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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a study and report by the Upper Guadalupe River |
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Authority of risks from and solutions to flooding. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: |
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(1) "Authority" means the Upper Guadalupe River |
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Authority. |
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(2) "Board" means the Texas Water Development Board. |
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(3) "Regional flood plan" means the regional flood |
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plan developed under Section 16.062, Water Code, for the flood |
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planning region that includes the upper Guadalupe River basin. |
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(4) "Regional flood planning group" means the regional |
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flood planning group designated under Section 16.062, Water Code, |
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whose flood planning region includes the upper Guadalupe River |
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basin. |
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SECTION 2. STUDY AND REPORT. (a) The authority, in |
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consultation with the board, the Texas Department of |
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Transportation, and the regional flood planning group, shall |
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conduct a risk assessment and project feasibility study to: |
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(1) quantify the risk to life and property posed by |
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flooding in the upper Guadalupe River basin; |
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(2) assess potential solutions to mitigate flood risks |
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identified under Subdivision (1) of this subsection; and |
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(3) propose not more than eight projects that will |
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help mitigate the flood risks identified under Subdivision (1) of |
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this subsection. |
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(b) In quantifying the risk to life and property under |
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Subsection (a)(1) of this section, the authority shall: |
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(1) collect and assess existing data, including the |
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data collected in connection with the regional flood plan, any |
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integrated flood risk management studies for the area, topographic |
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data, existing locally developed models, structure inventories, |
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and hydrologic analyses; |
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(2) update as appropriate the information collected |
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under Subdivision (1) of this subsection by incorporating the July |
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4, 2025, weather event; and |
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(3) develop hydraulic models for the major creeks and |
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rivers within the upper Guadalupe River basin. |
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(c) In assessing potential solutions to mitigate flood |
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risks under Subsection (a)(2) of this section, the authority shall: |
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(1) identify projects that reduce susceptibility to |
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flooding, including off-river detention storage, on-river dams, |
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improved evacuation routes, river channel modification, and |
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improved or new storm drainage systems; |
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(2) develop a hydraulic model for each potential |
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project to determine the effect of the project with respect to: |
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(A) flood mitigation; |
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(B) water supply; |
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(C) groundwater recharge; |
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(D) recreation; and |
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(E) environmental impacts; and |
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(3) conduct community meetings to gather input and |
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feedback from residents with respect to the projects. |
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(d) In proposing projects that may help mitigate the flood |
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risks under Subsection (a)(3) of this section, the authority shall: |
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(1) determine the costs and benefits of each project; |
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(2) score and rank the projects based on community |
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feedback and the costs and benefits of the projects; and |
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(3) to the extent possible, develop design documents |
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for the highest-ranked projects to expedite the completion of those |
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projects. |
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(e) Not later than January 1, 2027, the authority shall |
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present to the board and the legislature a report that contains a |
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summary of the study conducted under this Act and a description of |
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the projects identified by the authority that would best mitigate |
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flooding in the upper Guadalupe River basin. |
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SECTION 3. EXPIRATION. This Act expires January 1, 2028. |
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SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect on the |
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91st day after the last day of the legislative session. |