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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to establishing an advisory board to study surface water |
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and groundwater interaction. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "advisory board" means |
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the Surface Water and Groundwater Interaction Advisory Board. |
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SECTION 2. SURFACE WATER AND GROUNDWATER INTERACTION |
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ADVISORY BOARD ESTABLISHED. (a) The Surface Water and Groundwater |
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Interaction Advisory Board is established and consists of 12 |
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persons as follows: |
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(1) the executive administrator of the Texas Water |
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Development Board; |
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(2) one person to represent the interests of the Texas |
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Commission on Environmental Quality, recommended by the Texas |
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Commission on Environmental Quality and appointed jointly by the |
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chairs of the house natural resources committee and the senate |
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water and rural affairs committee; |
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(3) two persons to represent the interests of river |
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authorities, recommended jointly by the Texas Commission on |
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Environmental Quality and the Texas Water Development Board and |
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appointed jointly by the chairs of the house natural resources |
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committee and the senate water and rural affairs committee; |
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(4) two persons to represent the interests of |
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groundwater conservation districts, recommended jointly by the |
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Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Water |
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Development Board and appointed jointly by the chairs of the house |
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natural resources committee and the senate water and rural affairs |
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committee; |
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(5) two persons with academic or specialist knowledge |
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in the area of surface water and groundwater interaction, with one |
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appointed by the chair of the house natural resources committee and |
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another appointed by the chair of the senate water and rural affairs |
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committee; |
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(6) one person to represent environmental interests or |
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the interests relating to the interaction of surface water and |
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groundwater, recommended jointly by the Texas Commission on |
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Environmental Quality and the Texas Water Development Board and |
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appointed jointly by the chairs of the house natural resources |
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committee and the senate water and rural affairs committee; |
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(7) the chair of the house natural resources |
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committee; |
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(8) the chair of the senate water and rural affairs |
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committee; and |
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(9) one person from the office of the governor, |
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appointed by the governor. |
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(b) The executive administrator of the Texas Water |
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Development Board serves as the chair of the advisory board. |
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SECTION 3. PUBLIC MEETING. The advisory board shall hold at |
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least one public meeting in order to accept comments from the public |
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on matters studied by the advisory board. |
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SECTION 4. SURFACE WATER AND GROUNDWATER INTERACTION STUDY. |
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(a) The advisory board shall study: |
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(1) the extent to which surface water and groundwater |
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interact in this state; |
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(2) challenges arising in this state from the |
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interaction of surface water and groundwater; and |
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(3) approaches to mitigating challenges arising in |
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this state from the interaction of surface water and groundwater. |
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(b) In conducting the study under this section, the advisory |
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board shall consult with: |
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(1) the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; |
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(2) groundwater conservation districts; and |
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(3) river authorities. |
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SECTION 5. STUDY REPORT; EXPIRATION OF ACT. (a) The |
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advisory board shall deliver to the governor, the lieutenant |
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governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and each |
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member of the legislature a report on the determinations of the |
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advisory board based on the study conducted under Section 4 of this |
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Act not later than December 1, 2024. The advisory board shall |
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deliver to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of |
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the house of representatives, or a member of the legislature |
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related information on request. |
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(b) The advisory board is abolished and this Act expires |
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January 1, 2025. |
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SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |