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               AN ACT
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            relating to the authority of certain persons to petition a  | 
         
         
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            groundwater conservation district to change certain rules. | 
         
         
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                   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 36, Water Code, is amended  | 
         
         
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            by adding Section 36.1025 to read as follows: | 
         
         
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                   Sec. 36.1025.  PETITION TO CHANGE RULES.  (a)  A person with  | 
         
         
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            a real property interest in groundwater may petition the district  | 
         
         
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            where the property that gives rise to the real property interest is  | 
         
         
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            located to adopt a rule or modify a rule adopted under this chapter. | 
         
         
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                   (b)  The district by rule shall prescribe the form for a  | 
         
         
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            petition submitted under this section and the procedure for the  | 
         
         
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            submission, consideration, and disposition of the petition. | 
         
         
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                   (c)  Not later than the 90th day after the date the district  | 
         
         
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            receives the petition, the district shall: | 
         
         
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                         (1)  deny the petition and provide an explanation for  | 
         
         
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            the denial; or | 
         
         
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                         (2)  engage in rulemaking consistent with the granted  | 
         
         
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            petition. | 
         
         
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                   (d)  Nothing in this section may be construed to create a  | 
         
         
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            private cause of action for a decision to accept or deny a petition  | 
         
         
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            filed under this section. | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 2.  Not later than December 1, 2023, a groundwater  | 
         
         
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            conservation district shall adopt rules to implement Section  | 
         
         
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            36.1025, Water Code, as added by this Act. | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | 
         
         
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            ______________________________ | 
            ______________________________ | 
         
         
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               President of the Senate | 
            Speaker of the House      | 
         
         
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                   I certify that H.B. No. 2443 was passed by the House on May 5,  | 
         
         
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            2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 144, Nays 0, 1 present, not  | 
         
         
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            voting. | 
         
         
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            ______________________________ | 
         
         
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            Chief Clerk of the House    | 
         
         
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                   I certify that H.B. No. 2443 was passed by the Senate on May  | 
         
         
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            21, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0. | 
         
         
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            ______________________________ | 
         
         
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            Secretary of the Senate     | 
         
         
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            APPROVED:  _____________________ | 
         
         
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                      _____________________ | 
         
         
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                             Governor        |