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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to state and local planning for and responses to drought. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 10.003, Water Code, is amended to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 10.003. CREATION AND MEMBERSHIP. (a) The council is |
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composed of 25 [23] members appointed by the board. The board shall |
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appoint: |
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(1) one member to represent each of the following |
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entities or interest groups: |
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(A) [(1)] Texas Commission on Environmental |
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Quality; |
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(B) [(2)] Department of Agriculture; |
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(C) [(3)] Parks and Wildlife Department; |
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(D) [(4)] State Soil and Water Conservation |
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Board; |
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(E) [(5)] Texas Water Development Board; |
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(F) [(6)] regional water planning groups; |
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(G) [(7)] federal agencies; |
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(H) [(8)] municipalities; |
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(I) [(9)] groundwater conservation districts; |
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(J) [(10)] river authorities; |
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(K) [(11)] environmental groups; |
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(L) [(12)] irrigation districts; |
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(M) [(13)] institutional water users; |
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(N) [(14)] professional organizations focused on |
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water conservation; |
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(O) [(15)] higher education; |
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(P) [(16)] agricultural groups; |
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(Q) [(17)] refining and chemical manufacturing; |
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(R) [(18)] electric generation; |
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(S) [(19)] mining and recovery of minerals; |
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(T) [(20)] landscape irrigation and |
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horticulture; |
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(U) [(21)] water control and improvement |
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districts; |
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(V) [(22)] rural water users; and |
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(W) [(23)] municipal utility districts; and |
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(2) two members to represent investor-owned |
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utilities. |
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(b) Each entity or interest group described by Subsection |
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(a) may recommend one or more persons to fill a [the] position on |
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the council held by a [the] member who represents that entity or |
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interest group. If one or more persons are recommended for a |
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position on the council, the board shall appoint one of the persons |
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recommended to fill the position. |
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SECTION 2. Section 10.004(a), Water Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Members of the council serve staggered terms of six |
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years, with [seven or] eight or nine members' terms, as applicable, |
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expiring August 31 of each odd-numbered year. |
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SECTION 3. Section 10.010, Water Code, is amended to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 10.010. POWERS AND DUTIES OF COUNCIL. (a) The council |
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shall: |
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(1) monitor trends in water conservation |
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implementation; |
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(2) monitor new water conservation technologies for |
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possible inclusion by the board as best management practices in the |
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best management practices guide described by Section 16.0552 |
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[developed by the water conservation implementation task force
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under Chapter 109, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session,
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2003]; |
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(3) monitor the effectiveness of the statewide water |
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conservation public awareness program developed under Section |
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16.401 and associated local involvement in implementation of the |
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program; |
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(4) develop and implement a state water management |
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resource library; |
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(5) develop and implement a public recognition program |
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for water conservation; |
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(6) monitor the implementation of water conservation |
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strategies by water users included in regional water plans; and |
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(7) monitor target and goal guidelines for water |
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conservation to be considered by the board and commission. |
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(b) To assist with drought preparedness and response, the |
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council shall: |
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(1) monitor and recommend strategies for responding to |
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drought; |
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(2) monitor new drought response technologies for |
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possible inclusion by the board as best management practices in the |
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best management practices guide described by Section 16.0552; and |
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(3) recommend methodologies for conducting drought |
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contingency plan evaluations described by Section 11.1272(g). |
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SECTION 4. Section 11.1272, Water Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i) to read as follows: |
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(f) A wholesale or retail public water supplier or |
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irrigation district may review and update the supplier's or |
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district's drought contingency plan and submit to the commission |
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the reviewed or updated plan. |
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(g) A wholesale or retail public water supplier or |
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irrigation district may include in each reviewed or updated drought |
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contingency plan submitted to the commission an evaluation of the |
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effectiveness of strategies in the plan that were implemented by |
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the supplier or district during any previous period of significant |
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drought. The commission by rule may define "significant drought" |
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for purposes of this subsection. |
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(h) A wholesale or retail public water supplier shall notify |
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the commission not later than the fifth business day after the date |
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the supplier implements, changes the manner of implementing, or |
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ceases to implement a mandatory provision of the supplier's drought |
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contingency plan. The commission by rule shall establish criteria |
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for determining the actions that must be reported under this |
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subsection. |
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(i) The commission shall maintain on its Internet website a |
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list of wholesale and retail public water suppliers that are |
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currently implementing a drought contingency plan that displays for |
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each supplier: |
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(1) the degree of drought severity in the county or |
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counties in which the service area of the supplier is located; |
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(2) whether the service area of the supplier is in a |
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county subject to a declaration under Section 418.014 or 418.108, |
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Government Code, of a state of disaster due to drought conditions; |
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and |
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(3) the drought response stage the supplier is |
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implementing. |
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SECTION 5. Subchapter C, Chapter 16, Water Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 16.0552 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 16.0552. BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES GUIDE. (a) In this |
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section, "best management practices" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 11.002. |
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(b) The board, in coordination with the commission and the |
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Water Conservation Advisory Council, shall: |
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(1) regularly review and update the water conservation |
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best management practices guide developed by the water conservation |
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implementation task force under Chapter 109 (S.B. 1094), Acts of |
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the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003; and |
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(2) include in the guide best management practices for |
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drought response. |
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(c) The board shall make the guide available on its Internet |
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website. |
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SECTION 6. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the Texas Water Development Board shall appoint two |
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additional members to the Water Conservation Advisory Council as |
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required by Section 10.003(a)(2), Water Code, as added by this Act. |
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The members appointed under this section serve initial terms |
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expiring August 31, 2021. After those initial terms expire, |
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members appointed as required by Section 10.003(a)(2) serve terms |
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of six years. |
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SECTION 7. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality shall |
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adopt rules as necessary to implement Section 11.1272, Water Code, |
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as amended by this Act. |
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SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |