84R3012 JXC-D
 
  By: Hinojosa S.B. No. 329
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to state and local planning for and responses to drought.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 10.010, Water Code, is amended to read as
  follows:
         Sec. 10.010.  POWERS AND DUTIES OF COUNCIL. (a) The council
  shall:
               (1)  monitor trends in water conservation
  implementation;
               (2)  monitor new water conservation technologies for
  possible inclusion by the board as best management practices in the
  best management practices guide described by Section 16.0552 
  [developed by the water conservation implementation task force
  under Chapter 109, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session,
  2003];
               (3)  monitor the effectiveness of the statewide water
  conservation public awareness program developed under Section
  16.401 and associated local involvement in implementation of the
  program;
               (4)  develop and implement a state water management
  resource library;
               (5)  develop and implement a public recognition program
  for water conservation;
               (6)  monitor the implementation of water conservation
  strategies by water users included in regional water plans; and
               (7)  monitor target and goal guidelines for water
  conservation to be considered by the board and commission.
         (b)  To assist with drought preparedness and response, the
  council shall:
               (1)  monitor and develop strategies for responding to
  drought;
               (2)  monitor new drought response technologies for
  possible inclusion by the board as best management practices in the
  best management practices guide described by Section 16.0552; and
               (3)  recommend methodologies for conducting drought
  contingency plan evaluations described by Section 11.1272(g).
         SECTION 2.  Section 11.1272, Water Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i) to read as follows:
         (f)  At least once every five years, a wholesale or retail
  public water supplier or irrigation district shall review and, as
  necessary, update the supplier or district's drought contingency
  plan and submit to the commission the reviewed or updated plan.
         (g)  A wholesale water supplier, a retail public water
  supplier that provides potable water service to 3,300 or more
  connections, or an irrigation district shall include in each
  reviewed or updated drought contingency plan submitted to the
  commission under Subsection (f) an evaluation of the effectiveness
  of strategies in the plan that were implemented by the supplier or
  district during any period of significant drought that occurred in
  the preceding five years. The commission by rule shall define
  "significant drought" for purposes of this subsection.
         (h)  A wholesale or retail public water supplier shall notify
  the commission not later than the fifth business day after the date
  the supplier implements, changes the manner of implementing, or
  ceases to implement a mandatory provision of the supplier's drought
  contingency plan. The commission by rule shall establish criteria
  for determining the actions that must be reported under this
  subsection.
         (i)  The commission shall maintain on its Internet website a
  list of wholesale and retail public water suppliers that are
  currently implementing a drought contingency plan that displays for
  each supplier:
               (1)  the degree of drought severity in the county or
  counties in which the service area of the supplier is located;
               (2)  whether the service area of the supplier is in a
  county subject to a declaration under Section 418.014 or 418.108,
  Government Code, of a state of disaster due to drought conditions;
  and
               (3)  the drought response stage the supplier is
  implementing.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter C, Chapter 16, Water Code, is amended
  by adding Section 16.0552 to read as follows:
         Sec. 16.0552.  BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES GUIDE. (a) In this
  section, "best management practices" has the meaning assigned by
  Section 11.002. 
         (b)  The board, in coordination with the commission and the
  Water Conservation Advisory Council, shall:
               (1)  regularly review and update the water conservation
  best management practices guide developed by the water conservation
  implementation task force under Chapter 109 (S.B. 1094), Acts of
  the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003; and
               (2)  include in the guide best management practices for
  drought response. 
         (c)  The board shall make the guide available on its Internet
  website.
         SECTION 4.  As soon as practicable after the effective date
  of this Act, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality shall
  adopt rules as necessary to implement Section 11.1272, Water Code,
  as amended by this Act.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.