The bill, S.B. No. 1583, amends the Water Code to enhance the management plans adopted by groundwater conservation districts in Texas. Key changes include the requirement for management plans to be developed using the district's best available data and to be forwarded to the regional water planning group. Additionally, the plans must include the most recently approved desired future conditions and the corresponding amount of modeled available groundwater. New subsections have been added to establish timelines for amending management plans and to clarify the conditions under which a management plan is considered administratively complete, particularly in relation to petitions challenging the reasonableness of desired future conditions.

Furthermore, the bill specifies that a district must amend its management plan within two years of adopting desired future conditions and outlines the necessary components for a management plan to be deemed administratively complete. The executive administrator is given the authority to approve plans if they meet these requirements or if certain conditions justify waiving specific requirements. The changes will apply only to petitions filed after the effective date of the Act, which is set for September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Water Code 36.1071, Water Code 36.108 (Water Code 36)