By Hinojosa                                            H.B. No. 530
         76R2492 BDH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to financial assistance provided by the state for the
 1-3     implementation of environmentally sensitive irrigation methods.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 201.302(a), Agriculture Code, is amended
 1-6     to read as follows:
 1-7           (a)  The state board may provide cost-share assistance to
 1-8     landowners or operators for the installation of soil and water
 1-9     conservation land improvement measures consistent with the purpose
1-10     of controlling erosion, conserving water, or protecting water
1-11     quality. For a soil and water conservation land improvement measure
1-12     to implement an environmentally sensitive irrigation method, as
1-13     defined by the board, the state board shall provide cost-share
1-14     assistance consistent with Section 201.308.
1-15           SECTION 2.  Section 201.308, Agriculture Code, is amended by
1-16     adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
1-17           (f)  To the extent money is available, the state board shall
1-18     pay a part of the cost, not to exceed 50 percent of the cost, of
1-19     the purchase and installation of a soil and water conservation land
1-20     improvement measure to implement an environmentally sensitive
1-21     irrigation method.
1-22           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-23           SECTION 4.  This Act applies only to improvements purchased
1-24     and installed on or after the effective date of this Act.
 2-1           SECTION 5.  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.