Bill Text: TX HB3167 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to water programs administered by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Texas Water Development Board.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-16 - Left pending in committee [HB3167 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB3167-Introduced.html
| 83R9778 JXC-D | ||
| By: King of Taylor | H.B. No. 3167 | |
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| relating to water programs administered by the Texas Commission on | ||
| Environmental Quality and the Texas Water Development Board. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter Q, Chapter 15, Water Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Section 15.982 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 15.982. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. (a) In | ||
| addition to using the fund for the other purposes authorized by this | ||
| subchapter, the board may use the fund to provide technical or | ||
| financial assistance to an eligible political subdivision for a | ||
| project designed to alleviate a severe water shortage affecting the | ||
| political subdivision that is caused by an emergency condition such | ||
| as a drought or public calamity. | ||
| (b) To be eligible to receive technical or financial | ||
| assistance under this section, an eligible political subdivision | ||
| must apply to the board and provide to the board evidence that the | ||
| political subdivision is affected by a severe water shortage that | ||
| is caused by an emergency condition such as a drought or public | ||
| calamity. | ||
| (c) The board shall expedite review of an application the | ||
| board receives under this section. | ||
| (d) The board shall coordinate with the commission, the | ||
| Department of Agriculture, and any other agency as necessary to | ||
| implement this section. | ||
| (e) The board may provide technical or financial assistance | ||
| under this section for a project regardless of whether the project | ||
| is recommended through the state and regional water planning | ||
| processes under Sections 16.051 and 16.053. | ||
| SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Water Development Board and the | ||
| Texas Commission on Environmental Quality shall jointly: | ||
| (1) conduct a study regarding: | ||
| (A) streamlining the application and permitting | ||
| processes described by Chapters 15, 16, and 17, Water Code, for | ||
| water projects that the Texas Water Development Board has | ||
| determined are priority projects; and | ||
| (B) the feasibility and desirability of | ||
| requiring a state agency to: | ||
| (i) compile state and federal permitting | ||
| requirements applicable to applicants for financial assistance or | ||
| permits for water projects described by Chapters 15, 16, and 17, | ||
| Water Code; and | ||
| (ii) provide to the applicants a | ||
| description or list of the requirements; and | ||
| (2) conduct a study regarding the effect of the repeal | ||
| of provisions of the Wagstaff Act, Chapter 128 (S.B. 93), General | ||
| Laws, Acts of the 42nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1931, and the | ||
| feasibility and desirability of reenacting any of those provisions. | ||
| (b) The Texas Water Development Board shall submit a report | ||
| on the results of the studies required by this section to the | ||
| lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives | ||
| not later than September 1, 2014. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. | ||
