By: Larson (Senate Sponsor - Perry) H.B. No. 723

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 11, 2019; April 15, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Water & Rural Affairs; April 26, 2019, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 26, 2019, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 723 By: Perry

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a requirement that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality obtain or develop updated water availability models for certain river basins.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 16.012, Water Code, is amended by adding Subsection (h-1) to read as follows:

(h-1) Not later than December 1, 2022, the commission shall obtain or develop updated water availability models for the Brazos River, Neches River, Red River, and Rio Grande river basins. The commission may collect data from all jurisdictions that allocate the waters of the rivers, including jurisdictions outside this state. This subsection expires September 1, 2023.

SECTION 2. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is required to implement a provision of this Act only if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that purpose, the commission may, but is not required to, implement a provision of this Act using other appropriations available for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.

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