HBA-JRA H.B. 1592 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1592 By: Junell Agriculture & Livestock 7/22/1999 Enrolled BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In 1985, the 69th Texas Legislature adopted S.B. 1083, establishing a cost-share program between state and private landowners for brush management work. Management of the program was assigned to the Texas Soil and Water Conservation Board. The maximum state share of funding was capped at 70 percent, the remainder being the responsibility of the landowner. In 1997, the 75th Legislature passed S.B. 1, the new state water plan. This legislation specifically noted the benefit of brush management as a method for conserving, conveying, and developing state water resources and maintaining and enhancing water quality. Since that time, there has been renewed interest in brush control as a means of increasing water yield and decreasing the cost of water in some areas of Texas. In December of 1998 the comptroller recommended that the legislature appropriate $300,000 to fund brush control projects and that landowners not be required to share in the cost. (Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Fifth Texas Performance Review, December 1998). H.B. 1592 raises the maximum state share of funding in brush control projects to 80 percent of the total cost of a single brush control project. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 203.154(a), Agriculture Code, to provide that no more than 80, rather than 70, percent of the total cost of a single brush control project may be made available as the state's share in cost sharing. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 4. Emergency clause.