1. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, regardless of whether the authority enters into contracts with local governments located within its boundaries, and regardless of whether the authority holds any well permit issued by the subsidence district under Chapter 8801, the authority by rule may wholly or partly develop, prepare, revise, adopt, implement, enforce, manage, or participate in a groundwater reduction plan that is applicable only to the authority or a groundwater reduction plan that is applicable to the authority and one or more persons outside the authority. The authority may require that any groundwater reduction plan that the authority wholly or partly develops, prepares, revises, adopts, implements, enforces, or manages or in which the authority participates be the exclusive groundwater reduction plan that is binding and mandatory on some or all of the territory, member districts or other persons, or wells located within the authority. A groundwater reduction plan may:

   1. (1) specify the measures to be taken to reduce groundwater withdrawals;
   2. (2) identify alternative sources of water to be provided to those affected;
   3. (3) identify the rates, terms, and conditions under which alternative sources of water will be provided, which may be changed from time to time as considered necessary by the authority;
   4. (4) specify the dates and extent to which member districts or other persons within the authority's boundaries shall reduce or cease reliance on groundwater and accept water from alternative sources;
   5. (5) include other terms and measures that are consistent with the powers and duties of the authority;
   6. (6) exceed the minimum requirements imposed by the subsidence district, including any applicable groundwater reduction requirements; and
   7. (7) be amended from time to time at the discretion of the authority.
2. (b) Fees, user fees, rates, charges, and special assessments of the authority may be imposed under this chapter for a person's participation in and benefit derived from the authority's groundwater reduction plan or a groundwater reduction plan in which the authority participates.

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 656 (H.B. 3181), Sec. 1, eff. June 17, 2005.