Enrolled Bill Summary

            Senate Bill 1 amends the Water Code to implement a comprehensive drought and water conservation, development, and management plan for Texas. The act authorizes the Texas Water Development Board to designate regional water planning areas and requires the development of state, regional, and local water management plans. The act authorizes the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission to impose restrictions on the use of groundwater to maintain instream uses and freshwater inflows to bays and estuaries. Senate Bill 1 also establishes new procedures for creating groundwater districts, establishes the Texas Water Trust within the water bank to hold water rights dedicated to environmental needs, and requires the board, the commission, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to adopt rules to govern the process for holding and transferring water rights.

            The act prohibits interbasin water transfers unless a water right or amendment to a permit, certified filing, or certificate of adjudication has first been issued by the commission and stipulates that any proposed water transfer is junior in priority to water rights granted before the time the application for transfer is accepted for filing. The act also establishes the Texas Water Development Fund II, contingent on the passage of constitutional amendment Senate Joint Resolution 17, and requires that all water financial assistance bond proceeds be deposited to the fund. It also establishes a 10-member Interim Committee on Water Resources Development and Management to study the state's water supply and wastewater infrastructure needs, creates a drought response and management committee, and merges the Texas Natural Resources Information System and the Texas Geographic Information Systems Planning Council to form a new Texas Geographic Information Council.

            Senate Bill 1 takes effect September 1, 1997, except for Sections 2.03, 2.08, 2.09, 2.17, and 3.03, which take effect immediately, Sections 5.03 and 5.05-5.08 regarding consolidation of existing bond authorization, which take effect upon voter approval of Senate Joint Resolution 17, and Section 5.11 regarding property tax exemptions for water conservation initiatives, which takes effect upon voter approval of Senate Joint Resolution 45.