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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District's |
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groundwater reduction plan. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 1321, Acts of the 77th Legislature, |
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Regular Session, 2001, is amended by adding Section 13A to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 13A. GROUNDWATER REDUCTION PLAN. (a) If the district |
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implements a groundwater reduction plan to reduce use of |
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groundwater throughout the district, the plan shall require that an |
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entity that participates in the plan follow the accounting |
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practices described in this section. |
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(b) If transferable credits are used to comply with the |
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groundwater reduction plan, the entity administering the |
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transferable credits: |
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(1) must: |
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(A) provide a credit for a user that produces a |
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volume of groundwater below the minimum production volume |
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established under the groundwater reduction plan; |
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(B) calculate the credit required by Paragraph |
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(A) based on the volume of groundwater that falls below the minimum |
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production volume; and |
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(C) apply the credit calculated under Paragraph |
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(B) to the account of the user; and |
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(2) may not assess usage charges or fees in excess of |
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the minimum usage fee before the credit described by Subdivision |
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(1) is exhausted. |
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(c) A credit required by Subsection (b) may not expire. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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a charge or fee assessed under a groundwater reduction plan on or |
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after the effective date of this Act. A fee or charge assessed |
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under a groundwater reduction plan before the effective date of |
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this Act is governed by the law in effect when the charge or fee was |
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assessed, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |