HBA-SEP H.B. 2690 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2690 By: Walker Natural Resources 7/19/2001 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Prior to the 77th Legislature, the board of directors of a groundwater conservation district was authorized to set reasonable civil penalties for breach of district rules not to exceed the jurisdiction of a justice court, which is not to exceed $5,000. House Bill 2690 authorizes a district to set reasonable civil penalties not to exceed $10,000 per day, per violation, with each day of a continuing violation constitutes a separate violation. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 2690 amends the Water Code to specify that the board of directors of a groundwater conservation district (district) is authorized, by rule, to set reasonable civil penalties not to exceed $10,000 per day, per violation, with each day of a continuing violation constituting a separate violation. The bill specifies that the court is required to grant, to a district that prevails in a case and that so seeks, recovery for costs incurred before the court. EFFECTIVE DATE June 11, 2001.