Bill: SB 413, 84(R) - 2015

Committee

Senate Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs

Vote Recommendation

Vote Recommendation Economic Freedom Property Rights Personal Responsibility Limited Government Individual Liberty
Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral

Author(s)

Kel Seliger

Bill Caption

Relating to the qualifications for membership on the Texas Water Development Board.

Fiscal Notes

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

Bill Analysis

SB 413, if passed, would modify the Water Code by affecting the qualifications for membership on the Texas Water Development Board. The Board has three members appointed by the governor. Currently one member must have had experience in the fields of law or business. The other members need not have any specific qualifications.

SB 413 would require that one board member have experience in the field of production agriculture, and one member be a registered voter in a county with a population of 155,000 or less and reside in a rural area. No specific qualifications would be required of the third member of the Board.

Vote Recommendation Notes

It is reasonable to desire that members of the Texas Water Development Board be familiar with water policy. Whether or not the specifications which would be required in SB 413 make for good policy is questionable. On the one hand the specifications point the governor in the correct direction, on the other hand it is possible that they would lead to the exclusion of a very qualified candidate.

Independent of whether or not SB 413 makes for good policy, it is an administrative matter within the purview of the legislature to establish qualifications for members of a board which was legislatively created. This neither infringes nor supports our liberty principles. Thus, we are neutral on SB 413.


Source URL (retrieved on 03/29/2024 05:03 AM): http://reports.texasaction.com/bill/84r/sb413?print_view=true