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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the composition of the board of directors and the powers |
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of the Gulf Coast Water Authority. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 712, Acts of the 59th Legislature, |
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Regular Session, 1965, is amended by adding Section 3A to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 3A. In connection with the acquisition of water, or the |
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treatment, storage, or transportation of water, the district may |
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enter into agreements for the purchase or sale of electric power. An |
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agreement entered into under this section may provide for a term of |
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years and include provisions that the Board of Directors determines |
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are in the best interest of the district, including provisions for |
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the posting of collateral or payment of an early termination amount |
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in the event of early termination. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 5 and 5(a), Chapter 712, Acts of the |
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59th Legislature, Regular Session, 1965, are amended to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 5. The management and control of the District is hereby |
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vested in a Board of nine directors. [The seven directors appointed
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by the Commissioners Court of Galveston County shall represent the
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geographic and ethnic diversity of the county.] Vacancies on the |
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Board of Directors, whether by death, resignation or termination of |
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the term of office, shall be filled by appointment by the |
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commissioners court that appointed the director. All terms of |
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office shall be for a period of two (2) years. Terms shall be |
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staggered. [Three (3) of the members appointed by the Commissioners
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Court of Galveston County shall be registered professional
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engineers under the laws of Texas.] |
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Sec. 5(a). The directors of the district shall be appointed |
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as follows: |
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(1) four directors appointed by the Galveston County |
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Commissioners Court, two of whom represent municipal interests, and |
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two of whom represent industrial interests; |
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(2) two directors appointed by the Fort Bend County |
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Commissioners Court, one of whom represents municipal interests, |
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and one of whom represents the county at large; and |
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(3) three directors appointed by the Brazoria County |
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Commissioners Court, one of whom represents agricultural |
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interests, one of whom represents municipal interests, and one of |
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whom represents industrial interests. [One (1) director of the
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District shall be appointed by the Commissioners Court of Galveston
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County upon the recommendation of the City Council of the City of
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Galveston.
Six of the remaining directors shall be appointed by the
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Commissioners Court of Galveston County with two directors
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appointed at-large and the remaining four of those directors
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appointed on the written recommendation of advisory committees
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appointed by the Board of Directors of the Gulf Coast Water
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Authority.
Two of those directors shall be recommended by the
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Mainland Municipal Advisory Committee and two of those directors
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shall be recommended by the Industrial Advisory Committee. The
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Commissioners Court of Galveston County is entitled to accept or
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reject the recommendations made to the court by the advisory
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committees.
If a recommendation made by an advisory committee is
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rejected, the advisory committee shall submit additional
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recommendations to the court.
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[The Industrial Advisory Committee is composed of one
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representative of each industrial customer of the Gulf Coast Water
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Authority.
The Mainland Municipal Advisory Committee is composed
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of one representative of each municipal or water district customer
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of the Gulf Coast Water Authority that contracts for not less than 2
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million gallons of water a day.
The names of the representatives of
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each of the committees shall be submitted to the Board of Directors
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of the Gulf Coast Water Authority by the respective industrial and
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municipal or water district customers.
The directors of the Gulf
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Coast Water Authority shall submit the names of the advisory
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committee members to the Commissioners Court of Galveston County,
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which shall record the names in the minutes of the court.
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[One director shall be appointed by the Commissioners Court
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of Fort Bend County to represent District customers in that county.
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The director must be recommended by one or more of those customers
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and reside in that county.
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[One director shall be appointed by the Commissioners Court
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of Brazoria County to represent District customers in that county.
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The director must be recommended by one or more of those customers
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and reside in that county.] |
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SECTION 3. (a) The terms of the members of the board of |
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directors of the Gulf Coast Water Authority serving on the |
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effective date of this Act expire September 1, 2015. |
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(b) Not later than September 1, 2015, the entities described |
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by Section 5(a), Chapter 712, Acts of the 59th Legislature, Regular |
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Session, 1965, as amended by this Act, shall make the appointments |
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required by that section. |
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(c) The members of the board appointed under Subsection (b) |
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of this section shall draw lots to determine which four board |
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members shall serve a one-year term and which five members shall |
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serve a two-year term. |
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SECTION 4. (a) The legal notice of the intention to |
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introduce this Act, setting forth the general substance of this |
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Act, has been published as provided by law, and the notice and a |
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copy of this Act have been furnished to all persons, agencies, |
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officials, or entities to which they are required to be furnished |
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under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, and Chapter 313, |
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Government Code. |
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(b) The governor, one of the required recipients, has |
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submitted the notice and Act to the Texas Commission on |
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Environmental Quality. |
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(c) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has filed |
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its recommendations relating to this Act with the governor, the |
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lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of |
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representatives within the required time. |
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(d) All requirements of the constitution and laws of this |
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state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect |
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to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled |
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and accomplished. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |