By: Beckley H.B. No. 1956

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to information on projected changes in weather, water availability, and climate variability in strategic plans of certain state agencies.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 2056.002(b), Government Code, is amended to read as follows:

(b) The Legislative Budget Board and the Governor's Office of Budget, Policy, and Planning shall determine the elements required to be included in each agency's strategic plan. Unless modified by the Legislative Budget Board and the Governor's Office of Budget, Policy, and Planning, and except as provided by Subsection (c), a plan must include:

(1) a statement of the mission and goals of the state agency;

(2) a description of the indicators developed under this chapter and used to measure the output and outcome of the agency;

(3) identification of the groups of people served by the agency, including those having service priorities, or other service measures established by law, and estimates of changes in those groups expected during the term of the plan;

(4) an analysis of the use of the agency's resources to meet the agency's needs, including future needs, and an estimate of additional resources that may be necessary to meet future needs;

(5) an analysis of expected changes in the services provided by the agency because of changes in state or federal law;

(6) a description of the means and strategies for meeting the agency's needs, including future needs, and achieving the goals established under Section 2056.006 for each area of state government for which the agency provides services;

(7) a description of the capital improvement needs of the agency during the term of the plan and a statement, if appropriate, of the priority of those needs;

(8) identification of each geographic region of this state, including the Texas-Louisiana border region and the Texas-Mexico border region, served by the agency, and if appropriate the agency's means and strategies for serving each region;

(9) a description of the training of the agency's contract managers under Section 2262.053;

(10) an analysis of the agency's expected expenditures that relate to federally owned or operated military installations or facilities, or communities where a federally owned or operated military installation or facility is located;

(11) an analysis of the strategic use of information resources as provided by the instructions prepared under Section 2054.095; [and]

(12) for the Department of Agriculture, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, General Land Office, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Texas Department of Insurance, Parks and Wildlife Department, Department of Public Safety, Public Utility Commission of Texas, office of the comptroller, Texas A&M Forest Service, and Texas Water Development Board:

(A) an analysis of expected changes, including adverse impacts, in the services provided by the agency because of projected changes in weather, water availability, and climate variability, as determined by the Texas state climatologist's report under Section 2056.005(c);

(B) for each period described in Section 2056.005(c), a description of the means and strategies for meeting the agency's needs and managing the risks associated with the projected changes in weather, water availability, and climate variability as determined by the report; and

(C) for the means and strategies described by Paragraph (B):

(i) identification of any financial resources that will be needed to carry out those means and strategies; and

(ii) an analysis of partnerships and cooperation between the agency and other state, local, and federal governmental entities that will be needed to carry out those means and strategies; and

(13) other information that may be required.

SECTION 2. Section 2056.005, Government Code, is amended by adding Subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f) to read as follows:

(c) Not later than February 1 of each even-numbered year, the Texas state climatologist shall provide to the Legislative Budget Board, for use in the strategic planning of a state agency listed in Section 2056.002(b)(12), a report on projected changes in weather, water availability, and climate variability across the state for a period of:

(1) five years beginning with the next odd-numbered year; and

(2) at least 20 years and not longer than 50 years beginning with the next odd-numbered year.

(d) The report under Subsection (c) may include:

(1) projections of precipitation;

(2) projections of temperature;

(3) projections of stream flow in Texas rivers;

(4) projections of evaporation rates;

(5) projections of soil moisture rates;

(6) projections of sea level changes;

(7) projections of coastal storm intensity;

(8) projections of inland and coastal flood intensity;

(9) likely ranges of variability for all projections;

(10) any estimations of the likelihood of the forecasts, as considered appropriate by the Texas state climatologist; and

(11) any additional factors that are considered useful for state agency strategic planning by the Texas state climatologist.

(e) The Texas state climatologist may use a forecast created outside of the office of the state climatologist if the forecast is considered suitable by the climatologist for the requirements of the report.

(f) Not later than March 1 of each even-numbered year, the Legislative Budget Board shall distribute the report provided under Subsection (c) to the state agencies listed in Section 2056.002(b)(12) for use in each agency's strategic planning.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.