AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

It is important that water supply construction projects are consistent with the State Water Plan and are subject to water loss audits. However, certain financial assistance programs do not fund water supply projects and therefore projects funded by those programs should not be required to be consistent with the State Water Plan or be subject to a water loss audit.

 

Current law requires projects funded by Subchapters D, F, J, and O, Chapter 15, Water Code, be consistent with the State Water Plan and conduct a water loss audit.

 

This legislation removes State Water Plan consistency and water loss audit requirements from certain financial assistance programs that do not fund water supply construction projects.

 

C.S.S.B. 1337 amends current law relating to the authority of the Texas Water Development Board to provide financial assistance to political subdivisions for water supply projects.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 16.053(j), Water Code, as follows:

 

(j) Authorizes the Texas Water Development Board to provide financial assistance to political subdivisions for water supply projects under Subchapter J (Financial Assistance for Water Pollution Control), Chapter 15 (Texas Water Assistance Program), if the financial assistance is under the safe drinking water revolving fund, and for water supply projects under Subchapters E (Acquisition and Development of Facilities) and F (Sale or Lease of Facilities) of this chapter, Subchapters C (Water Loan Assistance Program), E (Storage Acquisition Program), Q (Water Infrastructure Fund), and R (Rural Water Assistance Fund), Chapter 15, rather than Subchapters C, D (Water Bond Insurance Program), E, F (Research and Planning Program), J, O (Program for Water and Wastewater Financial Assistance for Disadvantaged Rural Communities), Q, and R, Chapter 15, and Subchapters D (Assistance to Political Subdivisions for Water Supply Projects), I (Revenue Bond Program), K (Assistance to Economically Distressed Areas for Water Supply and Sewer Service Projects), and L (Water Financial Assistance Bond Program), Chapter 17 (Public Funding), only if, rather than for water supply projects only if:

 

(1)-(3) Makes no change to these subdivisions.

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2015.