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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the eligibility of certain political subdivisions to |
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receive certain financial assistance administered by the Texas |
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Water Development Board. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 15.001, Water Code, is amended by adding |
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Subdivision (14) to read as follows: |
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(14) "Rural political subdivision" means: |
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(A) a nonprofit water supply or sewer service |
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corporation created and operating under Chapter 67 of this code or a |
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district or authority created under Section 52, Article III, or |
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Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, no part of the service |
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area of which is located in an urban area with a population of more |
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than 50,000; |
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(B) a municipality: |
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(i) with a population of 10,000 or less part |
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of the service area of which is located in an urban area with a |
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population of 50,000 or more; or |
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(ii) located wholly in a county in which no |
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urban area has a population of more than 50,000; |
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(C) a county in which no urban area has a |
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population of more than 50,000; or |
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(D) an entity that: |
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(i) is a nonprofit water supply or sewer |
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service corporation created and operating under Chapter 67 of this |
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code, a district or authority created under Section 52, Article |
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III, or Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, a |
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municipality, county, or other political subdivision of the state, |
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or an interstate compact commission to which the state is a party; |
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and |
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(ii) demonstrates in a manner satisfactory |
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to the board that the entity is rural or the area to be served by the |
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project is a wholly rural area despite not otherwise qualifying |
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under Paragraph (A), (B), or (C). |
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SECTION 2. Section 15.434(b), Water Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) Of the money disbursed from the fund during the |
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five-year period between the adoption of a state water plan and the |
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adoption of a new plan, the board shall undertake to apply not less |
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than: |
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(1) 10 percent to support projects described by |
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Section 15.435 that are for: |
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(A) rural political subdivisions [as defined by |
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Section 15.992]; or |
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(B) agricultural water conservation; and |
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(2) 20 percent to support projects described by |
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Section 15.435, including agricultural irrigation projects, that |
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are designed for water conservation or reuse. |
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SECTION 3. Section 17.001, Water Code, is amended by adding |
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Subdivision (26) to read as follows: |
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(26) "Rural political subdivision" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 15.001. |
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SECTION 4. Section 17.9615(a), Water Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The board may direct the comptroller to transfer amounts |
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from the financial assistance account to the rural water assistance |
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fund to provide financial assistance to rural political |
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subdivisions under this subchapter for the purposes provided in |
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Section 15.994. |
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SECTION 5. Section 15.992(4), Water Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |