Bill Text: TX HB5302 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the review of the duties of a groundwater conservation district by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-02 - Referred to Water, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs [HB5302 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB5302-Engrossed.html
88R21176 ANG-F | ||
By: Kacal | H.B. No. 5302 |
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relating to the review of the duties of a groundwater conservation | ||
district by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 36.3011, Water Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsections (d-1), (d-2), (d-3), | ||
(e-1), (e-2), and (e-3) to read as follows: | ||
(d) If the petition is not dismissed under Subsection (c), | ||
the commission shall appoint a review panel consisting of a | ||
chairperson and four other members. A director or general manager | ||
of a district located outside the management area that is the | ||
subject of the petition may be appointed to the review panel. The | ||
commission may not appoint more than two members of the review panel | ||
from any one district. The commission also shall appoint a | ||
disinterested person to serve as a nonvoting recording secretary | ||
for the review panel. The recording secretary shall [ |
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employee of the commission. The recording secretary shall record | ||
and document the proceedings of the panel. | ||
(d-1) A review panel established under Subsection (d) is an | ||
advisory body to the commission and not a governmental body under | ||
Chapter 551 or 552, Government Code. | ||
(d-2) The commission shall reimburse a member appointed to | ||
the review panel for actual expenses incurred while engaging in | ||
activities on behalf of the review panel. To be eligible for | ||
reimbursement, the member must file with the executive director a | ||
verified statement, including any relevant receipts, describing | ||
the expenses incurred. A member appointed to the review panel is | ||
not entitled to a fee of office or other compensation for serving on | ||
the review panel. | ||
(d-3) The records and documents of the recording secretary | ||
of the proceedings of the review panel must be provided to the | ||
executive director and are public information under Chapter 552, | ||
Government Code. | ||
(e-1) Not later than the seventh day before the date of a | ||
public meeting or public hearing of the review panel under | ||
Subsection (e), the executive director shall provide notice of any | ||
public meeting or public hearing the review panel is directed to | ||
conduct by: | ||
(1) posting notice on the commission's Internet | ||
website; and | ||
(2) regular mail to: | ||
(A) the district that is the subject of the | ||
petition; | ||
(B) the petitioner; and | ||
(C) the county clerk of each county in the | ||
district that is the subject of the petition. | ||
(e-2) The commission or the review panel may submit a | ||
written request to the executive administrator for assistance on a | ||
technical issue related to the petition. The executive | ||
administrator shall provide the technical assistance not later than | ||
the 120th day after the date the executive administrator receives | ||
the request. A deadline under Subsection (c), (e), or (h) is | ||
extended by 120 days if a request for technical assistance is | ||
submitted to the executive administrator during a review phase | ||
under that subsection. | ||
(e-3) On request from a member of the review panel, the | ||
office of public interest counsel of the commission shall provide | ||
legal advice and assistance to the review panel. Notwithstanding | ||
Section 5.273, the office of public interest counsel: | ||
(1) may not participate as a party in an inquiry under | ||
this section; and | ||
(2) has no duty or responsibility to represent the | ||
public interest or otherwise in an inquiry except as provided by | ||
this subsection. | ||
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply to a | ||
petition requesting an inquiry regarding the duties of a | ||
groundwater conservation district filed with the Texas Commission | ||
on Environmental Quality on or after the effective date of this Act. | ||
A petition filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality | ||
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 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, 2023. |