LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 81ST LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 8, 2009

TO:	Honorable Kip Averitt, Chair, Senate Committee on Natural Resources
FROM:	John S. O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB2321 by Averitt (Relating to the management of groundwater resources in the state.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would require the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to provide notice of priority groundwater management area (PGMA) hearings to state legislators. The bill also would   clarify procedures for filling vacancies, resignations, and conflicts of interest for groundwater conservation district (GCD) directors. The bill would allow a GCD by rule to establish that the records and reports required by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) under its water well driller rules satisfy the GCD requirements for records and reports. The bill also would exempt monitoring wells from GCD permit requirements and clarify that a GCD may repay incurred creation and organization cost to governmental entities, including counties.  
 
The bill is not expected to have a significant impact on state agency operations.

Local Government Impact

The bill would require a district to establish by rule that records and reports for water wells, the production and use of groundwater, and driller's logs meet the requirements defined by the provisions of the bill. The bill would add a governmental entity, including a county, to the list of entities required to be reimbursed for expenses incurred for the creation of a district. The fiscal impact to local governmental entities is not anticipated to be significant.

Source Agencies:

452 Department of Licensing and Regulation, 455 Railroad Commission, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality

LBB Staff:

JOB, TL, SD, TP