By: Beckley H.B. No. 1956
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to information on projected changes in weather, water
  availability, and climate variability in strategic plans of certain
  state agencies.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 2056.002(b), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  The Legislative Budget Board and the Governor's Office
  of Budget, Policy, and Planning shall determine the elements
  required to be included in each agency's strategic plan. Unless
  modified by the Legislative Budget Board and the Governor's Office
  of Budget, Policy, and Planning, and except as provided by
  Subsection (c), a plan must include:
               (1)  a statement of the mission and goals of the state
  agency;
               (2)  a description of the indicators developed under
  this chapter and used to measure the output and outcome of the
  agency;
               (3)  identification of the groups of people served by
  the agency, including those having service priorities, or other
  service measures established by law, and estimates of changes in
  those groups expected during the term of the plan;
               (4)  an analysis of the use of the agency's resources to
  meet the agency's needs, including future needs, and an estimate of
  additional resources that may be necessary to meet future needs;
               (5)  an analysis of expected changes in the services
  provided by the agency because of changes in state or federal law;
               (6)  a description of the means and strategies for
  meeting the agency's needs, including future needs, and achieving
  the goals established under Section 2056.006 for each area of state
  government for which the agency provides services;
               (7)  a description of the capital improvement needs of
  the agency during the term of the plan and a statement, if
  appropriate, of the priority of those needs;
               (8)  identification of each geographic region of this
  state, including the Texas-Louisiana border region and the
  Texas-Mexico border region, served by the agency, and if
  appropriate the agency's means and strategies for serving each
  region;
               (9)  a description of the training of the agency's
  contract managers under Section 2262.053;
               (10)  an analysis of the agency's expected expenditures
  that relate to federally owned or operated military installations
  or facilities, or communities where a federally owned or operated
  military installation or facility is located;
               (11)  an analysis of the strategic use of information
  resources as provided by the instructions prepared under Section
  2054.095; [and]
               (12)  for the Department of Agriculture, Texas
  Commission on Environmental Quality, General Land Office, Texas
  Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Texas Department of
  Insurance, Parks and Wildlife Department, Department of Public
  Safety, Public Utility Commission of Texas, office of the
  comptroller, Texas A&M Forest Service, and Texas Water Development
  Board:
                     (A)  an analysis of expected changes, including
  adverse impacts, in the services provided by the agency because of
  projected changes in weather, water availability, and climate
  variability, as determined by the Texas state climatologist's
  report under Section 2056.005(c);
                     (B)  for each period described in Section
  2056.005(c), a description of the means and strategies for meeting
  the agency's needs and managing the risks associated with the
  projected changes in weather, water availability, and climate
  variability as determined by the report; and
                     (C)  for the means and strategies described by
  Paragraph (B):
                           (i)  identification of any financial
  resources that will be needed to carry out those means and
  strategies; and
                           (ii)  an analysis of partnerships and
  cooperation between the agency and other state, local, and federal
  governmental entities that will be needed to carry out those means
  and strategies; and
               (13)  other information that may be required.
         SECTION 2.  Section 2056.005, Government Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f) to read as follows:
         (c)  Not later than February 1 of each even-numbered year,
  the Texas state climatologist shall provide to the Legislative
  Budget Board, for use in the strategic planning of a state agency
  listed in Section 2056.002(b)(12), a report on projected changes in
  weather, water availability, and climate variability across the
  state for a period of:
               (1)  five years beginning with the next odd-numbered
  year; and
               (2)  at least 20 years and not longer than 50 years
  beginning with the next odd-numbered year.
         (d)  The report under Subsection (c) may include:
               (1)  projections of precipitation;
               (2)  projections of temperature;
               (3)  projections of stream flow in Texas rivers;
               (4)  projections of evaporation rates;
               (5)  projections of soil moisture rates;
               (6)  projections of sea level changes;
               (7)  projections of coastal storm intensity;
               (8)  projections of inland and coastal flood intensity;
               (9)  likely ranges of variability for all projections;
               (10)  any estimations of the likelihood of the
  forecasts, as considered appropriate by the Texas state
  climatologist; and
               (11)  any additional factors that are considered useful
  for state agency strategic planning by the Texas state
  climatologist.
         (e)  The Texas state climatologist may use a forecast created
  outside of the office of the state climatologist if the forecast is
  considered suitable by the climatologist for the requirements of
  the report.
         (f)  Not later than March 1 of each even-numbered year, the
  Legislative Budget Board shall distribute the report provided under
  Subsection (c) to the state agencies listed in Section
  2056.002(b)(12) for use in each agency's strategic planning.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.