By: Brown, Armbrister, Truan S.B. No. 1911
Zaffirini, Fraser, Lucio
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to the creation, administration, powers, duties,
1-2 operation, and financing of certain groundwater conservation
1-3 districts.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. CREATION. (a) The following groundwater
1-6 conservation districts are created:
1-7 (1) Bergesland Groundwater Conservation District;
1-8 (2) Blanco-Pedernales Groundwater Conservation
1-9 District;
1-10 (3) Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District;
1-11 (4) Brewster Groundwater Conservation District;
1-12 (5) Coastal Bend Groundwater Conservation District;
1-13 (6) Coastal Plains Groundwater Conservation District;
1-14 (7) Crossroads Groundwater Conservation District;
1-15 (8) Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District;
1-16 (9) Lavaca Groundwater Conservation District;
1-17 (10) Lone Wolf Groundwater Conservation District;
1-18 (11) Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District;
1-19 (12) McMullen Groundwater Conservation District;
1-20 (13) Middle Pecos Groundwater Conservation District;
1-21 (14) Presidio Groundwater Conservation District;
1-22 (15) Red Sands Groundwater Conservation District;
1-23 (16) Refugio Groundwater Conservation District;
1-24 (17) Southeast Trinity Groundwater Conservation
2-1 District;
2-2 (18) Texana Groundwater Conservation District;
2-3 (19) Trans-Pecos Groundwater Conservation District;
2-4 (20) Tri-County Groundwater Conservation District; and
2-5 (21) Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation
2-6 District.
2-7 (b) A district created under this section is a governmental
2-8 agency and a body politic and corporate.
2-9 (c) Each district created under this section is created
2-10 under and is essential to accomplish the purposes of Section 59,
2-11 Article XVI, Texas Constitution.
2-12 SECTION 2. BOUNDARIES. (a) The boundaries of the following
2-13 groundwater conservation districts are coextensive with county
2-14 boundaries as follows:
2-15 (1) the boundaries of the Bergesland Groundwater
2-16 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of
2-17 Kendall County;
2-18 (2) the boundaries of the Blanco-Pedernales
2-19 Groundwater Conservation District are coextensive with the
2-20 boundaries of Blanco County;
2-21 (3) the boundaries of the Brazos Valley Groundwater
2-22 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of
2-23 Robertson and Brazos Counties;
2-24 (4) the boundaries of the Brewster Groundwater
2-25 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of
2-26 Brewster County;
3-1 (5) the boundaries of the Coastal Bend Groundwater
3-2 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of
3-3 Wharton County;
3-4 (6) the boundaries of the Coastal Plains Groundwater
3-5 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of
3-6 Matagorda County;
3-7 (7) the boundaries of the Crossroads Groundwater
3-8 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of
3-9 Victoria County;
3-10 (8) the boundaries of the Lavaca Groundwater
3-11 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of Lavaca
3-12 County;
3-13 (9) the boundaries of the Lone Wolf Groundwater
3-14 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of
3-15 Mitchell County;
3-16 (10) the boundaries of the Lost Pines Groundwater
3-17 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of
3-18 Bastrop and Lee Counties, but if the voters of only one county
3-19 confirm the creation of the district under Section 10 of this Act,
3-20 the boundaries of the district are coextensive with the boundaries
3-21 of that county;
3-22 (11) the boundaries of the McMullen Groundwater
3-23 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of
3-24 McMullen County;
3-25 (12) the boundaries of the Middle Pecos Groundwater
3-26 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of Pecos
4-1 County;
4-2 (13) the boundaries of the Presidio Groundwater
4-3 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of
4-4 Presidio County;
4-5 (14) the boundaries of the Refugio Groundwater
4-6 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of
4-7 Refugio County;
4-8 (15) the boundaries of the Texana Groundwater
4-9 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of
4-10 Jackson County;
4-11 (16) the boundaries of the Trans-Pecos Groundwater
4-12 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of Loving
4-13 and Reeves Counties; and
4-14 (17) the boundaries of the Tri-County Groundwater
4-15 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of Foard,
4-16 Hardeman, and Wilbarger Counties.
4-17 (b) The boundaries of the Hays Trinity Groundwater
4-18 Conservation District are coextensive with the boundaries of Hays
4-19 County, excluding the part of the county within the boundaries of
4-20 the Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District or the
4-21 Edwards Aquifer Authority.
4-22 (c) The Red Sands Groundwater Conservation District includes
4-23 all of the territory contained in the following described area:
4-24 A 19,232 acre tract more or less out of San Salvador Del Tule Grant
4-25 as recorded in Volume 10, Page 58 of the Hidalgo County, Texas map
4-26 records and out of the Santa Anita Grant as recorded in Volume 7,
5-1 Page 38 of the Hidalgo County, Texas map records.
5-2 Commencing at the Southeast Corner of this here in described
5-3 boundary tract, said point being the intersection of the centerline
5-4 of U.S. Highway 281 and the centerline of Farm to Market Road
5-5 number 490 (F.M. 490) (West Hargill Road) as shown in the map of
5-6 San Salvador Del Tule Grant as recorded in Volume 10, Page 58 of
5-7 the Hidalgo County map records. Said point is also the point of
5-8 beginning.
5-9 Thence, Westerly along the center line of the F.M. 490, an
5-10 approximate distance of 18,400 feet to a point on the West line of
5-11 San Salvador Del Tule Grant, said point also being the intersection
5-12 of the centerline of F.M. 490 and the West line of the San Salvador
5-13 Del Tule Grant,
5-14 Thence, Northerly along the West line of the San Salvador Del Tule
5-15 Grant and the East line of the Santa Anita Grant at an approximate
5-16 distance of 21,300 feet to a point, said point being an inside
5-17 corner of this herein described tract, and also being the Southeast
5-18 corner of Redland Vineyards Subdivision as recorded in Volume 4,
5-19 Page 51 of the Hidalgo County map records,
5-20 Thence, Westerly along the South line of the Redland Vineyards
5-21 Subdivision, an approximate distance of 4,238 feet to a point, said
5-22 point being an outside corner of this herein described tract, said
5-23 point also being the Southwest corner of the Redland Vineyard
5-24 Subdivision,
5-25 Thence, Northerly with the West line of Redland Vineyards
5-26 Subdivision, at approximately 4,590.50 feet past a point, said
6-1 point being the Northwest corner of Redland Vineyard Subdivision,
6-2 and the Southwest corner of Delbridge Subdivision as recorded in
6-3 Volume 5, Page 11, Hidalgo County map records, and continuing
6-4 Northerly along the West line of Delbridge Subdivision for an
6-5 approximate total distance of 6,646 feet to a point, said point
6-6 being an inside corner of this herein described tract, and also
6-7 being the Northwest corner of Delbridge Subdivision,
6-8 Thence, Westerly along the South line of a 196.37 acres tract,
6-9 known as the A.B. De Kock Tract, an approximate distance of 3,500
6-10 feet past the Southeast corner of share 4, out of the 8,374.70 acre
6-11 tract partition out of the Santa Anita Grant as recorded in Volume
6-12 7, Page 38, in the Hidalgo County map records and continuing
6-13 Westerly for an approximate total distance of 6,500 feet to a
6-14 point, said point being an outside corner of this herein described
6-15 tract and also being the Southwest corner of share 4,
6-16 Thence, Northerly along the West line of share 4, an approximate
6-17 total distance of 19,143 feet to a point, said point being the
6-18 Northwest corner of this herein described tracts and, the
6-19 intersection of the West line of share 4 and the centerline of Farm
6-20 to Market Road number 1017, (F.M. 1017)
6-21 Thence, in a Southeasterly direction, with the Right-of-Way
6-22 centerline of Farm to Market Road number 1017 (F.M. 1017) an
6-23 approximate total distance of 27,800 feet to a point, said point
6-24 being the Northeast corner of this herein described tract, and also
6-25 being the intersection of the centerline of F.M. 1017 Right-of-Way
6-26 and the center line of the U.S. Highway 281 Right-Of-Way,
7-1 Thence, in a Southerly direction, with the centerline of U.S.
7-2 Highway 281 Right-Of-Way, an approximate distance of 7,500 feet
7-3 past Floral Road, and at approximate 21,700 feet past Red Gate Road
7-4 and at approximate 29,700 feet past Laguna Seca Road and for an
7-5 approximate total distance of 39,300 feet to the point of beginning
7-6 of this here in described tract, said tract contains 19,232 Acres,
7-7 More or Less.
7-8 (d) The boundaries of the Southeast Trinity Groundwater
7-9 Conservation District are coextensive with that part of Comal
7-10 County located within the Hill Country Priority Groundwater
7-11 Management Area designated by the Texas Natural Resource
7-12 Conservation Commission by rule effective July 16, 1990.
7-13 (e)(1) The Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation
7-14 District includes the territory contained within that part of Bexar
7-15 County circumscribed by the southern line of the district boundary,
7-16 as described by Subsection (b) of this section, and the boundary of
7-17 Bexar County that lies north of the points where the southern line
7-18 meets the boundary of Bexar County.
7-19 (2) The southern line of the district boundary is
7-20 described:
7-21 Beginning at the north line of said Wm. Byerly Survey 172, across
7-22 the Medina-Bexar County line, to the northeast corner of said
7-23 Survey in Bexar County, Texas.
7-24 THENCE northeast in Bexar County, Texas across the G. W. Garnett
7-25 Survey to the northeast corner of said Survey;
7-26 THENCE northeast across the J. B. McMichael Survey 1, to the south
8-1 corner of the V. Zepeda Survey;
8-2 THENCE northeast along the southeast line of said Survey to the
8-3 northeast corner of the J. B. McMichael Survey 1;
8-4 THENCE east across the Mrs. M. A. Sharp Survey to the southwest
8-5 corner of the T. C. Ry. Co. Survey 7;
8-6 THENCE northeast along the west line of said Survey to its
8-7 northwest corner;
8-8 THENCE southeast along the north line of said Survey to its
8-9 northeast corner;
8-10 THENCE southwest along the east line of said Survey to the north
8-11 corner of the Manuel Gomez Survey 7;
8-12 THENCE southeast along the north line of said Manual Gomez Survey 7
8-13 to its northeast corner, which is in the west line of the J. A.
8-14 Torris Survey;
8-15 THENCE south along the west line of said J. A. Torris Survey to its
8-16 southwest corner;
8-17 THENCE east along the south line of said Survey to the northwest
8-18 corner of the A. Guerrera Survey;
8-19 THENCE south along the west line of said Survey to its southwest
8-20 corner;
8-21 THENCE east along the south line of said Survey to its southeast
8-22 corner;
8-23 THENCE north along the east line of said Survey to the south line
8-24 of the John M. Ross Survey 224;
8-25 THENCE east along the south line of said John M. Ross Survey 224 to
8-26 its southeast corner, which is in the west line of the J. H. Blume
9-1 Survey 356;
9-2 THENCE, north along the west line of said J. H. Blume Survey 356 to
9-3 its northwest corner;
9-4 THENCE east along the north line of said Survey to its northeast
9-5 corner;
9-6 THENCE south along the east line of said Survey to the most
9-7 southerly southwest corner of the H. E. & W. T. Ry. Co. Survey 1;
9-8 THENCE east along the south line of said H. E. & W. T. Ry. Co.
9-9 Survey 1 to its most southerly southeast corner, which is in the
9-10 west corner of the C. Oadna Survey 422;
9-11 THENCE northeast along the northwest lines of said C. Oadna Survey
9-12 422 and the J. Martinez Survey 423 to the north corner of said J.
9-13 Martinez Survey 423;
9-14 THENCE southeast along the northeast line of said Survey to its
9-15 east corner, which is in the northwest line of the Henreich
9-16 Leifeste Survey;
9-17 THENCE northeast along the northwest line of said Henreich Leifeste
9-18 Survey to an interior northwest corner of said Survey;
9-19 THENCE southeast across said Survey to the northwest corner of the
9-20 R. Ortega Survey 435;
9-21 THENCE east along the north line of said R. Ortega Survey 435 to
9-22 its northeast corner, which is in the west line of the C. Brannen
9-23 Survey 433 1/2;
9-24 THENCE south along the west line of said C. Brannen Survey 433 1/2
9-25 to its southwest corner;
9-26 THENCE east along the south line of said Survey to its southeast
10-1 corner;
10-2 THENCE north along the east line of said Survey to the northwest
10-3 corner of the C. C. I. Co. Survey 437;
10-4 THENCE east along the north line of said C. C. I. Co. Survey 437 to
10-5 the northeast corner of said Survey;
10-6 THENCE northeast across the T. C. Ry. Co. Survey 599 to the
10-7 northwest corner of the Chas. W. Beckmann Survey;
10-8 THENCE east along the north line of said Chas. W. Beckmann Survey
10-9 to its northeast corner, which is in the west line of the Collin C.
10-10 McRae Survey 391;
10-11 THENCE north along the west lines of said Collin C. McRae Survey
10-12 391 and the W. P. G. Survey to the northwest corner of said
10-13 W. P. G. Survey;
10-14 THENCE east along the north line of said Survey to its northeast
10-15 corner, which is in the southwest line of the M. James Survey 3;
10-16 THENCE southeast along the southwest line of said M. James Survey 3
10-17 to its south corner, which is the west corner of the M. James
10-18 Survey 2;
10-19 THENCE northeast along the northwest line of said Survey to its
10-20 north corner;
10-21 THENCE southeast along the northeast line of said Survey to the
10-22 most southerly southwest corner of the Rafael Herrera Survey 382;
10-23 THENCE east along the south line of said Rafael Herrera Survey 382
10-24 to its southeast corner;
10-25 THENCE north along the east line of said Survey to the northwest
10-26 corner of the C. C. Survey 8;
11-1 THENCE east along the north line of said C. C. Survey 8 to its
11-2 northeast corner, which is in the west line of the C. C. I. Co.
11-3 Survey 7;
11-4 THENCE north along the west line of said C. C. I. Co. Survey 7 to
11-5 the northwest corner of said Survey;
11-6 THENCE east along the north line of said Survey to its northeast
11-7 corner, which is in the west line of A. B. & M. Survey 5;
11-8 THENCE north along the west line of said A. B. & M. Survey 5 to its
11-9 northwest corner;
11-10 THENCE east along the north lines of said Survey and the Bertha
11-11 Staffel Survey 4 to the southwest corner of the B. S. & F. Survey
11-12 417-3/8;
11-13 THENCE northeast across said Survey to the southwest corner of the
11-14 Ed Penshorn Survey 367;
11-15 THENCE east along the south line of said Ed Penshorn Survey 368 to
11-16 its southeast corner;
11-17 THENCE east across the H. J. Uppertz Survey 417-4/8 to the
11-18 northwest corner of the W. W. Allen Survey 353;
11-19 THENCE east along the north line of said Survey to its northeast
11-20 corner;
11-21 THENCE south along the east line of said Survey to the most
11-22 northerly northwest corner of the Hrs. Wm. Brishin Survey 89 1/2;
11-23 THENCE east along the north line of said Hrs. Wm. Brishin Survey 89
11-24 1/2 to its northeast corner;
11-25 THENCE southeast across the Rompel Vogel & Koch Survey 553 to the
11-26 northwest corner of the E. Gonzales Survey;
12-1 THENCE south along the west line of said Survey to its southwest
12-2 corner, which is in the northwest corner of the E. Martin Survey
12-3 89;
12-4 THENCE southeast across said E. Martin Survey 89 to the southwest
12-5 corner of the Fr. Vaidez Survey 478 1/2;
12-6 THENCE east along the south line of said Survey to its southeast
12-7 corner;
12-8 THENCE north along the east line of said Survey to its northeast
12-9 corner, which is in the south line of the W. N. Hughes Survey;
12-10 THENCE east along the south line of said W. N. Hughes Survey,
12-11 across Cibolo Creek and the Bexar County-Comal County line.
12-12 SECTION 3. DEFINITION. In this Act, "district" means a
12-13 groundwater conservation district created under Section 1 of this
12-14 Act.
12-15 SECTION 4. FINDING OF BENEFIT. All of the land and other
12-16 property included within the boundaries of a district will be
12-17 benefited by the works and projects that are to be accomplished by
12-18 the district under powers conferred by Section 59, Article XVI,
12-19 Texas Constitution. The district is created to serve a public use
12-20 and benefit.
12-21 SECTION 5. AUTHORITY OF TEMPORARY DIRECTORS. (a) Except as
12-22 provided by Subsection (b) of this section or otherwise by this
12-23 Act, the temporary directors of a district have the same permitting
12-24 and general management powers as those granted to initial directors
12-25 under Chapter 36, Water Code.
12-26 (b) The temporary directors have the authority to enter any
13-1 public or private property located within the district to inspect a
13-2 water well as provided by Section 49.221, Water Code.
13-3 (c) The temporary directors do not have the authority
13-4 granted by the following provisions of Chapter 36, Water Code:
13-5 (1) Sections 36.017, 36.019, 36.020, and 36.059,
13-6 relating to elections;
13-7 (2) Sections 36.105, 36.1071, 36.1072, 36.1073, and
13-8 36.108, relating to eminent domain and management plans;
13-9 (3) Section 36.122, relating to out-of-district
13-10 transfers of groundwater;
13-11 (4) Sections 36.171-36.181, relating to bonds and
13-12 notes;
13-13 (5) Sections 36.201-36.204, relating to taxes; and
13-14 (6) Sections 36.321-36.359, relating to annexation and
13-15 consolidation.
13-16 SECTION 6. MORATORIUM ON ADOPTION OF LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT
13-17 PLANS. To ensure consistency of district long-term management
13-18 plans with the regional planning process authorized by Senate Bill
13-19 No. 1 (Chapter 1010), Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular
13-20 Session, 1997, a district may not adopt the comprehensive
13-21 management plan required by Section 36.1071, Water Code, before
13-22 September 1, 2001.
13-23 SECTION 7. INITIAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The initial
13-24 directors may not be elected until after September 1, 2001.
13-25 SECTION 8. TEMPORARY DIRECTORS. (a) Except as provided by
13-26 Subsection (b) of this section, the commissioners court of a county
14-1 containing territory included within the district shall appoint
14-2 temporary directors in accordance with the provisions of Section
14-3 36.016, Water Code, relating to the appointment of temporary
14-4 directors by county commissioners courts.
14-5 (b) For districts composed of more than one county, the
14-6 county commissioners court of each county with territory in the
14-7 district shall appoint an equal number of temporary directors, the
14-8 total number of temporary directors appointed to be determined by
14-9 the county commissioners courts except that the total number of
14-10 directors may not be fewer than five or more than 11.
14-11 SECTION 9. ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING. (a) As soon as
14-12 practicable after the temporary directors are appointed as provided
14-13 by this Act, the temporary directors shall hold the organizational
14-14 meeting of the district and take office at that time.
14-15 (b) The temporary directors shall hold the meeting at a
14-16 location within the district to which a majority of the temporary
14-17 directors agree.
14-18 SECTION 10. CONFIRMATION AND INITIAL DIRECTORS' ELECTION.
14-19 (a) Not earlier than September 1, 2001, the temporary board of
14-20 directors shall call and hold an election to confirm the district
14-21 and to elect the initial directors.
14-22 (b) At the confirmation and initial directors' election, the
14-23 temporary board of directors shall have placed on the ballot the
14-24 names of the candidates for each of the positions on the board. To
14-25 qualify as a candidate for a position, a person must be a resident
14-26 of the district.
15-1 (c) If the district is confirmed at the election, the
15-2 temporary board of directors, at the time the vote is canvassed,
15-3 shall:
15-4 (1) declare the qualified person who receives the most
15-5 votes for each position to be elected as the initial director for
15-6 that position; and
15-7 (2) include the results of the initial directors'
15-8 election in the district's election report to the Texas Natural
15-9 Resource Conservation Commission.
15-10 (d) The initial directors shall draw lots to determine their
15-11 terms so that:
15-12 (1) one-half or a simple majority of the directors
15-13 serve four-year terms that expire on the fourth anniversary of the
15-14 date the initial directors were elected; and
15-15 (2) the remaining directors serve two-year terms that
15-16 expire on the second anniversary of the date the initial directors
15-17 were elected.
15-18 (e) Subsection (a), Section 41.001, Election Code, applies
15-19 to a confirmation and initial directors' election held as provided
15-20 by this section.
15-21 (f) Except as provided by this section, a confirmation and
15-22 initial directors' election must be conducted as provided by
15-23 Subsections (b)-(h), Section 36.017, Water Code, and the Election
15-24 Code.
15-25 (g) If the establishment of the district has not been
15-26 confirmed at an election held under this section before the fourth
16-1 anniversary of the effective date of this Act, the district is
16-2 dissolved on that date, except that any debts incurred shall be
16-3 paid and the organization of the district shall be maintained until
16-4 all debts are paid.
16-5 SECTION 11. ELECTION OF PERMANENT DIRECTORS. Beginning in
16-6 the second year after the year in which the district has held a
16-7 confirmation election, an election shall be held in the district on
16-8 the first Saturday in the month in which the initial directors were
16-9 elected under Section 10 of this Act and every two years after that
16-10 date to elect the appropriate number of directors to the board.
16-11 SECTION 12. FEES. (a) The temporary, initial, or permanent
16-12 directors of the district by rule may impose reasonable fees on the
16-13 owner or the operator of each well in the district, including
16-14 registration fees for existing wells, regardless of the date on
16-15 which the well was drilled or began producing, if a permit is
16-16 issued for the well by the district or registration is required for
16-17 the well by the district and if the well is not exempt from
16-18 regulation by the district.
16-19 (b) The district may use all fees collected under applicable
16-20 law for all purposes necessary to carry out the purposes of this
16-21 Act and the powers granted by Chapter 36, Water Code, except as
16-22 limited by Section 5 of this Act, as the district considers
16-23 necessary for the district's protection, conservation, and
16-24 regulation of groundwater, including administrative and operating
16-25 expenses.
16-26 (c) A fee that is based on the amount of water to be
17-1 withdrawn from a well may not exceed the limits set by Subsection
17-2 (c), Section 36.205, Water Code.
17-3 SECTION 13. ELECTIONS. Prior to September 1, 2001, the
17-4 temporary directors of a district shall not hold an election for
17-5 the imposition of a tax.
17-6 SECTION 14. MODIFICATION OF THE DISTRICT. A district
17-7 created under this Act may be modified by subsequent acts of the
17-8 Texas Legislature. The modification may be in response to the
17-9 recommendations of an interim study or committee, including the
17-10 possibility of adding additional area to the district or merging
17-11 the district with other districts for the purposes of the efficient
17-12 and effective management of a common groundwater resource.
17-13 SECTION 15. STATUTORY INTERPRETATION. Except as otherwise
17-14 provided by this Act, if there is a conflict between this Act and
17-15 Chapter 36, Water Code, this Act controls.
17-16 SECTION 16. RATIFICATION OF DISTRICT CREATION.
17-17 (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 10 of this Act, an
17-18 election for the confirmation of the creation of a groundwater
17-19 conservation district under this Act and for the selection of
17-20 initial directors for such district shall not be held unless action
17-21 is taken by the 77th Legislature in its Regular Session to ratify
17-22 the creation of the district.
17-23 (b) Except as provided by Subsection (c) of this section, a
17-24 groundwater conservation district created by this Act whose
17-25 creation is not ratified by the 77th Legislature as provided by
17-26 Subsection (a) of this section is dissolved effective September 1,
18-1 2001.
18-2 (c) If a groundwater conservation district is dissolved
18-3 under this section, the district has no further authority, except
18-4 that any debts incurred shall be paid and the organization of the
18-5 district shall be maintained until all debts are paid.
18-6 SECTION 17. FINDINGS RELATED TO PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS.
18-7 (a) The proper and legal notice of the intention to introduce this
18-8 Act, setting forth the general substance of this Act, has been
18-9 published as provided by law, and the notice and a copy of this Act
18-10 have been furnished to all persons, agencies, officials, or
18-11 entities to which they are required to be furnished by the
18-12 constitution and other laws of this state, including the governor,
18-13 who has submitted the notice and Act to the Texas Natural Resource
18-14 Conservation Commission.
18-15 (b) The Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission has
18-16 filed its recommendations relating to this Act with the governor,
18-17 lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives
18-18 within the required time.
18-19 (c) All requirements of the constitution and laws of this
18-20 state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect
18-21 to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled
18-22 and accomplished.
18-23 (d) The procedural requirements of this section relating to
18-24 the provision of notice have been met by the provision of notice of
18-25 the introduction of the proposed Acts of the 76th Legislature
18-26 relating to the creation of the groundwater conservation districts
19-1 now created by this Act.
19-2 SECTION 18. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September
19-3 1, 1999.
19-4 SECTION 19. EMERGENCY. The importance of this legislation
19-5 and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
19-6 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
19-7 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
19-8 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.