Bill Text: TX HB4659 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to a study of the financing of regional facilities that convert groundwater to surface water.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-24 - Removed from local & uncontested calendar [HB4659 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB4659-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Relating to a study of the financing of regional facilities that convert groundwater to surface water.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-24 - Removed from local & uncontested calendar [HB4659 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB4659-Comm_Sub.html
88R18802 KBB-F | |||
By: Schofield | H.B. No. 4659 | ||
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 4659: | |||
By: King of Uvalde | C.S.H.B. No. 4659 |
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relating to a study of the financing of regional facilities that | ||
convert groundwater to surface water. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: | ||
(1) "Board" means the Texas Water Development Board. | ||
(2) "Facility" means a regional water facility that | ||
converts groundwater to surface water. | ||
SECTION 2. WORKING GROUP. (a) A working group composed of | ||
representatives of the Texas Water Development Board and the Texas | ||
Public Finance Authority is formed to study, review, and report to | ||
the legislature on the methods used to finance or refinance | ||
regional water facilities that convert groundwater to surface | ||
water. | ||
(b) The working group may include representatives of local | ||
governments of Harris and Fort Bend Counties that have borrowed | ||
money from the board for a facility. | ||
(c) The chair of the board, or a designee of the chair of the | ||
board, shall serve as the chair of the working group. | ||
(d) The working group shall convene at the call of the | ||
chair. | ||
SECTION 3. STUDY. The working group shall study: | ||
(1) the useful life of regional water facilities that | ||
convert groundwater to surface water, including associated | ||
improvements during a facility's useful life; | ||
(2) the typical period of time necessary to pay the | ||
costs associated with developing a financed facility; | ||
(3) the economic effect on current water users paying | ||
the cost of a facility that will provide service to future water | ||
users; | ||
(4) the financing terms of current and anticipated | ||
facilities; | ||
(5) the ability to distribute the costs associated | ||
with the development of a facility to the users who benefit from the | ||
facility, including: | ||
(A) the fairness and equity benefits to water | ||
users of extending the financing of a facility compared to the | ||
potential increase in financing costs associated with an extension | ||
of financing; | ||
(B) the ability to use methods of financing or | ||
refinancing to accomplish this distribution; | ||
(C) policies and procedures of this state and the | ||
board that may be used to accomplish this distribution; | ||
(D) whether the board's financing terms and | ||
conditions can be improved to better accomplish this distribution, | ||
including whether the board may forgive a loan or a portion of a | ||
loan to better accomplish this distribution; | ||
(E) whether potential measures that could | ||
accomplish this distribution are precluded by state law; and | ||
(F) what changes to state law may be necessary to | ||
accomplish this distribution; | ||
(6) whether financial assistance administered by the | ||
board may be used to refinance or restructure existing financing of | ||
a facility; and | ||
(7) whether a facility is eligible for grant funding. | ||
SECTION 4. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The working | ||
group shall recommend any changes and improvements relating to the | ||
financing of regional facilities that convert groundwater to | ||
surface water that may be implemented by this state, the board, or | ||
another state agency without further legislative authorization. | ||
(b) Not later than September 1, 2024, the working group | ||
shall report the working group's findings and recommendations to | ||
the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of | ||
representatives, and the governor. | ||
(c) A member of the house or the senate may request to be | ||
kept informed of the working group's progress throughout the | ||
duration of the study. | ||
SECTION 5. EXPIRATION. This Act expires September 1, 2025. | ||
SECTION 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect | ||
immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members | ||
elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas | ||
Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for | ||
immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |