Honorable Allan Ritter, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB1279 by Miller, Doug (Relating to the administration, powers, duties, and operation of the Edwards Aquifer Authority. ), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill makes conforming and clarifying changes to the Edwards Aquifer Authority’s (EAA) enabling legislation and the Water Code. The bill adds procedures for EAA contested case hearings, request for rehearing, and board findings and conclusions. The bill removes administrative fee caps and requires administrative fees set by EAA. The bill abolishes the Edwards Aquifer Legislative Oversight Committee, a board comprised of three members of the Senate, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, and three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker, and charged with overseeing water pollution control activities in the Edwards region, the activities of the Edwards Aquifer Authority, the activities of the South Central Texas Water Advisory Committee, the activities of soil and water conservation districts and river authorities in the Edwards Aquifer area that affect management of the aquifer, and compliance with federal law with respect to endangered species and Edwards Aquifer groundwater management. The bill would require an authority to develop a groundwater management plan and would establish procedures regarding the plan. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Water Development Board would be required to provide technical assistance and information in the development of the plan at the request of the authority.
Passage of the bill is not expected to have a significant impact on the workload of any state agencies.
Local Government Impact
Because the bill would not have statewide impact on units of local government of the same type or class, no comment from this office is required by the rules of the House/Senate as to its probable fiscal implication on units of local government.
Source Agencies:
452 Department of Licensing and Regulation, 580 Water Development Board, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality