1-1 By: Saunders (Senate Sponsor - Sims) H.B. No. 2620
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 11, 1993, reported favorably by the following vote:
1-5 Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 11, 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 regional apportionment and assessment of the costs of
1-22 administering water quality management programs by watershed or
1-23 river basin.
1-24 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-25 SECTION 1. Section 26.0135(h), Water Code, is amended to
1-26 read as follows:
1-27 (h) The Texas Water Commission shall apportion, assess, and
1-28 recover the reasonable costs of administering water quality
1-29 management programs under this section from all users of water and
1-30 wastewater permit holders in the watershed according to the records
1-31 of the commission generally in proportion to their right, through
1-32 permit or contract, to use water from and discharge wastewater in
1-33 the watershed. The cost to river authorities and others to conduct
1-34 regional water quality assessment shall be subject to prior review
1-35 and approval by the commission as to methods of allocation and
1-36 total amount to be recovered. The commission shall adopt rules to
1-37 supervise and implement the water quality assessment and associated
1-38 costs. The rules shall ensure that water users and wastewater
1-39 dischargers do not pay excessive amounts, that a river authority
1-40 may recover no more than the actual costs of administering the
1-41 water quality management programs called for in this section, and
1-42 that no municipality shall be assessed cost for any efforts that
1-43 duplicate water quality management activities described in Section
1-44 26.177 of this chapter. The rules concerning the apportionment and
1-45 assessment of reasonable costs shall provide for a recovery of not
1-46 more than $5,000,000 annually for fiscal years 1994 and 1995.
1-47 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
1-48 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-49 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-50 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-51 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
1-52 * * * * *
1-53 Austin,
1-54 Texas
1-55 May 11, 1993
1-56 Hon. Bob Bullock
1-57 President of the Senate
1-58 Sir:
1-59 We, your Committee on Natural Resources to which was referred H.B.
1-60 No. 2620, have had the same under consideration, and I am
1-61 instructed to report it back to the Senate with the recommendation
1-62 that it do pass and be printed.
1-63 Sims,
1-64 Chairman
1-65 * * * * *
1-66 WITNESSES
1-67 FOR AGAINST ON
1-68 ___________________________________________________________________
2-1 Name: Walter Fisher x
2-2 Representing: Tx Municipal League
2-3 City: Austin
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