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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the duty of the Texas Water Development Board to conduct |
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studies of and prepare and submit reports on aquifer storage and |
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recovery. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 11.155, Water Code, is amended to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 11.155. AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY REPORTS. (a) The |
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board shall make studies, investigations, and surveys of the |
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aquifers in the state as it considers necessary to determine the |
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occurrence, quantity, quality, and availability of aquifers in |
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which water may be stored and subsequently retrieved for beneficial |
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use. |
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(b) The board, working with appropriate interested persons, |
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including groundwater conservation districts, regional water |
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planning groups, and potential sponsors of aquifer storage and |
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recovery projects, shall: |
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(1) conduct studies of aquifer storage and recovery |
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projects identified in the state water plan or by interested |
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persons; and |
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(2) report the results of each study conducted under |
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Subdivision (1) to regional water planning groups and interested |
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persons. |
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(c) This subsection expires January 1, 2019. The board |
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shall: |
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(1) conduct a statewide survey of the most favorable |
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areas for aquifer storage and recovery; |
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(2) prepare a report that includes an overview of the |
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survey conducted under Subdivision (1); and |
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(3) not later than December 15, 2018, submit the |
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report described by Subdivision (2) to the governor, lieutenant |
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governor, and speaker of the house of representatives. [The board
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shall undertake the studies, investigations, and surveys in the
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following order of priority:
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[(1)
areas designated by the commission as "priority
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groundwater management areas" under Section 35.008; and
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[(2)
other areas of the state in a priority to be
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determined by the board's ranking of where the greatest need
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exists.] |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect December 1, 2017. |