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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study comparing the effects on retail water and sewer |
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utility service rates of acquiring by certain means additional |
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water for Bexar County retail water and sewer utility service |
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consumers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality |
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shall conduct a study to determine the comparative projected |
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effects on the rates paid by retail water and sewer utility service |
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consumers in Bexar County for water utility services in Bexar |
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County if 40,000 acre-feet per year of additional water supplies |
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were made available to those consumers by: |
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(1) desalinization of groundwater from sources inside |
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the county; |
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(2) transportation by pipelines of surface water from |
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a source or sources located east of that county; and |
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(3) transportation by pipelines of surface water from |
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a source or sources located west of that county. |
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SECTION 2. In conducting the study, the Texas Commission on |
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Environmental Quality shall consider all likely costs to a Bexar |
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County retail water and sewer utility services provider of making |
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the specified amount of water available by each of the means |
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described by Section 1 of this Act, including costs related to |
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acquiring necessary permits, capital or maintenance costs for |
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infrastructure, state and federal taxes, and costs of acquiring and |
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transporting the water for consumers' use. |
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SECTION 3. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality |
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shall consult with the Texas Water Development Board to the extent |
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that board may provide useful information, expertise, or resources |
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to further the study. The Texas Water Development Board shall |
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undertake to assist the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality |
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regarding any request for assistance with the study, to the extent |
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the assistance is within the board's authority. |
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SECTION 4. Not later than December 1, 2012, the Texas |
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Commission on Environmental Quality shall: |
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(1) publish the results of the study required by this |
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Act on the commission's publicly available Internet website; and |
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(2) deliver the results of the study required by this |
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Act to: |
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(A) the governor, the lieutenant governor, the |
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speaker of the house of representatives, and each committee of each |
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house of the legislature that has jurisdiction over water resources |
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or water utilities; and |
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(B) the Commissioners Court of Bexar County. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |