Bill Text: TX HB1502 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the Lower Colorado River Authority, following recommendations of the Sunset Advisory Commission.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-09 - Left pending in committee [HB1502 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB1502-Introduced.html
86R3437 SLB-D | ||
By: Nevárez | H.B. No. 1502 |
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relating to the Lower Colorado River Authority, following | ||
recommendations of the Sunset Advisory Commission. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 8503, Special District Local Laws Code, | ||
is amended by adding Sections 8503.0065, 8503.0105, 8503.0106, | ||
8503.0107, and 8503.0108 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 8503.0065. DIRECTOR TRAINING. (a) A person who is | ||
appointed to and qualifies for office as a director may not vote, | ||
deliberate, or be counted as a director in attendance at a board | ||
meeting until the person completes a training program that complies | ||
with this section. | ||
(b) The training program must provide the person with | ||
information regarding: | ||
(1) the law governing authority operations; | ||
(2) the programs, functions, rules, and budget of the | ||
authority; | ||
(3) the scope of and limitations on the rulemaking | ||
authority of the authority; | ||
(4) the results of the most recent formal audit of the | ||
authority; | ||
(5) the requirements of: | ||
(A) laws relating to open meetings, public | ||
information, administrative procedure, and disclosure of conflicts | ||
of interest; and | ||
(B) other laws applicable to members of the | ||
governing body of a river authority in performing their duties; and | ||
(6) any applicable ethics policies adopted by the | ||
authority or the Texas Ethics Commission. | ||
(c) A person appointed to the board is entitled to | ||
reimbursement for the travel expenses incurred in attending the | ||
training program regardless of whether the attendance at the | ||
program occurs before or after the person qualifies for office. | ||
(d) The general manager of the authority shall create a | ||
training manual that includes the information required by | ||
Subsection (b) of this section. The general manager shall | ||
distribute a copy of the training manual annually to each director. | ||
Each director shall sign and submit to the general manager a | ||
statement acknowledging that the director has received the training | ||
manual. | ||
Sec. 8503.0105. PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT POLICY. The board shall | ||
develop and implement a policy that provides a structure for public | ||
engagement in regard to water supply projects. The policy must | ||
include a clear and detailed description of how the authority will | ||
seek to actively engage stakeholders, including the possible use | ||
of: | ||
(1) advisory committees; | ||
(2) community panels; | ||
(3) town hall meetings; and | ||
(4) other strategies on a recurring basis. | ||
Sec. 8503.0106. COMPLAINTS. (a) The authority shall | ||
maintain a system to promptly and efficiently act on complaints | ||
filed with the authority. The authority shall maintain information | ||
about parties to the complaint, the subject matter of the | ||
complaint, a summary of the results of the review or investigation | ||
of the complaint, and its disposition. | ||
(b) The authority shall make information available to the | ||
public, including on the authority's website, describing its | ||
procedures for complaint investigation and resolution. | ||
(c) The authority shall periodically notify the complaint | ||
parties of the status of the complaint until final disposition. | ||
(d) The authority shall develop a standard form and a | ||
procedure for submitting complaints to the authority and shall make | ||
that form and procedure available on the authority's website. The | ||
authority shall also make available on its website clear | ||
information about what a person making a complaint should expect | ||
after the complaint is filed, including timelines for response and | ||
resolution. | ||
Sec. 8503.0107. PUBLIC TESTIMONY. (a) In this section, | ||
"committee-of-the-whole" means a committee of the board in which | ||
every director is a member of the committee. | ||
(b) The board shall develop and implement policies that | ||
provide the public with a reasonable opportunity to appear before | ||
the board and to speak on any issue under the jurisdiction of the | ||
authority. | ||
(c) At each regular meeting of the board and each meeting as | ||
a committee-of-the-whole, the board shall include public testimony | ||
as a meeting agenda item and allow members of the public to comment | ||
on every agenda item and other matters under the jurisdiction of the | ||
authority. The board may not deliberate or decide a matter not | ||
included in the meeting agenda except to discuss including the | ||
matter on the agenda for a subsequent meeting. | ||
Sec. 8503.0108. ALTERNATIVE RULEMAKING AND DISPUTE | ||
RESOLUTION PROCEDURES. (a) The board shall develop a policy to | ||
encourage the use of: | ||
(1) negotiated rulemaking procedures under Chapter | ||
2008, Government Code, for the adoption of authority rules; and | ||
(2) appropriate alternative dispute resolution | ||
procedures under Chapter 2009, Government Code, to assist in the | ||
resolution of internal and external disputes under the authority's | ||
jurisdiction. | ||
(b) The authority's procedures relating to alternative | ||
dispute resolution must conform, to the extent possible, to any | ||
model guidelines issued by the State Office of Administrative | ||
Hearings for the use of alternative dispute resolution by state | ||
agencies. | ||
(c) The authority shall: | ||
(1) coordinate the implementation of the policy | ||
adopted under Subsection (a) of this section; | ||
(2) provide training as needed to implement the | ||
procedures for negotiated rulemaking or alternative dispute | ||
resolution; and | ||
(3) collect data concerning the effectiveness of those | ||
procedures. | ||
SECTION 2. Notwithstanding Section 8503.0065, Special | ||
District Local Laws Code, as added by this Act, a person serving on | ||
the board of directors of the Lower Colorado River Authority may | ||
vote, deliberate, and be counted as a director in attendance at a | ||
meeting of the board until December 1, 2019. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |