78R7336 MI-F

By:  Puente                                                       H.B. No. 3082



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the Texas Water Advisory Council.                                 
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 9.008(a), Water Code, is amended to read 
as follows:     
	(a)  The council shall:                                                        
		(1)  heighten the level of dialogue on significant 
water policy issues and, in an advisory role only, strive to provide 
focus and recommendations on state water policy [initiatives], 
including:
			(A)  [promoting flexibility and incentives for] 
water desalination, brush control, [regionalization,] weather 
modification [projects], reuse, and public-private partnerships 
relating to water projects;
			(B)  infrastructure improvement for water 
projects [promoting adequate financing for surface water and 
groundwater projects];
			(C)  [development of] water conservation and 
drought management practices [projects];
			(D)  status [implementation] of [approved] 
regional and state water plans;
			(E)  encouraging commonality of technical data 
and information such as joint agency studies, freshwater inflow 
recommendations, surface water and groundwater availability 
models, and bay and estuary and instream flow recommendations 
developed by the Parks and Wildlife Department, the commission, and 
the Texas Water Development Board; [and]
			(F)  encouraging the use of supplemental 
environmental projects for water infrastructure needs and 
enhancing the aquatic environment and habitat in enforcement 
proceedings at a state agency or political subdivision;
			(G)  water marketing, speculation, and region of 
origin impacts; and
			(H)  environmental and instream flows;                                
		(2)  encourage the enhancement and coordination of 
state, interstate, and international efforts to improve 
environmental quality and living conditions along the Texas-Mexico 
border;
		(3)  coordinate a unified state position on federal and 
international water issues; and
		(4)  advise the Texas Water Development Board on 
developing criteria for prioritizing the funding of projects in the 
state water plan.
	SECTION 2.  Section 9.011(a), Water Code, is amended to read 
as follows:     
	(a)  In [Before] its five-year analysis under Section 9.010, 
an authority shall report to the council a self-assessment of:
		(1)  how the authority is achieving its stated mission 
and goals, including an identification of any barriers to achieving 
the mission and goals;
		(2)  how the authority is providing service to its 
customers, including mechanisms the authority provides to 
encourage input from the public and its customers;
		(3)  how the authority is addressing issues raised by 
its most recent management audit, if the audit is required by 
commission rule to be performed, including its administrative 
policies; and
		(4)  the authority's role in the regional water 
planning process.           
	SECTION 3.  Section 9.017, Water Code, is amended to read as 
follows:        
	Sec. 9.017.  DISSOLUTION OF COUNCIL AND ACCOUNT.  Unless 
extended by the 79th or 80th [78th] Texas Legislature, this chapter 
and the interagency water advisory account expire on September 1, 
2007 [2005].
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.