LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 12, 2013

TO:	Honorable Allan Ritter, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources
FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	HB2701 by Miller, Doug (Relating to the Edwards Aquifer Authority's regulation of wells with limited production capabilities.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would authorize water wells drilled prior to June 1, 2013 for any purpose under Article 1 of the Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) Act, to be exempted from EAA requirements to have a permit under certain conditions. 
 
The bill would clarify that wells serving a subdivision requiring platting do not qualify as an exempt use. However, wells within a subdivision requiring platting that was drilled on or before June 1,2013, would be exempt from permit requirements provided that the well would either be incapable of producing more than 1,250 gallons per day, or have a meter showing annual use of 1.4 acre-feet per year or less.   

Passage of the bill is not expected to result in significant costs to the Commission on Environmental Quality.

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:

582 Commission on Environmental Quality, 592 Soil and Water Conservation Board

LBB Staff:

UP, SZ, TL, KKR