Honorable Lyle Larson, Chair, House Committee on Natural Resources
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB1511 by Perry (relating to the state and regional water planning process and the funding of projects included in the state water plan.), Committee Report 2nd House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would amend the Water Code to require the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to prioritize State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) projects by regional water planning groups (RWPGs). The bill would add additional requirements to be included in the state water plan regarding projects previously given a high priority by TWDB for SWIFT funding. The bill would make changes to the membership, authority, and duties of RWPGs. The bill would add several new requirements to the development of regional water plans, including identification of unnecessary or counterproductive variations in drought response strategies, assessment of the potential for aquifer storage and recovery projects to meet significant water needs identified in a planning area, and providing specific goals of per capita water use for municipal water groups.
Based on the analysis of TWDB, the Comptroller of Public Accounts, the Department of Agriculture, the Soil and Water Conservation Board, and the Parks and Wildlife Department, duties and responsibilities associated with implementing provisions of the bill could be accomplished with existing resources.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 551 Department of Agriculture, 580 Water Development Board, 592 Soil and Water Conservation Board, 802 Parks and Wildlife Department