BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3898

By: Hilderbran

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties note that the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District was originally created several decades ago as the Bandera County River Authority and was later modified and merged with the Springhills Water Management District, which was later renamed as the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District. The parties note that the district's enabling legislation has not been codified and remains two separate legislative acts, one for the Bandera County River Authority and the other for the Springhills Water Management District. H.B. 3898 seeks to address these issues.

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.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3898 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to codify certain provisions of statutory law relating to the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District. In addition to codifying such provisions, the bill establishes that directors are elected every two years on the uniform election date in November and sets the term of a director elected to the district board in May 2011 to expire on December 1, 2014, and sets the term of a director elected to the board in May 2013 to expire on December 1, 2016.  The bill establishes that statutory provisions relating to groundwater conservation districts prevail over other statutory provisions in the event of conflict.  The bill repeals provisions providing for the creation and operation of the Bandera County River Authority and the Springhills Water Management District. 

H.B. 3898 repeals Chapter 629, Acts of the 62nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1971, and Chapter 654, Acts of the 71st Legislature, Regular Session, 1989.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2013.