Honorable Allan Ritter, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources
FROM:
John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB2112 by Price (Relating to priority groundwater management areas.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would extend the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Texas Water Development Board (TWDB)'s critical groundwater problem evaluation period from 25 years to 50 years. The bill clarifies that the TCEQ has the authority to adopt rules for the creation of a groundwater conservation district (GCD) or the addition of a Primary Groundwater Management Area (PGMA) to an existing GCD for any PGMA that was designated as a critical area before September 1, 1997. The bill would validate all governmental acts and proceedings, including adoption of TCEQ rules for the creation of a GCD in a PGMA designated as a critical area before September 1, 1997. The bill would provides that the 50-year evaluation period is relevant only to the designation of a PGMA after the effective date of the Act, and that designation of a PGMA made before the effective date is governed by the law in effect on the date when the designation occurred.
Passage of the bill would result in TCEQ and TWDB having to identify potential PGMA study areas. However, any additional costs incurred by the agencies in implementing provisions of the bill are not expected to be significant.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
580 Water Development Board, 582 Commission on Environmental Quality