bill on groundwater district management plans

The text as introduced · 451 words

89R3883 ANG-F

By: Barry
H.B. No. 3609

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to management plans adopted by groundwater conservation

districts.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 36.1071, Water Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) to

read as follows:

(b) The management plan, or any amendments to the plan,

shall :

(1) be developed using the district's best available

data and forwarded to the regional water planning group for use in

their planning process ; and

(2) include the:

(A) most recently approved desired future

conditions adopted under Section 36.108; and

(B) amount of modeled available groundwater

corresponding to the most recently approved desired future

conditions .

(b-1) A district shall amend a management plan before the

second anniversary of the adoption of desired future conditions

included under Subsection (b).

(b-2) If a petition challenging the reasonableness of a

desired future condition is filed under Section 36.1083(b) and

until the district issues a final order under Section 36.1083(n)

or, if the desired future condition is found to be unreasonable in

the final order, a new desired future condition is adopted under

Section 36.1083(p), the executive administrator shall consider the

management plan administratively complete if the district

includes:

(1) the most recently approved desired future

conditions adopted under Section 36.108;

(2) the amount of modeled available groundwater

corresponding to the desired future conditions;

(3) a statement of the status of the petition

challenging the reasonableness of a desired future condition; and

(4) the information required by Subsections (a) and

(e).

SECTION 2. Section 36.1072(b), Water Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(b) Within 60 days of receipt of a district's management

plan adopted under Section 36.1071, readopted under Subsection (e)

or (g) of this section, or amended under Section 36.1073, the

executive administrator shall approve the district's plan if the

plan is administratively complete. A management plan is

administratively complete when it contains the information

required to be submitted under Sections [ Section ] 36.1071(a) and

(e) or meets the requirements of Section 36.1071(b-2), if

applicable . The executive administrator may determine whether

conditions justify waiver of the requirements under Section

36.1071(e)(4).

SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act applicable to

a petition filed under Section 36.1083, Water Code, apply only to a

petition filed under that section on or after the effective date of

this Act. A petition filed before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law in effect on the date the petition was filed,

and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.