Bill Text: TX SB329 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to state and local planning for and responses to drought.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-02 - Referred to Agriculture, Water, & Rural Affairs [SB329 Detail]

Download: Texas-2015-SB329-Introduced.html

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84R3012 JXC-D
By: Hinojosa S.B. No. 329

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to state and local planning for and responses to drought.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 10.010, Water Code, is amended to read as
follows:
Sec. 10.010. POWERS AND DUTIES OF COUNCIL. (a) The council
shall:
(1) monitor trends in water conservation
implementation;
(2) monitor new water conservation technologies for
possible inclusion by the board as best management practices in the
best management practices guide described by Section 16.0552
[developed by the water conservation implementation task force
under Chapter 109, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session,
2003];
(3) monitor the effectiveness of the statewide water
conservation public awareness program developed under Section
16.401 and associated local involvement in implementation of the
program;
(4) develop and implement a state water management
resource library;
(5) develop and implement a public recognition program
for water conservation;
(6) monitor the implementation of water conservation
strategies by water users included in regional water plans; and
(7) monitor target and goal guidelines for water
conservation to be considered by the board and commission.
(b) To assist with drought preparedness and response, the
council shall:
(1) monitor and develop strategies for responding to
drought;
(2) monitor new drought response technologies for
possible inclusion by the board as best management practices in the
best management practices guide described by Section 16.0552; and
(3) recommend methodologies for conducting drought
contingency plan evaluations described by Section 11.1272(g).
SECTION 2. Section 11.1272, Water Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i) to read as follows:
(f) At least once every five years, a wholesale or retail
public water supplier or irrigation district shall review and, as
necessary, update the supplier or district's drought contingency
plan and submit to the commission the reviewed or updated plan.
(g) A wholesale water supplier, a retail public water
supplier that provides potable water service to 3,300 or more
connections, or an irrigation district shall include in each
reviewed or updated drought contingency plan submitted to the
commission under Subsection (f) an evaluation of the effectiveness
of strategies in the plan that were implemented by the supplier or
district during any period of significant drought that occurred in
the preceding five years. The commission by rule shall define
"significant drought" for purposes of this subsection.
(h) A wholesale or retail public water supplier shall notify
the commission not later than the fifth business day after the date
the supplier implements, changes the manner of implementing, or
ceases to implement a mandatory provision of the supplier's drought
contingency plan. The commission by rule shall establish criteria
for determining the actions that must be reported under this
subsection.
(i) The commission shall maintain on its Internet website a
list of wholesale and retail public water suppliers that are
currently implementing a drought contingency plan that displays for
each supplier:
(1) the degree of drought severity in the county or
counties in which the service area of the supplier is located;
(2) whether the service area of the supplier is in a
county subject to a declaration under Section 418.014 or 418.108,
Government Code, of a state of disaster due to drought conditions;
and
(3) the drought response stage the supplier is
implementing.
SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 16, Water Code, is amended
by adding Section 16.0552 to read as follows:
Sec. 16.0552. BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES GUIDE. (a) In this
section, "best management practices" has the meaning assigned by
Section 11.002.
(b) The board, in coordination with the commission and the
Water Conservation Advisory Council, shall:
(1) regularly review and update the water conservation
best management practices guide developed by the water conservation
implementation task force under Chapter 109 (S.B. 1094), Acts of
the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003; and
(2) include in the guide best management practices for
drought response.
(c) The board shall make the guide available on its Internet
website.
SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date
of this Act, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality shall
adopt rules as necessary to implement Section 11.1272, Water Code,
as amended by this Act.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.