AN ACT 1-1 relating to the creation, administration, powers, duties, 1-2 operation, and financing of the Guadalupe County Groundwater 1-3 Conservation District. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. CREATION. (a) A groundwater conservation 1-6 district, to be known as the Guadalupe County Groundwater 1-7 Conservation District, is created in Guadalupe County, subject to 1-8 approval at a confirmation election under Section 8 of this Act. 1-9 The district is a governmental agency and a body politic and 1-10 corporate. 1-11 (b) The district is created under and is essential to 1-12 accomplish the purposes of Section 59, Article XVI, Texas 1-13 Constitution. 1-14 SECTION 2. DEFINITION. In this Act, "district" means the 1-15 Guadalupe County Groundwater Conservation District. 1-16 SECTION 3. BOUNDARIES. The boundaries of the district are 1-17 coextensive with the boundaries of Guadalupe County. 1-18 SECTION 4. FINDING OF BENEFIT. All of the land and other 1-19 property included within the boundaries of the district will be 1-20 benefited by the works and projects that are to be accomplished by 1-21 the district under powers conferred by Section 59, Article XVI, 1-22 Texas Constitution. The district is created to serve a public use 1-23 and benefit. 2-1 SECTION 5. POWERS. (a) Except as provided by Subsection 2-2 (d) of this section, the district has all of the rights, powers, 2-3 privileges, authority, functions, and duties provided by the 2-4 general law of this state, including Chapters 36 and 49, Water 2-5 Code, applicable to groundwater conservation districts created 2-6 under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution. This Act 2-7 prevails over any provision of general law that is in conflict or 2-8 inconsistent with this Act. 2-9 (b) The rights, powers, privileges, authority, functions, 2-10 and duties of the district are subject to the continuing right of 2-11 supervision of the state to be exercised by and through the Texas 2-12 Natural Resource Conservation Commission. 2-13 (c) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) of this section, the 2-14 following provisions prevail over a conflicting or inconsistent 2-15 provision in this Act: 2-16 (1) Sections 36.107 and 36.108, Water Code; and 2-17 (2) Subchapter I, Chapter 36, Water Code. 2-18 (d) The district may not impose a tax or fee. 2-19 SECTION 6. BOARD OF DIRECTORS. (a) The district is 2-20 governed by a board of five directors. 2-21 (b) Temporary directors serve until initial permanent 2-22 directors are elected under Section 8 of this Act. 2-23 (c) Initial permanent directors serve until permanent 2-24 directors are elected under Section 9 of this Act. 2-25 (d) Permanent directors other than initial permanent 3-1 directors serve staggered four-year terms. 3-2 (e) Each director must qualify to serve as director in the 3-3 manner provided by Section 36.055, Water Code. 3-4 (f) A director serves until the director's successor has 3-5 qualified. 3-6 SECTION 7. TEMPORARY DIRECTORS. (a) The temporary board of 3-7 directors is composed of: 3-8 (1) Jess Hoermann; 3-9 (2) Ronald Naumann; 3-10 (3) Gus Person; 3-11 (4) Edward Springs; and 3-12 (5) James (Tuddy) Dietz. 3-13 (b) If a temporary director fails to qualify for office, the 3-14 temporary directors who have qualified shall appoint a person to 3-15 fill the vacancy. If at any time there are fewer than three 3-16 qualified temporary directors, the Texas Natural Resource 3-17 Conservation Commission shall appoint the necessary number of 3-18 persons to fill all vacancies on the board. 3-19 SECTION 8. CONFIRMATION AND INITIAL DIRECTORS' ELECTION. 3-20 (a) The temporary board of directors shall call and hold an 3-21 election to confirm establishment of the district and to elect five 3-22 initial directors. 3-23 (b) At the confirmation and initial directors' election, the 3-24 temporary board of directors shall have the names of the five 3-25 persons serving as temporary directors placed on the ballot 4-1 together with the name of any candidate filing for the office of 4-2 director and blank spaces to write in the names of other persons. 4-3 If the district is created at the election, the temporary 4-4 directors, at the time the vote is canvassed, shall declare the 4-5 five persons who receive the most votes to be elected as the 4-6 initial directors and shall include the results of the directors' 4-7 election in the district's election report to the Texas Natural 4-8 Resource Conservation Commission. 4-9 (c) Subsection (a), Section 41.001, Election Code, does not 4-10 apply to a confirmation and initial directors' election held as 4-11 provided by this section. 4-12 (d) Except as provided by this section, a confirmation and 4-13 initial directors' election must be conducted as provided by 4-14 Subsections (b) through (h), Section 36.017, Water Code, and the 4-15 Election Code. 4-16 SECTION 9. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS. (a) On the first 4-17 Saturday in May of the second year after the year in which the 4-18 district is authorized to be created at a confirmation election, an 4-19 election shall be held in the district for the election of two 4-20 directors, each of whom shall serve a two-year term, and three 4-21 directors, each of whom shall serve a four-year term. 4-22 (b) On the first Saturday in May of each subsequent second 4-23 year following the election, the appropriate number of directors 4-24 shall be elected to the board. 4-25 SECTION 10. FINDINGS RELATED TO PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS. 5-1 (a) The proper and legal notice of the intention to introduce this 5-2 Act, setting forth the general substance of this Act, has been 5-3 published as provided by law, and the notice and a copy of this Act 5-4 have been furnished to all persons, agencies, officials, or 5-5 entities to which they are required to be furnished by the 5-6 constitution and other laws of this state, including the governor, 5-7 who has submitted the notice and Act to the Texas Natural Resource 5-8 Conservation Commission. 5-9 (b) The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission has 5-10 filed its recommendations relating to this Act with the governor, 5-11 lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives 5-12 within the required time. 5-13 (c) All requirements of the constitution and laws of this 5-14 state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect 5-15 to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled 5-16 and accomplished. 5-17 SECTION 11. EMERGENCY. The importance of this legislation 5-18 and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 5-19 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 5-20 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 5-21 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 5-22 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 5-23 passage, and it is so enacted. _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1582 passed the Senate on May 5, 1997, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 29, 1997, by a viva-voce vote. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1582 passed the House, with amendment, on May 28, 1997, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House Approved: _______________________________ Date _______________________________ Governor