HB3609 - Relating to management plans adopted by groundwater conservation districts.

  89R22129 ANG-F     By: Barry H.B. No. 3609     Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3609:     By:  Martinez C.S.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 36.108 or 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.