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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the imposition and use of a fee on groundwater exported |
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from public school land. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 51, Natural Resources |
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Code, is amended by adding Section 51.1215 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.1215. FEE ON GROUNDWATER EXPORTS; GROUNDWATER |
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EXPORT MITIGATION ACCOUNT. (a) The commissioner shall impose a |
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fee, in the amount determined by the commissioner for each gallon of |
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groundwater exported, on the export of groundwater from public |
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school land. |
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(b) The commissioner shall deposit the fee imposed under |
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Subsection (a) to the credit of the groundwater export mitigation |
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account. The groundwater export mitigation account is an account |
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in the general revenue fund that may be appropriated only to the |
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Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for the purposes of: |
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(1) mitigating damage to nearby landowners, |
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municipalities, and other users of groundwater caused by the export |
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of groundwater from public school land; and |
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(2) conducting independent scientific studies of |
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water resources on state lands. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |