BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 2592

By: Paxton

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Lavaca-Navidad River Authority (LNRA), which is based in Jackson County, provides raw water to municipal water providers and industry, monitors water quality in the Lavaca-Navidad river basin, and maintains parks and event venues on its lands surrounding Lake Texana. The Sunset Advisory Commission, during its review of LNRA, found LNRA to be generally well run, particularly its water operations, but identified ways the authority could strengthen its policies and procedures to ensure it manages various administrative practices in a fair and effective manner. S.B. 2592 seeks to implement these sunset commission recommendations and provide for the next review of LNRA during the 2034-2035 sunset review cycle.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 2592 amends Chapter 186, Acts of the 50th Legislature, Regular Session, 1947, to set the next review of the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority (LNRA) under the Texas Sunset Act to be conducted during the 2034-2035 review cycle.

S.B. 2592 revises provisions governing LNRA to implement across-the-board Sunset Advisory Commission policy recommendations relating to the following:

· gubernatorial designation of the presiding officer of LNRA's board of directors;

· specific grounds for removal of a board member;

· board member training;

· separation of the board's policy-making responsibilities and the staff's management responsibilities;

· maintenance of complaint information; and

· public testimony at board meetings.

The bill provides for the transition to the new training requirements for current board members.

S.B. 2592 decreases the length of a board member's term from six years to four years, changes the frequency with which members are appointed from biennially to annually, and provides for the transition to this new term length and appointment frequency. The bill requires the board to appoint a general manager of LNRA. The bill provides for the validation and confirmation of certain LNRA actions and proceedings taken before the bill's effective date.

S.B. 2592 repeals the following provisions:

· Section 1(a), Chapter 22, Acts of the 56th Legislature, 3rd Called Session, 1959; and

· Chapter 417, Acts of the 61st Legislature, Regular Session, 1969.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.