Bill Text: TX HB1487 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a study comparing the effects on retail water and sewer utility service rates of acquiring by certain means additional water for Bexar County retail water and sewer utility service consumers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-04-19 - Left pending in committee [HB1487 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB1487-Introduced.html
82R7474 JJT-D | ||
By: Gutierrez | H.B. No. 1487 |
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relating to a study comparing the effects on retail water and sewer | ||
utility service rates of acquiring by certain means additional | ||
water for Bexar County retail water and sewer utility service | ||
consumers. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality | ||
shall conduct a study to determine the comparative projected | ||
effects on the rates paid by retail water and sewer utility service | ||
consumers in Bexar County for water utility services in Bexar | ||
County if 40,000 acre-feet per year of additional water supplies | ||
were made available to those consumers by: | ||
(1) desalinization of groundwater from sources inside | ||
the county; | ||
(2) transportation by pipelines of surface water from | ||
a source or sources located east of that county; and | ||
(3) transportation by pipelines of surface water from | ||
a source or sources located west of that county. | ||
SECTION 2. In conducting the study, the Texas Commission on | ||
Environmental Quality shall consider all likely costs to a Bexar | ||
County retail water and sewer utility services provider of making | ||
the specified amount of water available by each of the means | ||
described by Section 1 of this Act, including costs related to | ||
acquiring necessary permits, capital or maintenance costs for | ||
infrastructure, state and federal taxes, and costs of acquiring and | ||
transporting the water for consumers' use. | ||
SECTION 3. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality | ||
shall consult with the Texas Water Development Board to the extent | ||
that board may provide useful information, expertise, or resources | ||
to further the study. The Texas Water Development Board shall | ||
undertake to assist the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality | ||
regarding any request for assistance with the study, to the extent | ||
the assistance is within the board's authority. | ||
SECTION 4. Not later than December 1, 2012, the Texas | ||
Commission on Environmental Quality shall: | ||
(1) publish the results of the study required by this | ||
Act on the commission's publicly available Internet website; and | ||
(2) deliver the results of the study required by this | ||
Act to: | ||
(A) the governor, the lieutenant governor, the | ||
speaker of the house of representatives, and each committee of each | ||
house of the legislature that has jurisdiction over water resources | ||
or water utilities; and | ||
(B) the Commissioners Court of Bexar County. | ||
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |