| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
Relating to the obligation of certain retail public utilities to mitigate their water system loss.
HB 949, if passed, would modify the Water Code (Section
16.0121) by adding a new section. This section would allow the Texas Water
Development Board to waive the requirement that retail public utilities which
receive financial assistance from the Board be required to use said assistance
for mitigating water loss, provided water loss meets or exceeds Board threshold
requirements.
HB 949 is a useful bill in that it grants the Texas Water
Development Board justified flexibility. Water loss can be a major issue but if
a given retail public utility is already exceeding expectations, then it makes
sense to grant the Board discretion which would allow financial assistance to
be put towards other ends. Though this bill is a positive development, it does
not, strictly speaking, affect our principles. As such we remain neutral on HB
949.