1-1     By:  Walker (Senate Sponsor - Bivins)                 H.B. No. 1504
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 2, 2001;
 1-3     April 3, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural
 1-4     Resources; May 2, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 2, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the well permitting process of groundwater conservation
 1-9     districts.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1. Section 36.114, Water Code, is amended to read as
1-12     follows:
1-13           Sec. 36.114.  PERMIT; APPLICATION AND HEARING. The district
1-14     shall promptly consider and act [pass] on each administratively
1-15     complete application for a permit.  If, within 30 [20] days after
1-16     the date the administratively complete application [it] is
1-17     submitted, an application has not been acted [passed] on or set for
1-18     a hearing on a specific date, the applicant may petition the
1-19     district court of the county where the land is located for a writ
1-20     of mandamus to compel the district to act on the application or set
1-21     a date for a hearing on the application.  A hearing shall be held
1-22     within 35 days after the setting of the date and the district shall
1-23     act on the application within 35 days after the date of the
1-24     hearing.  The district may by rule set a time when an application
1-25     will expire if the information requested in the application is not
1-26     provided to the district.  An administratively complete application
1-27     requires information set forth in accordance with Sections 36.113
1-28     and 36.1131.
1-29           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-30     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-31     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-32     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-33     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-34                                  * * * * *