenditures or in-kind services related to the program or project,
96	96	in an amount equal to 25 percent of the amount of the grant.
97	97	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.