By: Harris of Anderson, Troxclair H.B. No. 2443
        (Senate Sponsor - Perry)
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 2023;
  May 9, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Water,
  Agriculture & Rural Affairs; May 12, 2023, reported favorably by
  the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 12, 2023, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
 
  COMMITTEE VOTE
 
 
         YeaNayAbsentPNV
         PerryX
         HancockX
         BlancoX
         FloresX
         GutierrezX
         JohnsonX
         KolkhorstX
         SparksX
         SpringerX
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the authority of certain persons to petition a
  groundwater conservation district to change certain rules.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 36, Water Code, is amended
  by adding Section 36.1025 to read as follows:
         Sec. 36.1025.  PETITION TO CHANGE RULES. (a) A person with
  a real property interest in groundwater may petition the district
  where the property that gives rise to the real property interest is
  located to adopt a rule or modify a rule adopted under this chapter.
         (b)  The district by rule shall prescribe the form for a
  petition submitted under this section and the procedure for the
  submission, consideration, and disposition of the petition.
         (c)  Not later than the 90th day after the date the district
  receives the petition, the district shall:
               (1)  deny the petition and provide an explanation for
  the denial; or
               (2)  engage in rulemaking consistent with the granted
  petition.
         (d)  Nothing in this section may be construed to create a
  private cause of action for a decision to accept or deny a petition
  filed under this section.
         SECTION 2.  Not later than December 1, 2023, a groundwater
  conservation district shall adopt rules to implement Section
  36.1025, Water Code, as added by this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
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