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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to establishing an Advisory Committee for the TexNet |
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Monitoring Program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Add new Chapter 157 to the Education Code to read |
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as follows: |
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CHAPTER 157. TexNet Seismic Monitoring Advisory Committee |
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Sec. 157.001 DEFINITION. In this Chapter, the "TexNet |
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Seismic Monitoring Program" means the program administered by the |
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Texas Bureau of Economic Geology which oversees an array of |
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equipment for a seismic network to study seismic events in Texas. |
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Sec. 157.002 TexNet Advisory Committee. |
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(1) For as long as the TexNet Seismic Monitoring |
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Program receives funds from the State of Texas, there shall be a |
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TexNet Advisory Committee composed of ten members, three to be |
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appointed by the Governor, three to be appointed by the Lieutenant |
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Governor, three to be appointed by the Speaker of the House, and one |
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to be an employee of the Texas Railroad Commission who specializes |
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in seismology, geomechanical engineering, reservoir engineering or |
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another related field and is appointed by the Executive Director of |
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the Texas Railroad Commission. At least one appointment each from |
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the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker must be from the oil |
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and gas industry. No person affiliated with or under contract for |
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services under this program with the Bureau of Economic Geology may |
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serve as a voting member of the Advisory Committee. |
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(2) The TexNet Economic Advisory Committee shall: |
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(a) Develop in consultation with Bureau of Economic Geology |
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staff a program of work for the TexNet program and any affiliated |
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research efforts to include acquisition and deployment of |
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equipment, contracting with vendors, determine scope of research |
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program and any other use of funds appropriated by the Legislature |
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for the TexNet Seismic Monitoring Program and any associated |
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research. |
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(b) Approve an annual budget for the use funds appropriated |
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by the Legislature to the TexNet Seismic Monitoring Program; |
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(c) provide oversight and input on the |
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acquisition,deployment and operation of new and existing Program |
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equipment; |
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(d) Prepare a biennial report to be delivered the House |
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Energy Committee and the Senate Natural Resources and Economic |
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Development Committees on or before December 1 of even numbered |
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years regarding the use of the funds, a complete listing and |
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accounting of all research funded through the program including a |
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listing of contractors, itemized budget for each program element, |
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complete listing of geographic coverage of the Program, important |
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research undertaken and any findings or progress of the research |
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for the Program, and recommendations related to the ongoing |
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operations and requirements of the Program; |
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(e) Ensure that there is a monthly transmission of the data |
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collected by the seismic equipment to the Incorporated Research |
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Institutes for Seismology database; and |
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(f) Receive quarterly updates from the Bureau of Economic |
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Geology regarding the progress of the program, expenditures made in |
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connection with the Program as approved by the TexNet Advisory |
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Committee, and any other information related to the program |
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requested of the Bureau of Economic Geology. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |