By Siebert                                            H.B. No. 3098
       74R502 JJT-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to permitted withdrawals of water by a military base from
    1-3  the Edwards Aquifer.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Chapter 626, Acts of the 73rd Legislature,
    1-6  Regular Session, 1993, is amended by adding Section 1.161 to read
    1-7  as follows:
    1-8        Sec. 1.161.  INITIAL PERMITS FOR MILITARY BASES.  (a)  A
    1-9  military base that has used underground water from the aquifer
   1-10  during the period provided by Subsection (b) of this section is
   1-11  entitled to an initial regular permit for withdrawal of an amount
   1-12  of water equal to the military base's maximum amount of use of
   1-13  underground water from the aquifer during any one year of the
   1-14  period.  The amount of water is not subject to the proportionate
   1-15  adjustment provided by Section 1.16(e) of this article.
   1-16        (b)  A military base applying for an initial regular permit
   1-17  under Section 1.16 of this article must file with the authority a
   1-18  declaration of historical use of underground water withdrawn from
   1-19  the aquifer during the period from June 1, 1972, through May 31,
   1-20  1995.  The declaration must be filed on or before March 31, 1996.
   1-21        (c)  A military base that has timely filed a declaration of
   1-22  historical use may continue to withdraw water from the aquifer
   1-23  until the authority has taken final action on the permit
   1-24  application.
    2-1        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-2  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-3  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-4  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-5  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-6  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    2-7  passage, and it is so enacted.