By: Gallego H.B. No. 3471
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to restrictions on the leasing of and export of
groundwater from public school land; imposing a fee.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 51.121, Natural Resources Code, is
amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
(f) The commissioner may not lease the right to produce
groundwater from public school land unless the land is within the
boundaries of a groundwater conservation district.
SECTION 2. Subchapter D, Chapter 51, Natural Resources
Code, is amended by adding Section 51.1215 to read as follows:
Sec. 51.1215. FEE ON GROUNDWATER EXPORTS; GROUNDWATER
EXPORT MITIGATION ACCOUNT. (a) The commissioner shall impose a
fee, in the amount determined by the commissioner for each gallon of
groundwater exported, on the export of groundwater from public
school land.
(b) The commissioner shall deposit the fee imposed under
Subsection (a) to the credit of the groundwater export mitigation
account. The groundwater export mitigation account is an account
in the general revenue fund that may be appropriated only to the
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for the purposes of:
(1) mitigating damage to nearby landowners,
municipalities, and other users of groundwater caused by the export
of groundwater from public school land; and
(2) conducting independent scientific studies of
water resources on state lands.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.