87R5558 SLB-D     By: Birdwell S.B. No. 739       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the presiding officers of the boards of directors of   river authorities.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Title 5, Water Code, is amended by designating   Chapter 152 as Subtitle A and adding a subtitle heading to read as   follows:   SUBTITLE A. RIVER AUTHORITIES          SECTION 2.  Subtitle A, Title 5, Water Code, as added by this   Act, is amended by adding Chapter 150 to read as follows:   CHAPTER 150. PROVISIONS GENERALLY APPLICABLE TO RIVER AUTHORITIES          Sec. 150.0001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:                (1)  "Board" means the board of directors of a river   authority.                (2)  "River authority" means the San Antonio River   Authority and a district that:                      (A)  is created by the legislature under the   authority of Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, as a   regional water management entity to provide water development and   planning services and other services to a river basin or portion of   a river basin;                      (B)  contains one or more counties within its   boundaries; and                      (C)  is governed by a board of directors appointed   or designated wholly or partly by the governor.          Sec. 150.0002.  PRESIDING OFFICER. (a)  This section does   not apply to a district with an entirely elected board or the Upper   Neches River Municipal Water Authority.          (b)  The governor shall designate a member of the board of a   river authority as the presiding officer of the board to serve in   that capacity at the pleasure of the governor.          SECTION 3.  (a)  In this section, "river authority" has the   meaning assigned by Section 150.0001, Water Code, as added by this   Act.          (b)  For each river authority for which the governor was not   required to designate a presiding officer of the board of directors   for that river authority before the effective date of this Act and   for which the governor is required to designate a presiding officer   under Section 150.0002, Water Code, as added by this Act, the   governor shall designate a presiding officer of the board of   directors of the river authority not later than January 31, 2022.          SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.