ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 3055	By:	Steele, Lockhart and Roan of the House

			and

		Fields of the Senate

An Act relating to waters and water rights; creating the Water for 2060 Act; providing short title; stating Legislative findings; stating goal for water consumption by certain year; amending 82 O.S. 2011, Section 1088.1, which relates to the Oklahoma Water Conservation Grant Program; modifying name of act; adding rural water districts to act; authorizing certain water reuse projects; creating the Water for 2060 Advisory Council; stating membership and providing for appointments; requiring Executive Director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to serve as chair; providing for quorum, membership vacancies and administrative support for Advisory Council; stating duties and responsibilities; providing for final report by certain date; stating termination date for Advisory Council; providing for codification; providing for recodification; and providing an effective date.

SUBJECT:  Water for 2060 Act

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:

SECTION 1.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1088.11 of Title 82, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:

This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Water for 2060 Act".

SECTION 2.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1088.12 of Title 82, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:

The Legislature hereby declares that, in order to protect Oklahoma citizens from increased water supply shortages and groundwater depletions by the year 2060 in most of the eighty-two watershed planning basins in the state as described in the 2012 Update of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan, the public policy of this state is to establish and work toward a goal of consuming no more fresh water in the year 2060 than is consumed statewide in the year 2012, while continuing to grow the population and economy of the state and to achieve this goal through utilizing existing water supplies more efficiently and expanding the use of alternatives such as wastewater, brackish water, and other nonpotable supplies.  Provided, however, that nothing in the Water for 2060 Act shall be construed as amending the provisions of law pertaining to rights or permits to use water.

SECTION 3.     AMENDATORY     82 O.S. 2011, Section 1088.1, is amended to read as follows:

Section 1088.1.  A.  This section shall be known and may be cited as There is hereby created the "Oklahoma Water Conservation Grant Program Act".

B.  The Oklahoma Water Resources Board shall solicit proposals for and make grants for the establishment of pilot programs which will implement water conservation projects or plans in communities in the state.

C.  The goals and objectives of the grant program are to:

1.  Increase the awareness of the public through education programs or public information campaigns regarding the value of our water resources and how water can be used more efficiently;

2.  Provide assistance to communities or entities initiating water conservation plans, programs, and activities and to research and document the potential for improving water use efficiency through demonstration projects and other activities; and

3.  Assist in the development of policies which will encourage the implementation of water conservation measures.

D.  For purposes of this section, communities may include entire cities or towns, combined cities or towns, parts of cities or towns, or schools, groups or entities located within a community, or one or more rural water districts or portions of water districts.

E.  Contingent upon the availability of funding, the Board may award grants each year in an amount not to exceed Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) for each grant.  The total amount of grants awarded each year shall not exceed Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00).

F.  The pilot projects shall be innovative programs that will serve as models for other communities in the state.  Pilot projects may include, but are not limited to, community conservation demonstration projects, water use accounting programs, retrofit projects, school education projects, Xeriscape demonstration gardens, projects which promote efficiency, recycling and reuse of water, and information campaigns on capturing and using harvested rainwater and graywater.

G.  The Board shall determine pilot project criteria and establish a process for the consideration of proposals.  The proposals for pilot projects shall be considered on a statewide competitive basis.  The Board shall promulgate rules for the operation of the projects.

SECTION 4.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1088.14 of Title 82, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:

A.  There is hereby created an advisory council to be known as the "Water for 2060 Advisory Council".

B.  The Advisory Council shall consist of fifteen (15) members as follows:

1.  The Executive Director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board;

2.  Four members appointed by the Governor who shall be well versed in municipal, rural residential, and agriculture water uses, as well as water-efficiency practices and technologies;

3.  Five members, with one member being from each of the congressional districts, appointed by the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, who shall be well versed in recreation, industrial, oil and gas, and irrigation water uses, as well as water and wastewater reuse practices and technologies; and

4.  Five members, with one member being from each of the congressional districts, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate, who shall be well versed in soil conservation, small business, and environmental water interests, as well as marginal quality and brackish water use practices and technologies.

C.  Appointed members shall serve at the pleasure of their respective appointing authority.

D.  The Executive Director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board shall serve as chair of the Advisory Council, with other officers selected by the Advisory Council as it deems necessary.  Meetings of the Advisory Council shall be held at the call of the chair.  A majority of the members of the Advisory Council shall constitute a quorum to transact business, but no vacancy shall impair the right of the remaining members to exercise all of the powers of the Advisory Council.  A vacancy on the Advisory Council shall be filled by the original appointing authority.  Staff support for the Advisory Council shall be provided by the staff of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.  Other state agencies shall provide support and information as requested by the Advisory Council.

E.  The Advisory Council shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

1.  Recommend incentives to encourage improved irrigation and farming techniques, more efficient infrastructure, use of water recycling/reuse systems, promotion of "smart" irrigation techniques, control of invasive species, artificial recharge of aquifers, and increased use of marginal quality and brackish waters;

2.  Make recommendations regarding the expansion of education programs that modify and improve consumer water-use habits; and

3.  Enhance existing, or develop new, financial assistance programs that encourage Oklahoma water systems to implement leak detection and repair programs that result in reduced loss and waste of water, as well as encourage consolidation and regionalization of smaller systems in order to utilize limited resources most efficiently.

F.  The Advisory Council shall submit a final report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and President Pro Tempore of the Senate no later than three (3) years following the effective date of this act.

G.  Activities of the Advisory Council shall terminate no later than December 31, 2015.

SECTION 5.     RECODIFICATION     82 O.S. 2011, Section 1088.1, as amended by Section 3 of this act, shall be recodified as Section 1088.13 of Title 82 of the Oklahoma Statutes, unless there is created a duplication in numbering.

SECTION 6.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2012.

Passed the House of Representatives the 14th day of May, 2012.

	

	Presiding Officer of the House

	of Representatives

Passed the Senate the 18th day of April, 2012.

	

	Presiding Officer of the Senate