By Junell                                             H.B. No. 1877
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the appointment of watermasters.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 11.326, Water Code, is amended by adding
    1-5  Subsection (g) to read as follows:
    1-6        (g)  The executive director may not appoint a watermaster for
    1-7  a water division if a watermaster was not appointed for the water
    1-8  division before September 1, 1993.
    1-9        SECTION 2.  Section 11.326, Water Code, is amended by adding
   1-10  Subsection (h) to read as follows:
   1-11        (h)  The watermaster appointed for the water division that
   1-12  includes the Nueces River and its tributaries does not have
   1-13  jurisdiction over that river or its tributaries.
   1-14        SECTION 3.  Section 11.451, Water Code, is amended to read as
   1-15  follows:
   1-16        Sec. 11.451.  Commission Authority.  On petition of 25 or
   1-17  more holders of water rights in a river basin or segment of a river
   1-18  basin, <or on its own motion> the commission may authorize the
   1-19  executive director to appoint a watermaster for a river basin or
   1-20  segment of a river basin if the commission finds that the rights of
   1-21  senior water rights holders in the basin or segment of the basin
   1-22  are threatened.
   1-23        SECTION 4.  Section 11.452(a), Water Code, is amended to read
    2-1  as follows:
    2-2        (a)  On receiving a petition for appointment of a watermaster
    2-3  <or on its own motion>, the commission shall call and hold a
    2-4  hearing to determine if a need exists for appointment of a
    2-5  watermaster for the river basin or segment of the river basin.
    2-6        SECTION 5.  The change in the law made by this Act does not
    2-7  affect the power of the executive director of the Texas Water
    2-8  Commission to appoint a successor to a watermaster who was
    2-9  appointed before the effective date of this Act.
   2-10        SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
   2-11        SECTION 7.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-12  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-13  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-14  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-15  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.