85R155 GRM-D
 
  By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 2186
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the Live Oak Underground Water Conservation District.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 715, Acts of the 71st Legislature,
  Regular Session, 1989, is amended by amending Sections 1, 4, 5, 6,
  10, 11, and 13 to read as follows:
         Sec. 1.  CREATION OF DISTRICT. Under Article XVI, Section
  59, of the Texas Constitution, the Live Oak Underground Water
  Conservation District has [is created as a governmental agency and
  body politic and corporate, authorized to exercise] the powers
  essential to the accomplishment of the purposes of that
  constitutional provision and [to exercise] the rights, powers,
  duties, privileges, and functions provided [by this Act and] by
  Chapter 36 [Chapters 51 and 52], Water Code, and by other laws of
  this state relating to underground water conservation districts.
         Sec. 4.  PURPOSE OF DISTRICT. The district is created to
  provide for the conservation, preservation, protection, recharge,
  and prevention of the waste of the underground water reservoirs
  located under district land consistent with the objectives of
  Article XVI, Section 59, of the Texas Constitution and Chapter 36
  [Chapters 51 and 52], Water Code.
         Sec. 5.  POWERS AND DUTIES OF DISTRICT. The district has
  [may exercise] the powers, rights, duties, privileges, and
  functions permitted by Chapter 36 [Chapters 51 and 52], Water Code
  [, and may:
               [(1)     make and enforce rules to provide for conserving,
  preserving, protecting, recharging, and preventing waste of the
  water from the underground water reservoirs;
               [(2)     enforce its rules by injunction, mandatory
  injunction, or other appropriate remedies in a court of competent
  jurisdiction;
               [(3)     require permits for the drilling, equipping, and
  completion of wells in the underground water reservoirs in the
  district and issue permits that include terms and provisions with
  reference to the drilling, equipping, and completion of the wells
  that are necessary to prevent waste or to conserve, preserve, and
  protect underground water;
               [(4)     provide for the spacing of wells producing from
  the underground water reservoirs in the district and regulate the
  production from those wells to minimize as far as practicable the
  drawdown of the water table or the reduction of the artesian
  pressure; provided, the owner of the land or his heirs, assigns, and
  lessees are not denied a permit to drill a well on their land and the
  right to produce underground water from that well subject to rules
  adopted under this Act;
               [(5)     require records to be kept and reports to be made
  of the drilling, equipping, and completion of wells into any
  underground water reservoir in the district and the taking and use
  of underground water from those reservoirs and require accurate
  driller's logs to be kept of those wells and a copy of those logs and
  of any electric logs that may be made of the wells to be filed with
  the district;
               [(6)     acquire land for the erection of dams and for the
  purpose of draining lakes, draws, and depressions; construct dams,
  drain lakes, depressions, draws, and creeks; and install pumps and
  other equipment necessary to recharge any underground water
  reservoirs in the district;
               [(7)     have made by registered professional engineers
  surveys of the underground water of any underground water reservoir
  in the district and of the facilities for the development,
  production, and use of that underground water and determine the
  quantity of the underground water available for the production and
  use and the improvements, developments, and recharges needed for
  those underground water reservoirs;
               [(8)     develop comprehensive plans for the most
  efficient use of the underground water of any underground water
  reservoir in the district and for the control and prevention of
  waste of that underground water, with the plans to specify in the
  amount of detail that may be practicable, the acts, procedure,
  performance, and avoidance that are or may be necessary to carry out
  those plans, including specifications;
               [(9)     carry out research projects, develop
  information, and determine limitations, if any, that should be made
  on the withdrawal of underground water from any underground water
  reservoir in the district;
               [(10)     collect and preserve information regarding the
  use of the underground water and the practicability of recharge of
  any underground water reservoir in the district;
               [(11)     publish plans and information, bring them to the
  notice and attention of the users of the underground water in the
  district, and encourage their adoption and execution;
               [(12)     contract for, sell, and distribute water from a
  water import authority or other agency; and
               [(13)     contract with other districts with powers
  similar to those of the district to achieve common goals].
         Sec. 6.  ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES. Except as provided by
  this Act, the administrative and procedural provisions of Chapter
  36 [Chapters 51 and 52], Water Code, apply to the district.
         Sec. 10.  DISSOLUTION OF DISTRICT. Subchapter I, Chapter 36 
  [Subchapter G, Chapter 52], Water Code, applies to dissolution of
  the district.
         Sec. 11.  ANNEXATION. [Additional territory may be added to
  the district as provided by Chapter 51, Water Code.] The board of
  directors shall determine to which precinct [the] annexed land will
  be added for purposes of election of directors.
         Sec. 13.  STATUTORY INTERPRETATION. If there is a conflict
  between this Act and Chapter 36, 49, or 51 [Chapter 51 or 52], Water
  Code, this Act controls. If there is a conflict between the
  application of Chapter [Chapters] 36, 49, or 51 [and 52], Water
  Code, to the district, Chapter 36 [52] controls. If there is a
  conflict between the application of Chapters 49 and 51, Water Code,
  to the district, Chapter 51 controls.
         SECTION 2.  Section 12(e), Chapter 715, Acts of the 71st
  Legislature, Regular Session, 1989, is amended to read as follows:
         (e)  The district shall hold an election in each
  even-numbered year to elect the appropriate number of directors
  [After the election of the directors at the confirmation election
  held under Section 8 of this Act, regular elections for a portion of
  the board of directors shall be held in each even-numbered year.
  The directors elected from commissioner precincts 1 and 3 and the
  director elected at large at the confirmation election shall serve
  as directors until the first regular meeting of the board after the
  second regular election of directors, and the directors elected
  from commissioner precincts 2 and 4 at the confirmation election
  shall serve until the first regular meeting of the board after the
  first regular election of directors].
         SECTION 3.  Sections 7 and 8, Chapter 715, Acts of the 71st
  Legislature, Regular Session, 1989, are repealed.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2017.