Bill Text: TX HB721 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the duty of the Texas Water Development Board to conduct studies of and prepare and submit reports on aquifer storage and recovery and aquifer recharge projects.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-06-14 - Effective immediately [HB721 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB721-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 721 |
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relating to the duty of the Texas Water Development Board to conduct | ||
studies of and prepare and submit reports on aquifer storage and | ||
recovery and aquifer recharge projects. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 11.155, Water Code, is amended to read as | ||
follows: | ||
Sec. 11.155. AQUIFER STORAGE AND RECOVERY AND AQUIFER | ||
RECHARGE REPORTS. (a) In this section: | ||
(1) "Aquifer recharge project" means a project | ||
involving the intentional recharge of an aquifer by means of an | ||
injection well authorized under Chapter 27 or other means of | ||
infiltration, including actions designed to: | ||
(A) reduce declines in the water level of the | ||
aquifer; | ||
(B) supplement the quantity of groundwater | ||
available; | ||
(C) improve water quality in an aquifer; | ||
(D) improve spring flows and other interactions | ||
between groundwater and surface water; or | ||
(E) mitigate subsidence. | ||
(2) "Aquifer storage and recovery project" has the | ||
meaning assigned by Section 27.151. | ||
(b) The board shall make studies, investigations, and | ||
surveys of the aquifers in the state [ |
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determine the occurrence, quantity, quality, and availability of | ||
aquifers in which aquifer storage and recovery projects or aquifer | ||
recharge projects are feasible [ |
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(c) The board, working with appropriate interested persons, | ||
including river authorities and major water providers and water | ||
utilities, regional water planning groups, groundwater | ||
conservation districts, and potential public sponsors of aquifer | ||
storage and recovery projects or aquifer recharge projects, shall: | ||
(1) conduct studies of aquifer storage and recovery | ||
projects and aquifer recharge projects identified in the state | ||
water plan or by interested persons; and | ||
(2) report the results of each study conducted under | ||
Subdivision (1) to regional water planning groups and interested | ||
persons. | ||
(d) This subsection expires January 1, 2021. The board | ||
shall: | ||
(1) conduct a statewide survey to identify the | ||
relative suitability of various major and minor aquifers for use in | ||
aquifer storage and recovery projects or aquifer recharge projects | ||
based on consideration of: | ||
(A) hydrogeological characteristics, with a | ||
focus on: | ||
(i) storage potential; | ||
(ii) transmissivity; | ||
(iii) infiltration characteristics; | ||
(iv) storativity; | ||
(v) recoverability; and | ||
(vi) water quality; | ||
(B) the frequency, volume, and distance from | ||
excess water available for potential storage; and | ||
(C) the current and future water supply needs | ||
identified in the state water plan; | ||
(2) prepare a report that includes an overview of the | ||
survey conducted under Subdivision (1); and | ||
(3) not later than December 15, 2020, submit the | ||
report described by Subdivision (2) to the governor, lieutenant | ||
governor, and speaker of the house of representatives [ |
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SECTION 2. The Texas Water Development Board is required to | ||
implement a provision of this Act only if the legislature | ||
appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If the | ||
legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that | ||
purpose, the board may, but is not required to, implement a | ||
provision of this Act using other appropriations available for that | ||
purpose. | ||
SECTION 3. 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, 2019. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 721 was passed by the House on April | ||
10, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 145, Nays 1, 1 present, not | ||
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
No. 721 on May 24, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 141, Nays 1, 2 | ||
present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 721 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 22, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays | ||
0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |