BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1392
86R5554 SLB-D	By: Rodr�guez
	Water & Rural Affairs
	3/27/2019
	As Filed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Ensuring that Texans have a sustainable water supply, both now and in the future, is an integral component of maintaining our state's resiliency. Safeguarding our water supply includes, among other things, data collection and monitoring of water resources throughout the state, both in urban or rural areas.

 

Over the last several years, there has been an increase in oil exploration activity in the northern portion of Culberson County in West Texas. This increased activity has resulted in an unknown number of water wells being drilled in order to support these efforts. However, because the territory is not currently under the jurisdiction of any water conservation district, there has been no collection or monitoring of data relating to the use of water resources in this area of the county. Currently, the Culberson County Groundwater Conservation District (CCGCD) only encompasses approximately 46 percent of the land in the county.

 

S.B. 1392 seeks to expand CCGCD to include the entirety of Culberson County, which will allow for the collection of data and monitoring of the aquifers in that region.

 

As proposed, S.B. 1392 amends current law relating to the territory of the Culberson County Groundwater Conservation District.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 8816.004, Special District Local Laws Code, as follows:

 

Sec. 8816.004. DISTRICT TERRITORY. Provides that the Culberson County Groundwater Conservation District's boundaries are coextensive with the boundary of Culberson County, unless the district's territory has been modified under certain law, rather than providing that the district is composed of the territory described by Section 3 (Boundaries), Chapter 1075, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997, as that territory may have been modified under certain law.

 

SECTION 2. Provides that all requirements of the constitution and laws of this state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled and accomplished.

 

SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2019.