The bill amends Section 27.0513(d) of the Water Code to establish new procedural requirements for uranium mining production area authorizations. It specifies that applications for authorizations or amendments that permit mining and restoration activities in designated production zones will be considered uncontested matters, exempt from contested case hearings and the hearing requirements of Chapter 2001 of the Government Code. To qualify for this status, the application must include a range table of groundwater quality restoration values for each production zone, ensure that the proposed groundwater quality restoration values do not exceed the established upper limit, and incorporate baseline groundwater characteristics as required by commission rules.

Additionally, Sections 27.0513(f) and (g) of the Water Code are repealed, streamlining the authorization process. The changes will only apply to applications submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on or after the effective date of the Act, which is set for September 1, 2025. Applications submitted prior to this date will continue to be governed by the previous law.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Water Code 27.0513 (Water Code 27)