By:  Armbrister                                       S.B. No. 1028
       73R5101 SMH-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the powers of the Texas Water Development Board and the
    1-3  executive administrator of the board.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 6.183, Water Code, is amended to read as
    1-6  follows:
    1-7        Sec. 6.183.  Employment of Personnel.  (a)  The executive
    1-8  administrator shall employ necessary personnel for the board.
    1-9        (b)  The executive administrator may employ deputy directors
   1-10  as the executive administrator determines appropriate.  The deputy
   1-11  directors are under the direction of the executive administrator
   1-12  and have the powers and duties assigned by the executive
   1-13  administrator.
   1-14        SECTION 2.  Section 15.011(b), Water Code, is amended to read
   1-15  as follows:
   1-16        (b)  After notice and hearing and subject to any limitations
   1-17  established by the General Appropriations Act, the board may
   1-18  transfer money from the fund to the loan fund created under
   1-19  Subchapter C of this chapter, the storage acquisition fund created
   1-20  under Subchapter E of this chapter, and the research and planning
   1-21  fund created under Subchapter F of this chapter, and the
   1-22  hydrographic survey account created under Subchapter M <L> of this
   1-23  chapter, provided the hydrographic survey account transfer does not
   1-24  exceed $425,000.
    2-1        SECTION 3.  Section 15.012(c), Water Code, is amended to read
    2-2  as follows:
    2-3        (c)  Money appropriated to the fund by the legislature for a
    2-4  specific purpose stated in Subchapter C, E, <or> F, or M <L> of
    2-5  this chapter shall be placed in the appropriate fund created by
    2-6  that subchapter.
    2-7        SECTION 4.  Subchapter L, Chapter 15, Water Code, as added by
    2-8  Chapter 3, Acts of the 72nd Legislature, 1st Called Session, 1991,
    2-9  is relettered as Subchapter M, Chapter 15, Water Code, in order to
   2-10  eliminate duplicate citations, and is amended by adding Section
   2-11  15.8025 and by amending Section 15.803 to read as follows:
   2-12            SUBCHAPTER M <L>.  HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY PROGRAM
   2-13        Sec. 15.8025.  INSURANCE FOR CAPITAL EQUIPMENT.  The board
   2-14  may purchase property insurance to cover watercraft and other
   2-15  capital equipment used in the program.
   2-16        Sec. 15.803.  Use of Account.  Money in the account may be
   2-17  used only to pay the costs of surveys, the costs of insurance for
   2-18  watercraft and other capital equipment, and the costs of capital
   2-19  equipment and personnel necessary to administer the program.
   2-20        SECTION 5.  Section 17.899(a), Water Code, is amended to read
   2-21  as follows:
   2-22        (a)  The board may approve an application if, after
   2-23  considering the factors in Section 17.898 and other relevant
   2-24  factors, the board finds that:
   2-25              (1)  the public interest would be served in granting
   2-26  the application;
   2-27              (2)  a lender district has the ability to make
    3-1  conservation loans, manage a conservation loan program, and repay
    3-2  the loan to the board;
    3-3              (3)  a borrower district has the ability to repay
    3-4  <prepay> the conservation loan; and
    3-5              (4)  granting the application will further water
    3-6  conservation in the state.
    3-7        SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
    3-8  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    3-9  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   3-10  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   3-11  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   3-12  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   3-13  passage, and it is so enacted.