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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the qualifications for membership on the Texas Water |
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Development Board. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 6.052(a) and (b), Water Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The board is composed of three members who are appointed |
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by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. One |
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member may [must] have experience in the field of engineering, one |
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member may [must] have experience in the field of public or private |
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finance, and one member may have experience in the field of law or |
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business, provided that at all times one member must: |
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(1) be actively engaged in the business of farming or |
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animal husbandry or another business related to agriculture; and |
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(2) wholly or partly own or lease land used in |
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connection with a business described by Subdivision (1) [must have
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experience in the field of law or business]. |
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(b) The governor shall make the appointments in such a |
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manner that the members: |
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(1) reflect the diverse geographic regions and |
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population groups of this state, provided that one member resides |
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in a rural area and is a registered voter of a county with a |
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population of less than 355,000; and |
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(2) do not have any conflicts of interest prohibited |
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by state or federal law. |
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SECTION 2. Section 6.054, Water Code, is amended by adding |
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Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) Notwithstanding Subsection (a)(2), a board member who |
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resided in a county with a population of less than 355,000 at the |
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time the member was appointed may not be removed on the ground that |
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the population of the county no longer meets that requirement. |
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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act relating to |
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the qualifications for membership on the Texas Water Development |
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Board do not affect the eligibility of a member of the board serving |
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immediately before the effective date of this Act to continue to |
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serve on the board for the term to which the member was appointed. |
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Not later than February 1, 2021, the governor shall appoint members |
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of the board as necessary to ensure that the composition of the |
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board complies with Section 6.052, Water Code, as amended by this |
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Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |