Bill Text: TX HB1868 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of the Texas Rural Water Advisory Council.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 3-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-07 - Referred to Water & Rural Affairs [HB1868 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB1868-Engrossed.html
| By: Lozano, Anderson, Zwiener, Stephenson | H.B. No. 1868 | |
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| relating to the creation of the Texas Rural Water Advisory Council. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Title 3, Agriculture Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Chapter 50D to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 50D. TEXAS RURAL WATER ADVISORY COUNCIL | ||
| Sec. 50D.0101. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "council" | ||
| means the Texas Rural Water Advisory Council. | ||
| Sec. 50D.0102. COMPOSITION. (a) The council is composed of | ||
| 15 members appointed as follows: | ||
| (1) the executive director or the executive director's | ||
| designee of the following entities shall appoint a representative | ||
| for that entity: | ||
| (A) the Parks and Wildlife Department; | ||
| (B) the Texas Commission on Environmental | ||
| Quality; | ||
| (C) the Texas Department of Transportation; and | ||
| (D) the State Soil and Water Conservation Board; | ||
| (2) the commissioner of the Department of Agriculture | ||
| shall appoint a representative of that agency from the Office of | ||
| Water; | ||
| (3) the commissioner of the General Land Office shall | ||
| appoint a representative of that agency; | ||
| (4) the lieutenant governor shall appoint three | ||
| members with each member to represent one of the following: | ||
| (A) a rural county; | ||
| (B) an irrigation district; and | ||
| (C) a statewide nonprofit organization that | ||
| represents the interests of water supply corporations and other | ||
| rural water utilities; | ||
| (5) the commissioner shall appoint three members with | ||
| each member representing an interest or issue under consideration | ||
| by the council and with the initial three members each representing | ||
| one of the following: | ||
| (A) the interests of pesticide applicators; | ||
| (B) the interests of a statewide nonprofit | ||
| organization focused on litter prevention, mitigation, and | ||
| abatement; and | ||
| (C) the interests of agricultural users of | ||
| groundwater; and | ||
| (6) the speaker of the house of representatives shall | ||
| appoint three members with each member to represent one of the | ||
| following: | ||
| (A) a rural municipality; | ||
| (B) a river authority; and | ||
| (C) a drainage district. | ||
| (b) The council shall elect a presiding officer from among | ||
| its members. | ||
| (c) Members of the council serve staggered terms of two | ||
| years, with either seven or eight members' terms, as applicable, | ||
| expiring February 1 of each year. | ||
| (d) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the | ||
| size, composition, or duration of the council. | ||
| (e) Service on the council by a state officer or employee is | ||
| an additional duty of the member's office or employment. Members of | ||
| the council are not entitled to compensation or reimbursement of | ||
| expenses. | ||
| (f) The council may accept gifts and grants from any source | ||
| to be used to carry out a function of the council. | ||
| Sec. 50D.0103. DUTIES. On an ongoing basis, the council | ||
| shall assist the department in assessing the existence of, | ||
| effectiveness of, or need for rural water initiatives in this state | ||
| regarding the prevention, mitigation, and abatement of windblown | ||
| and waterborne litter and illegal dumping in rural communities, | ||
| pesticide runoff from agricultural lands, rainwater harvesting, | ||
| rural water use, and other topics as requested by the department by: | ||
| (1) identifying and evaluating best management | ||
| practices for municipal, commercial, industrial, and agricultural | ||
| properties as they relate to the water initiatives assessed by this | ||
| section, including the feasibility, costs, and benefits of those | ||
| practices; and | ||
| (2) evaluating: | ||
| (A) the feasibility and implementation needs of | ||
| best management practices in different regions of the state; | ||
| (B) the jurisdiction and effectiveness of law | ||
| enforcement; | ||
| (C) the role of state funding for incentive | ||
| programs; and | ||
| (D) the appropriate state oversight and | ||
| community support efforts. | ||
| Sec. 50D.0104. MEETINGS. The council shall meet at least | ||
| twice each year and may meet at other times considered necessary by | ||
| the commissioner. | ||
| Sec. 50D.0105. STAFF. The council is administratively | ||
| attached to the Office of Water within the department. The | ||
| department shall provide the council with the staff necessary to | ||
| carry out the council's duties under this chapter. | ||
| Sec. 50D.0106. ASSISTANCE OF STATE AGENCIES. On request by | ||
| the council, a state agency shall provide assistance to the | ||
| council, including necessary support staff. | ||
| Sec. 50D.0107. BEST PRACTICES GUIDE AND REPORT TO | ||
| LEGISLATURE. (a) Not later than November 1 of each even-numbered | ||
| year, the council shall: | ||
| (1) publish a best management practices guide for use | ||
| by state agencies and counties, municipalities, and other political | ||
| subdivisions responsible for initiatives identified and assessed | ||
| by the council, including information on potential funding sources; | ||
| and | ||
| (2) make a report to the lieutenant governor, the | ||
| speaker of the house of representatives, and the legislative | ||
| committees with primary jurisdiction over the issues described in | ||
| the report. | ||
| (b) The report under Subsection (a) must include | ||
| recommendations on additional legislative action, if any, that is | ||
| needed to implement the recommended best management practices. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | ||
