89S10825 JAM-D     By: Virdell H.B. No. 306       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to a study and report by the Upper Guadalupe River   Authority of risks from and solutions to flooding.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  DEFINITIONS. In this Act:                (1)  "Authority" means the Upper Guadalupe River   Authority.                (2)  "Board" means the Texas Water Development Board.                (3)  "Regional flood plan" means the regional flood   plan developed under Section 16.062, Water Code, for the flood   planning region that includes the upper Guadalupe River basin.                (4)  "Regional flood planning group" means the regional   flood planning group designated under Section 16.062, Water Code,   whose flood planning region includes the upper Guadalupe River   basin.          SECTION 2.  STUDY AND REPORT. (a) The authority, in   consultation with the board, the Texas Department of   Transportation, and the regional flood planning group, shall   conduct a risk assessment and project feasibility study to:                (1)  quantify the risk to life and property posed by   flooding in the upper Guadalupe River basin;                (2)  assess potential solutions to mitigate flood risks   identified under Subdivision (1) of this subsection; and                (3)  propose not more than eight projects that will   help mitigate the flood risks identified under Subdivision (1) of   this subsection.          (b)  In quantifying the risk to life and property under   Subsection (a)(1) of this section, the authority shall:                (1)  collect and assess existing data, including the   data collected in connection with the regional flood plan, any   integrated flood risk management studies for the area, topographic   data, existing locally developed models, structure inventories,   and hydrologic analyses;                (2)  update as appropriate the information collected   under Subdivision (1) of this subsection by incorporating the July   4, 2025, weather event; and                (3)  develop hydraulic models for the major creeks and   rivers within the upper Guadalupe River basin.          (c)  In assessing potential solutions to mitigate flood   risks under Subsection (a)(2) of this section, the authority shall:                (1)  identify projects that reduce susceptibility to   flooding, including off-river detention storage, on-river dams,   improved evacuation routes, river channel modification, and   improved or new storm drainage systems;                (2)  develop a hydraulic model for each potential   project to determine the effect of the project with respect to:                      (A)  flood mitigation;                      (B)  water supply;                      (C)  groundwater recharge;                      (D)  recreation; and                      (E)  environmental impacts; and                (3)  conduct community meetings to gather input and   feedback from residents with respect to the projects.          (d)  In proposing projects that may help mitigate the flood   risks under Subsection (a)(3) of this section, the authority shall:                (1)  determine the costs and benefits of each project;                (2)  score and rank the projects based on community   feedback and the costs and benefits of the projects; and                (3)  to the extent possible, develop design documents   for the highest-ranked projects to expedite the completion of those   projects.          (e)  Not later than January 1, 2027, the authority shall   present to the board and the legislature a report that contains a   summary of the study conducted under this Act and a description of   the projects identified by the authority that would best mitigate   flooding in the upper Guadalupe River basin.          SECTION 3.  EXPIRATION. This Act expires January 1, 2028.          SECTION 4.  EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect on the   91st day after the last day of the legislative session.