1-1 By: Junell (Senate Sponsor - Sims) H.B. No. 1877
1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 1993;
1-3 May 4, 1993, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural
1-4 Resources; May 21, 1993, reported favorably by the following vote:
1-5 Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 21, 1993, sent to printer.)
1-6 COMMITTEE VOTE
1-7 Yea Nay PNV Absent
1-8 Sims x
1-9 Truan x
1-10 Armbrister x
1-11 Barrientos x
1-12 Bivins x
1-13 Brown x
1-14 Carriker x
1-15 Lucio x
1-16 Montford x
1-17 Ratliff x
1-18 Shelley x
1-19 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-20 AN ACT
1-21 relating to the appointment of watermasters.
1-22 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-23 SECTION 1. Section 11.326, Water Code, is amended by adding
1-24 Subsection (g) to read as follows:
1-25 (g) The executive director may not appoint a watermaster for
1-26 a water division if a watermaster was not appointed for the water
1-27 division before September 1, 1993.
1-28 SECTION 2. Section 11.326, Water Code, is amended by adding
1-29 Subsection (h) to read as follows:
1-30 (h) The watermaster appointed for the water division that
1-31 includes the Nueces River and its tributaries does not have
1-32 jurisdiction over that river or its tributaries.
1-33 SECTION 3. Section 11.451, Water Code, is amended to read as
1-34 follows:
1-35 Sec. 11.451. Commission Authority. On petition of 25 or
1-36 more holders of water rights in a river basin or segment of a river
1-37 basin, <or on its own motion> the commission may authorize the
1-38 executive director to appoint a watermaster for a river basin or
1-39 segment of a river basin if the commission finds that the rights of
1-40 senior water rights holders in the basin or segment of the basin
1-41 are threatened.
1-42 SECTION 4. Section 11.452(a), Water Code, is amended to read
1-43 as follows:
1-44 (a) On receiving a petition for appointment of a watermaster
1-45 <or on its own motion>, the commission shall call and hold a
1-46 hearing to determine if a need exists for appointment of a
1-47 watermaster for the river basin or segment of the river basin.
1-48 SECTION 5. The change in the law made by this Act does not
1-49 affect the power of the executive director of the Texas Water
1-50 Commission to appoint a successor to a watermaster who was
1-51 appointed before the effective date of this Act.
1-52 SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
1-53 SECTION 7. The importance of this legislation and the
1-54 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-55 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-56 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-57 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-58 * * * * *
1-59 Austin,
1-60 Texas
1-61 May 21, 1993
1-62 Hon. Bob Bullock
1-63 President of the Senate
1-64 Sir:
1-65 We, your Committee on Natural Resources to which was referred H.B.
1-66 No. 1877, have had the same under consideration, and I am
1-67 instructed to report it back to the Senate with the recommendation
1-68 that it do pass and be printed.
2-1 Sims,
2-2 Chairman
2-3 * * * * *
2-4 WITNESSES
2-5 No witnesses appeared on H.B. No. 1877.