| TO: | Honorable Kenneth Armbrister, Chair, Senate Committee on Natural Resources |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | SB623 by Lindsay (Relating to the general powers and authority of water districts.), As Introduced |
The bill would amend provisions of the Water Code regarding the general powers and authority of water districts. Some of the more significant changes include providing an exemption to water districts from Texas Building Energy Performance Standards; exempting from review by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) refunding bonds if the original bonds or notes being refunded were previously approved by the TCEQ; authorizing a district to impose restrictions on the use of surplus lands after being sold; allowing a district or a Chapter 67 nonprofit water supply corporation to prohibit private on-site water wells; and changing bidding requirements to provide for economic incentives for early completion of work or economic disincentives for late completion of work.
The bill would allow certain districts to provide for the reuse and recycling of water and provide that a petition to obtain Road Utility District powers be submitted to TCEQ only. Under current statute, both the TCEQ and the Texas Transportation Commission are required to review applications by Municipal Utility Districts to acquire road district powers. The bill would delete references to a plan of reclamation and instead reflect the use of an engineer's report. The bill would repeal sections of the Water Code and the Transportation Code that would conflict with the changes proposed in the bill.
The bill would take effect immediately if it receives two-thirds vote in each house; otherwise, it would take effect September 1, 2003.
| Source Agencies: | 580 Water Development Board, 582 Commission On Environmental Quality
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| LBB Staff: | JK, CL, JB, DLBa
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