Water Code § 36.3011

Sec. 36.3011. COMMISSION INQUIRY AND ACTION REGARDING DISTRICT DUTIES. (a) In this section, "affected person" means, with respect to a management area: (1) an owner of land in the management area; (2) a groundwater conservation district or subsidence district in or adjacent to the management area; (3) a regional water planning group with a water management strategy in the management area; (4) a person who holds or is applying for a permit from a district in the management area; (5) a person with a legally defined interest in groundwater in the management area; or (6) any other person defined as affected by commission rule. (b) An affected person may file a petition with the commission requesting an inquiry for any of the following reasons: (1) a district fails to submit its management plan to the executive administrator; (2) a district fails to participate in the joint planning process under Section 36.108; (3) a district fails to adopt rules; (4) a district fails to adopt the applicable desired future conditions adopted by the management area at a joint meeting; (5) a district fails to update its management plan before the second anniversary of the adoption of desired future conditions by the management area; (6) a district fails to update its rules to implement the applicable desired future conditions before the first anniversary of the date it updated its management plan with the adopted desired future conditions; (7) the rules adopted by a district are not designed to achieve the adopted desired future conditions; (8) the groundwater in the management area is not adequately protected by the rules adopted by a district; or (9) the groundwater in the management area is not adequately protected due to the failure of a district to enforce substantial compliance with its rules. (c) Not later than the 90th day after the date the petition is filed, the commission shall review the petition and either: (1) dismiss the petition if the commission finds that the evidence is not adequate to show that any of the conditions alleged in the petition exist; or (2) select a review panel as provided in Subsection (d). (d) If the petition is not dismissed under Subsection (c), the commission shall appoint a review panel consisting of a chairperson and four other members. A director or general manager of a district located outside the management area that is the subject of the petition may be appointed to the review panel. The commission may not appoint more than two members of the review panel from any one district. The commission also shall appoint a disinterested person to serve as a nonvoting recording secretary for the review panel. The recording secretary must be an employee of the commission. The recording secretary shall record and document the proceedings of the panel. (d-1) A review panel established under Subsection (d) is an advisory body to the commission and not a governmental body under Chapter 551 or 552, Government Code. (d-2) The commission shall reimburse a member appointed to the review panel for actual expenses incurred while engaging in activities on behalf of the review panel. To be eligible for reimbursement, the member must file with the executive director a verified statement, including any relevant receipts, describing the expenses incurred. A member appointed to the review panel is not entitled to a fee of office or other compensation for serving on the review panel. (d-3) The records and documents of the recording secretary of the proceedings of the review panel must be provided to the executive director and are public information under Chapter 552, Government Code. (e) Not later than the 120th day after appointment, the review panel shall review the petition and any evidence relevant to the petition and, in a public meeting, consider and adopt a report to be submitted to the commission. The commission may direct the review panel to conduct public hearings at a location in the management area to take evidence on the petition. The review panel may attempt to negotiate a settlement or resolve the dispute by any lawful means. (e-1) Not later than the seventh day before the date of a public meeting or public hearing of the review panel under Subsection (e), the executive director shall provide notice of any public meeting or public hearing the review panel is directed to conduct by: (1) posting notice on the commission's Internet website; and (2) delivering notice by regular mail to: (A) the district that is the subject of the petition; (B) the petitioner; and (C) the county clerk of each county in the district that is the subject of the petition. (e-2) The commission or the review panel may submit a written request to the executive administrator for assistance on a technical issue related to the petition. The executive administrator shall provide the technical assistance not later than the 120th day after the date the executive administrator receives the request. A deadline under Subsection (c), (e), or (h) is extended by 120 days if a request for technical assistance is submitted to the executive administrator during a review phase under that subsection. (e-3) On request from a member of the review panel, the office of public interest counsel of the commission shall provide legal advice and assistance to the review panel. Notwithstanding Section 5.273, the office of public interest counsel: (1) may not participate as a party in an inquiry under this section; and (2) has no duty or responsibility to represent the public interest or otherwise in an inquiry except as provided by this subsection. (e-4) Subsections (e-2) and (e-3) do not prohibit a member of the review panel from using the member's own technical consultant or legal counsel. (f) In its report, the review panel shall include: (1) a summary of all evidence taken in any hearing on the petition; (2) a list of findings and recommended actions appropriate for the commission to take and the reasons it finds those actions appropriate; and (3) any other information the panel considers appropriate. (g) The review panel shall submit its report to the commission. (h) Not later than the 45th day after receiving the review panel's report under this section, the executive director or the commission shall take action to implement any or all of the panel's recommendations. The commission may take any action against a district it considers necessary in accordance with Section 36.303 if the commission finds that: (1) the district has failed to submit its management plan to the executive administrator; (2) the district has failed to participate in the joint planning process under Section 36.108; (3) the district has failed to adopt rules; (4) the district has failed to adopt the applicable desired future conditions adopted by the management area at a joint meeting; (5) the district has failed to update its management plan before the second anniversary of the adoption of desired future conditions by the management area; (6) the district has failed to update its rules to implement the applicable desired future conditions before the first anniversary of the date it updated its management plan with the adopted desired future conditions; (7) the rules adopted by the district are not designed to achieve the desired future conditions adopted by the management area during the joint planning process; (8) the groundwater in the management area is not adequately protected by the rules adopted by the district; or (9) the groundwater in the management area is not adequately protected because of the district's failure to enforce substantial compliance with its rules. Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 966, Sec. 2.55, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 970 (H.B. 1763), Sec. 13, eff. September 1, 2005. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 17 (S.B. 727), Sec. 9, eff. April 29, 2011. Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1233 (S.B. 660), Sec. 18, eff. September 1, 2011. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 415 (H.B. 2767), Sec. 16, eff. June 10, 2015. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1077 (H.B. 2080), Sec. 1, eff. June 20, 2025.