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TWCA Priority Bills Passed (81st Texas Legislature)
06-24-2009 - 09:57:23
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HB 865
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Swinford
Hegar
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Relating to the
establishment of the Texas Invasive Species Coordinating
Committee. |
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Companions: |
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SB 691 |
Hegar |
(Identical) |
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4-20-09 S
Committee action pending Senate Agriculture and
Rural Affairs |
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General Remarks: |
Chapter 776, Government
Code, is added to create the Texas Invasive Species
Coordinating Committee, consisting of representatives of
named state agencies, to facilitate governmental
efforts, including efforts of local governments and
special districts, to prevent and manage invasive
species. The committee will be staffed by the State Soil
and Water Conservation Board. |
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Last Action: |
9- 1-09 G Earliest
effective date
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Companions: |
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SB 624 |
West |
(Identical) |
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2-23-09 S
Introduced and referred to committee on Senate
Intergovernmental Relations |
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General Remarks: |
Various codes are amended
to raise the threshold that triggers competitive bidding
for local governments to $50,000. Other minor changes
are made. |
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Last Action: |
6-19-09 G Earliest
effective date
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HB 1174
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Hartnett
Watson
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Relating to payment by a
municipality or river authority for certain damages
caused by the municipality's or river authority's
operating of a sanitary sewer system. |
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General Remarks: |
Chapter 552, Local
Government Code, is amended to allow a municipality or a
river authority to pay actual property damages arising
from the backup of its sewer system regardless of
whether it is liable for the damages under Chapter 101,
Civil Practices and Remedies Code. The authorization
does not constitute a waiver of sovereign immnunity. The
bill does not apply to the Trinity River Authority, the
San Jacinto River Authority, the Sabine River Authority,
or the Lower Neches Valley Authority. The bill applies
to any damages occurring after March 1, 2007.
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Last Action: |
6-19-09 G Earliest
effective date
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HB 1433
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Lucio III
Averitt
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Relating to the amount of
the annual water quality fee imposed on holders of
wastewater discharge permits and on users of water. |
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General Remarks: |
Chapter 26, Water Code, is
amended to increase the maximum annual fee the TCEQ may
assess on a wastewater discharge permit, or a water
rights permit or contract, from $75,000 currently to
$100,000 on September 1, 2009. The fee will then be
adjusted for inflation based on the Consumer Price Index
on September 1 of each year up to a maximum of $150,000.
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Last Action: |
9- 1-09 G Earliest
effective date
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Companions: |
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SB 1190 |
Duncan |
(Identical) |
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4- 7-09 S Placed
on the Senate Intent Calendar for |
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General Remarks: |
Chapter 36, Water Code, is amended to clarify that a
groundwater district may enforce this chapter and its
rules "against any person". The bill further specifies
that limits on the amount of fees, costs, and penalties
contained in Chapter 36, or under a special law
governing a district operating under this chapter,
constitute a limit of liability in an enforcement action
against a governmental entity.
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Last Action: |
6-19-09 G Earliest
effective date
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General Remarks: |
Chapter 21, Property Code,
is amended to require an entity with eminent domain
authority to provide a landowner's bill of rights
statement to a landowner at least 7 days before making a
final offer. An entity must also provide a copy of the
bill of rights to a landowner before or at the same time
the entity first represents it has eminent domain
authority. |
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Last Action: |
1-15-10 G Earliest
effective date
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HB 3391
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Harper-Brown
Hegar
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Relating to the
continuation and functions of the Parks and Wildlife
Department; changing the elements of an offense. |
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Companions: |
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SB 1010 |
Hegar |
(Identical) |
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3-23-09 S
Committee action pending Senate Government
Organization |
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General Remarks: |
This is the sunset bill for
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Section 7 of the
bill as finally passed amends Section 12.0011 of the
Parks and Wildlife Code to require a written response
from an agency with statewide jurisdiction that receives
written recommendations or information from TPWD
pursuant to that section. |
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Last Action: |
9- 1-09 G Earliest
effective date
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HB 4231
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Ritter
Eltife
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Relating to the
conveyancing or transfer in this state of water imported
into this state from a source located outside this
state. |
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General Remarks: |
Chapter 11, Water Code, is
amended to authorize the use of the bed and banks of any
natural stream to transport water under contract
imported from out of state (except water imported from
Mexico). Water imported from out of state and
transported using the bed and banks is exempted from IBT
requirements. |
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Last Action: |
6-19-09 G Earliest
effective date
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HJR 14
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Corte
Duncan
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Relating to the limiting
the public taking of private property, establishing the
national research university fund to fund emerging
research universities, and eliminating the higher
education fund. |
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General Remarks: |
A constitutional amendment
is proposed to clarify that a taking of property for
"public use" does not include the taking of property for
transfer to a private entity for the primary purpose of
economic development or enhancement of tax revenues. The
amendment also proposes that on or after January 1,
2010, the legislature may enact a law granting the power
of eminent domain only on a two-thirds vote of each
house. |
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Last Action: |
11- 3-09 G Election date
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SB 1
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Ogden
Pitts
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General Appropriations
Bill for the 2010-2011 biennium. |
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General Remarks: |
Some of the highlights for water funding based on
issues debated during the session are as follows.
The TCEQ continues to receive approximately $9.4
million dollars per year in General Revenue to fund
existing water activities. The agency will also receive
an additional $2.5 million of General Revenue for the
biennium for enhancements to the dam safety program,
$0.5 million for a study of the management of the
Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer, and $5.4 million for certain
administrative costs. The agency is expected to increase
fees (Consolidated Water Quality Fee, Water Use Fee,
Public Health Service Fee) deposited to Fund 153 by
approximately $18.7 million per year to fund agency
water programs. These three fees today generate
approximately $23 million per year. The fee package is
scheduled for consideration on the July 8th Commission
agenda.
The TWDB was authorized to issue an additional $470
million in bonds backed by new appropriations of $46.5
million. This was in addition to baseline appropriations
for debt service from the prior biennium for the
issuance of $312.7 million in bonds. That makes $782.7
million available overall in the coming biennium. The
environmental flows process authorized by SB3 was also
fully funded for the coming biennium.
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Last Action: |
6-19-09 G Earliest
effective date
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SB 361
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Patrick, Dan
Callegari
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Relating to the
requirement that water and sewer service providers
ensure operations during an extended power outage. |
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General Remarks: |
Chapter 13, Water Code, is
amended to require a provider of raw or potable water to
more than one customer and located in a county with a
population of 3.3 million or more (Harris) or in an
adjacent county with a population of 400,000 or more
(Fort Bend) to ensure the operation of its water system
during an extended power outage. An emergency
preparedness plan must be submitted to the TCEQ for
approval. |
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Last Action: |
6-19-09 G Earliest
effective date
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SB 1003
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Deuell
Flynn
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Relating to the
continuation and functions of the Office of
State-Federal Relations and the administrative
attachment of that agency to the office of the governor. |
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Companions: |
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HB 1583 |
Flynn |
(Identical) |
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4-27-09 H
Committee action pending House Border and
Intergovernmental Affairs |
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General Remarks: |
Chapter 751, Government
Code, is amended to require an agency of the State or
any political subdivision, including a river authority,
to report to the Office of State-Federal Relations any
contract with a federal level government relations
consultant. |
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Last Action: |
9- 1-09 G Earliest
effective date
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SB 1693
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Ogden
Cook
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Relating to the
regulation of poultry facilities and poultry litter by
the State Soil and Water Conservation Board and to the
enforcement authority of the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality. |
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General Remarks: |
Chapters 5, 7, and 26,
Water Code, are amended to authorize the payment of
penalties to the TCEQ by installment, to authorize the
delegation of certain enforcement authority to the
Executive Director, and to remove restrictions on the
collection and use of fees for water quality management.
Chapter 382, Health and Safety Code, and Chapter 26,
Water Code, are amended to address siting,
recordkeeping, and enforcement for a poultry facility.
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Last Action: |
9- 1-09 G Earliest
effective date
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SB 1711
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Hegar
Frost
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Relating to the use of
reservoirs for sediment control or to satisfy
environmental and safety requirements at surface mining
operations. |
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General Remarks: |
Chapter 11, Water Code, is
amended to authorize a person, without obtaining a
permit, to construct a reservoir as part of a surface
coal mining operation under Chapter 134, Natural
Resources Code, for sediment control or regulations
relating to fire or dust suppression. Under prior law
only sediment control was authorized. |
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Last Action: |
5-19-09 G Earliest
effective date
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SB 2312
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Averitt
Miller, Doug
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Relating to eligibility
for funds from the water infrastructure fund from the
Texas Water Development Board. |
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General Remarks: |
Chapter 15, Water Code, is
amended to expand the definition of "eligible political
subdivision". |
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Last Action: |
9- 1-09 G Earliest
effective date
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SB 2314
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Averitt
Callegari
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Relating to the adoption
of rules by the Texas Water Development Board regarding
supplemental funding resulting from federal economic
recovery legislation. |
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General Remarks: |
Chapter 15, Water Code, is
amended to ensure the TWDB may expeditiously provide
financial assistance utilizing funds made available
through federal programs. Certain procedural
requirements for rule-making are waived if the Board
determines the procedures do not allow for the the
adoption of rules in a sufficiently prompt manner.
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Last Action: |
6-19-09 G Earliest
effective date
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All
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Track
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Total Bills: |
16 |
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0 |
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- End of Report -
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