Bill Text: TX HB2759 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the TexMesonet Hydrometeorology Network and creation of the TexMesonet Advisory Committee.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-24 - Effective on 9/1/23 [HB2759 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB2759-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the TexMesonet Hydrometeorology Network and creation of the TexMesonet Advisory Committee.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-24 - Effective on 9/1/23 [HB2759 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB2759-Comm_Sub.html
By: Thompson of Brazoria (Senate Sponsor - Perry) | H.B. No. 2759 | |
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 17, 2023; | ||
April 18, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Water, | ||
Agriculture & Rural Affairs; May 4, 2023, reported favorably by the | ||
following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 4, 2023, sent to printer.) | ||
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relating to the establishment of the TexMesonet Hydrometeorology | ||
Network and creation of the TexMesonet Advisory Committee. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 16.012(b), Water Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(b) The executive administrator shall: | ||
(1) determine suitable locations for future water | ||
facilities, including reservoir sites; | ||
(2) determine suitable, cost-effective water supply | ||
alternatives on a regional basis, including voluntary means of | ||
encouraging aggressive water conservation; | ||
(3) locate land best suited for irrigation; | ||
(4) make estimates of the cost of proposed irrigation | ||
works and the improvement of reservoir sites; | ||
(5) examine and survey reservoir sites; | ||
(6) monitor the effects of fresh water inflows upon | ||
the bays and estuaries of Texas; | ||
(7) monitor instream flows; | ||
(7-a) monitor hydrometeorological conditions; | ||
(8) lead a statewide effort, in coordination with | ||
federal, state, and local governments, institutions of higher | ||
education, and other interested parties, to develop a network for | ||
collecting and disseminating water resource-related information | ||
that is sufficient to support assessment of ambient water | ||
conditions statewide; | ||
(9) make recommendations for optimizing the | ||
efficiency and effectiveness of water resource data collection and | ||
dissemination as necessary to ensure that basic water resource data | ||
are maintained and available for Texas; and | ||
(10) make basic data and summary information developed | ||
under this subsection accessible to state agencies and other | ||
interested persons. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 16, Water Code, is amended | ||
by adding Section 16.026 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 16.026. TEXMESONET HYDROMETEOROLOGY NETWORK; | ||
TEXMESONET ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) In this section, "network" | ||
means the TexMesonet Hydrometeorology Network. | ||
(b) The executive administrator shall establish the | ||
TexMesonet Hydrometeorology Network to provide a statewide | ||
resource for hydrometeorological data and summary information | ||
benefiting weather forecasting, flood preparedness, drought | ||
monitoring, wildfire management, water resources planning, water | ||
conservation, agricultural readiness and productivity, industrial | ||
readiness, and related business readiness and productivity across | ||
this state. | ||
(c) The network shall: | ||
(1) establish a series of stations throughout this | ||
state to monitor hydrometeorological conditions; | ||
(2) coordinate mesoscale, evapotranspiration, and | ||
soil moisture monitoring efforts in this state by: | ||
(A) collecting, receiving, analyzing, | ||
processing, and facilitating access to basic hydrometeorological | ||
data; and | ||
(B) developing and disseminating products, | ||
tools, and summary information related to that data; | ||
(3) serve as the centralized repository for | ||
hydrometeorological data in this state; and | ||
(4) provide appropriate technical assistance related | ||
to the duties described by Subdivisions (1)-(3). | ||
(d) The executive administrator may, on behalf of the | ||
network, enter into: | ||
(1) any agreement with an individual or a federal, | ||
state, or local governmental entity to provide site location and | ||
access for earth observation stations; and | ||
(2) a partnership with a public or private entity to | ||
provide additional funding and resources for improved access to and | ||
development of hydrometeorological data, products, and tools. | ||
(e) Each state agency or political subdivision of this state | ||
that collects hydrometeorological information, including public | ||
institutions of higher education, shall cooperate with the network | ||
in the development of a coordinated, efficient, and effective | ||
statewide hydrometeorological data collection and dissemination | ||
resource. | ||
(f) The executive administrator may establish the | ||
TexMesonet Advisory Committee to advise and make recommendations to | ||
the executive administrator on ensuring data quality and optimizing | ||
the efficiency and effectiveness of hydrometeorological data | ||
collection, product development, and dissemination of data and | ||
information. Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the | ||
size, composition, or duration of the advisory committee. Members | ||
of the advisory committee serve without compensation but are | ||
entitled to reimbursement for actual or necessary expenses incurred | ||
in performing functions as a member of the advisory committee | ||
subject to any applicable limitation on reimbursement provided by | ||
the General Appropriations Act. The committee may include members | ||
representing the following entities or interest groups: | ||
(1) the office of the state climatologist; | ||
(2) the National Weather Service; | ||
(3) existing hydrometeorological networks; and | ||
(4) other appropriate entities. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
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