BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3898

By: Raymond

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Under current law the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) may provide certain financial assistance for water supply projects only if the needs addressed by the project are consistent with the state and regional water plans. To be compliant with those plans, a project must not exceed the modeled available groundwater, which is calculated from the desired future conditions as determined by groundwater management areas. The bill author has informed the committee that Groundwater Management Area 13 has no representative from Webb County on it because the county does not have a groundwater conservation district and that, as a result of having no representative, the county had its desired future conditions set by the management area at a level that resulted in only around 900 acre-feet of modeled available groundwater per year, which is vastly different than adjacent counties that have upwards of 40,000 acre-feet of modeled available groundwater per year.

C.S.H.B. 3898 seeks to address this issue by authorizing the TWDB to provide financial assistance for brackish water desalination to certain counties that do not have representation on a groundwater management area or to a nonprofit water supply corporations located in such a county.

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

C.S.H.B. 3898 amends the Water Code to authorize the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to provide financial assistance for brackish water desalination to the following:

· a county that has a population greater than 250,000 and is located:

o on an international border; and

o wholly or partly in a management area, defined by reference as an area designated and delineated by the TWDB under statutory provisions relating to groundwater studies as an area suitable for management of groundwater resources, that does not have a groundwater conservation district that is located inside the county's boundaries; or

· a nonprofit water supply corporation located in such a county.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2025.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3898 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

While both the introduced and the substitute authorize the TWDB to provide financial assistance for brackish water desalination to a county with certain characteristics, the substitute additionally authorizes the TWDB to provide that assistance to a nonprofit water supply corporation located in such a county.