Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB976 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R9362 KRM-D
2	2	By: Eckhardt S.B. No. 976
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the establishment of an advisory board to study surface
10	10	water and groundwater interaction.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "advisory board" means
13	13	the Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction Advisory Board.
14	14	SECTION 2. SURFACE WATER AND GROUNDWATER INTERACTION
15	15	ADVISORY BOARD ESTABLISHED. (a) The Surface Water and Groundwater
16	16	Interaction Advisory Board is established and consists of 12
17	17	persons as follows:
18	18	(1) the executive administrator of the Texas Water
19	19	Development Board;
20	20	(2) one person to represent the interests of the Texas
21	21	Commission on Environmental Quality, recommended by the Texas
22	22	Commission on Environmental Quality and appointed jointly by the
23	23	chairs of the house natural resources committee and the senate
24	24	water, agriculture, and rural affairs committee;
25	25	(3) two persons to represent the interests of river
26	26	authorities, recommended jointly by the Texas Commission on
27	27	Environmental Quality and the Texas Water Development Board and
28	28	appointed jointly by the chairs of the house natural resources
29	29	committee and the senate water, agriculture, and rural affairs
30	30	committee;
31	31	(4) two persons to represent the interests of
32	32	groundwater conservation districts, recommended jointly by the
33	33	Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Water
34	34	Development Board and appointed jointly by the chairs of the house
35	35	natural resources committee and the senate water, agriculture, and
36	36	rural affairs committee;
37	37	(5) two persons with academic or specialist knowledge
38	38	in the area of surface water and groundwater interaction, with one
39	39	appointed by the chair of the house natural resources committee and
40	40	another appointed by the chair of the senate water, agriculture,
41	41	and rural affairs committee;
42	42	(6) one person to represent environmental interests or
43	43	the interests relating to the interaction of surface water and
44	44	groundwater, recommended jointly by the Texas Commission on
45	45	Environmental Quality and the Texas Water Development Board and
46	46	appointed jointly by the chairs of the house natural resources
47	47	committee and the senate water, agriculture, and rural affairs
48	48	committee;
49	49	(7) the chair of the house natural resources
50	50	committee;
51	51	(8) the chair of the senate water, agriculture, and
52	52	rural affairs committee; and
53	53	(9) one person from the office of the governor,
54	54	appointed by the governor.
55	55	(b) The executive administrator of the Texas Water
56	56	Development Board serves as the chair of the advisory board.
57	57	SECTION 3. PUBLIC MEETING. The advisory board shall hold at
58	58	least one public meeting each year in order to accept comments from
59	59	the public on matters studied by the advisory board.
60	60	SECTION 4. SURFACE WATER AND GROUNDWATER INTERACTION STUDY.
61	61	(a) The advisory board shall study:
62	62	(1) the extent to which surface water and groundwater
63	63	interact in this state;
64	64	(2) challenges arising in this state from the
65	65	interaction of surface water and groundwater; and
66	66	(3) approaches to mitigating challenges arising in
67	67	this state from the interaction of surface water and groundwater.
68	68	(b) In conducting the study under this section, the advisory
69	69	board shall consult with:
70	70	(1) the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality;
71	71	(2) groundwater conservation districts; and
72	72	(3) river authorities.
73	73	SECTION 5. STUDY UPDATES AND REPORT; EXPIRATION OF ACT. (a)
74	74	Not later than December 1 of each year, the advisory board shall
75	75	submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the
76	76	house of representatives, and each member of the legislature an
77	77	annual status report on the progress of the study conducted under
78	78	Section 4 of this Act.
79	79	(b) Not later than December 1, 2034, the advisory board
80	80	shall deliver to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker
81	81	of the house of representatives, and each member of the legislature
82	82	a final report on the determinations of the advisory board based on
83	83	the study conducted under Section 4 of this Act.
84	84	(c) The advisory board shall deliver to the governor, the
85	85	lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
86	86	or a member of the legislature information related to the annual
87	87	status report under Subsection (a) of this section or the final
88	88	report under Subsection (b) of this section on request.
89	89	(d) The advisory board is abolished and this Act expires
90	90	January 1, 2035.
91	91	SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect
92	92	immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members
93	93	elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas
94	94	Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for
95	95	immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2025.