BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3185

By: Frank

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that the Rolling Plains Groundwater Conservation District's current authority to charge export fees potentially restricts the district's ability to enact a balanced export fee that serves current permit holders and the long-term security of groundwater resources.
H.B. 3185 seeks to address this issue by authorizing the district to assess a fee for exported groundwater in a certain maximum amount.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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. 3185 amends the Special District Local Laws Code to authorize the Rolling Plains Groundwater Conservation District to assess export fees in an annual amount capped at 150 percent of the maximum commercial water rate charged by the City of Wichita Falls for groundwater exported from the district. The bill restricts the district's use of funds obtained from such export fees to the enhancement of aquifer monitoring, modeling, and data collection and the enhancement of research to advance the scientific understanding of the district's groundwater resources.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.