The board must collect permit fees when it issues or renews permits, and it may set an extra disincentive fee. The district may also charge fees for administrative acts.
Sec. 8801.161. PERMIT FEES. (a) When the board issues or renews a permit, the board shall collect a permit fee from the applicant. The fee shall be determined by a schedule based on the term of the permit and the maximum amount of groundwater that the board authorizes to be withdrawn from the well. (a-1) In addition to a regular permit fee under Subsection (a), the board may establish a disincentive permit fee to serve as a regulatory tool by creating a disincentive to continued over-reliance on groundwater. (b) The board shall determine the amount of the permit fees under Subsections (a) and (a-1) after a hearing. (b-1) The fee under Subsection (a) may not exceed 110 percent of the highest rate that the City of Houston charges for water supplied to its customers in the district. (c) The amount of a permit fee applicable to a well used for irrigating agricultural crops may not exceed 70 percent of the lowest amount determined under Subsection (b). (d) The district may establish a fee for administrative acts of the district, including receiving applications for permits or permit amendments. (e) The board shall use permit fees collected under this section to pay the cost of issuing permits and performing other regulatory functions, including making grants, loans, or contractual payments to achieve, facilitate, or expedite reductions in groundwater pumping or the development or distribution of alternative water supplies. Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1277, Sec. 1, eff. April 1, 2005. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 238 (S.B. 1537), Sec. 18, eff. May 27, 2005. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1187 (S.B. 1031), Sec. 10, eff. June 14, 2013.