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.