SB 109 & HB 201: Expedite Water Access Permits

Sen. Van Taylor has titled SB 109, ” “Opening Access to Water Act.”  It establishes a timeline for TCEQ to respond to applications for new reservoirs.  From Sen. Van Taylor: 

• The application process is “long, cumbersome and bureaucratic”
• There are “no time limit to issue permits”
• A lack of time limits has resulted in “projects have been stalled over a decade” 

From Rep. Leach:

•  “ one of the greatest challenges that still remains is the bureaucratic permitting process that hinders our ability to build reservoirs in an efficient and timely manner,”
• HB 201 will allow  “expediting much-needed projects through a more timely, reasonable and efficient system.” 

[Plano Star Courier]