BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3933

By: King, Tracy O.

Natural Resources

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

River authorities are special districts that are subject to oversight by multiple entities, including a limited review by the Sunset Advisory Commission. It has been suggested that a sunset review of these authorities is unnecessary as sufficient oversight and regulatory requirements are already in place through other entities, such as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. C.S.H.B. 3933 seeks to address this issue by repealing provisions subjecting river authorities to limited review under the Texas Sunset Act.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3933 repeals Section 325.025, Government Code, which subjects the following river authorities to review by the Sunset Advisory Commission:

·       the Angelina and Neches River Authority;

·       the Bandera County River Authority and Groundwater District;

·       the Brazos River Authority;

·       the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority;

·       the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority;

·       the Lower Colorado River Authority;

·       the Lower Neches Valley Authority;

·       the Nueces River Authority;

·       the Red River Authority of Texas;

·       the Sabine River Authority of Texas;

·       the San Antonio River Authority;

·       the San Jacinto River Authority;

·       the Sulphur River Basin Authority;

·       the Trinity River Authority of Texas;

·       the Upper Colorado River Authority; and

·       the Upper Guadalupe River Authority.

C.S.H.B. 3933 also repeals the following provisions to conform to the above repeal:

·       Section 8501.0015, Special District Local Laws Code;

·       Section 8502.0021, Special District Local Laws Code;

·       Section 8503.0021, Special District Local Laws Code;

·       Section 8504.0021, Special District Local Laws Code;

·       Section 8506.0021, Special District Local Laws Code;

·       Section 8508.0005, Special District Local Laws Code;

·       Section 1A, Chapter 629, Acts of the 62nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1971;

·       Section 1A, Chapter 75, Acts of the 43rd Legislature, 1st Called Session, 1933;

·       Section 1A, Chapter 186, Acts of the 50th Legislature, Regular Session, 1947;

·       Section 1.02A, Chapter 427, Acts of the 44th Legislature, 1st Called Session, 1935;

·       Section 1A, Chapter 279, Acts of the 56th Legislature, Regular Session, 1959;

·       Section 2A, Chapter 110, Acts of the 51st Legislature, Regular Session, 1949;

·       Section 1-a, Chapter 276, Acts of the 45th Legislature, Regular Session, 1937;

·       Section 1A, Chapter 426, Acts of the 45th Legislature, Regular Session, 1937;

·       Section 1A(a), Chapter 3, Acts of the 69th Legislature, 1st Called Session, 1985;

·       Section 1A, Chapter 518, Acts of the 54th Legislature, Regular Session, 1955; and

·       Section 1A, Chapter 5, page 1062, Special Laws, Acts of the 46th Legislature, Regular Session, 1939.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3933 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute does not repeal the following, which were repealed by the original:

·       Section 8503.015(b), Special District Local Laws Code, which relates to audits of the Lower Colorado River Authority;

·       Section 1A, Chapter 438, Acts of the 63rd Legislature, Regular Session, 1973, relating to the Palo Duro River Authority of Texas; and

·       Section 1A, Chapter 126, General Laws, Acts of the 44th Legislature, Regular Session, 1935, relating to the Upper Colorado River Authority.

The substitute repeals the following, which were not repealed by the original:

·       Section 8506.0021, Special District Local Laws Code, relating to the Upper Colorado River Authority; and

·       Section 8508.0005, Special District Local Laws Code, relating to the Sulphur River Basin Authority.