HB 725 – Callegari/Fraser – relating to the operation, powers, and duties of certain water districts was debated in the Senate chamber today. The bill proved to be a good vehicle for other water legislation and, as such, the bill was passed out of the Senate with 16 adopted floor amendments.
One of the adopted floor amendments was authored by Sen. Fraser and was the groundwater language similar to House version of SB 332 which establishes the groundwater below the surface of a landowner’s land is “real property” owned by the landowner, which gives landowners the right to drill for and produce groundwater beneath their land.
Amendments also adopted into the legislation included language from bills:
- SB 907 – Seliger/Price – Relating to the management, operation, rulemaking authority, and oversight of groundwater conservation districts.
- SB 1625 – Hegar/Miller – stand-alone bill with the legislation that fixes the Edward Aquifer Authority issue that went along with groundwater language noted above.
HB 725 was passed out of the Senate with 29 ayes and 2 nays.