&nbsp; <font style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial"><strong>Legislative Session</strong>: 84(R)</font><br/><br/>

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  <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
  font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>House Bill 655</span></b></p>
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  <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
  font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>House Author:</span></b><span
  style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>  Larson et al.</span></p>
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  <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
  font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Effective:</span></b><span
  style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>  6-16-15</span></p>
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  <p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
  font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Senate Sponsor:</span></b><span
  style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>  Perry et al.</span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>            <a name=start></a>House Bill 655
amends the Water Code to set out provisions relating to the storage and
recovery of water in aquifers. Previous law provided for pilot projects for the
storage of appropriated water in aquifers and for continued storage at the
conclusion of a project.  The bill instead authorizes a water right holder or an
applicable water user to undertake an aquifer storage and recovery project
without obtaining any additional water right authorization for the project but requires
a person undertaking such a project to obtain any required authorizations under
the bill's provisions and to comply with the terms of the applicable water
right. </span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>House Bill 655
establishes provisions relating to aquifer storage and recovery projects in the
Injection Well Act. Among other things, the bill grants the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality (TCEQ) exclusive jurisdiction over the regulation and
permitting of ASR injection wells, authorizes TCEQ to authorize the use of a
Class V injection well as an ASR injection well, and requires reporting of
injection and recovery volumes and water quality data to TCEQ by the project
operator.</span></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>House Bill 655
establishes provisions relating to aquifer storage and recovery projects with
regard to groundwater conservation districts.  Among other things, the bill
provides for the registration and reporting of ASR injection wells and ASR
recovery wells with the district in which the wells are located and authorizes
a district to assess a well registration fee or other administrative fee for an
ASR recovery well.  The bill prohibits a district from requiring a permit for
the drilling, equipping, operation, or completion of an ASR injection well or
an ASR recovery well that is authorized by TCEQ but subjects an ASR recovery
well associated with an aquifer storage and recovery project to the district's permitting,
spacing, and production requirements if the amount of groundwater recovered
from the well exceeds the volume authorized by TCEQ to be recovered under the
project.</span></p>

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