BILL ANALYSIS |
C.S.H.B. 3137 |
By: Lucio III |
Natural Resources |
Committee Report (Substituted) |
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The Rio Grande Regional Water Authority exists to help plan for and develop sustainable sources of water for the Rio Grande basin in Texas. Recently, the Texas Legislature authorized the authority to levy assessments on water rights within its jurisdiction to fund support programs. Interested parties assert that, as this assessment is the only source of revenue for the authority, it is necessary to cap the assessment to prevent inflating assessment rates. C.S.H.B. 3137 seeks to address this issue.
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RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
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ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 3137 amends Sections 4.04(b) and (d), Chapter 385, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, to cap the Rio Grande Regional Water Authority's water user fee or assessment at five cents per acre-foot. The bill specifies that the cap on an initial fee or assessment at five cents for each water right held by an affected entity is five cents per acre-foot for each such water right.
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EFFECTIVE DATE
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.
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COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE
While C.S.H.B. 3137 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and highlighted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.
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