HB 3141

relating to information relied on by the Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality for purposes of rules involving rainfall
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 5, Water Code, is amended
by adding Section 5.137 to read as follows:
Sec. 5.137.  RULES REFERENCING RAINFALL INTENSITY,
DURATION, AND FREQUENCY.  (a)  This section applies only to a
commission rule the adoption of which involved an evaluation of
rainfall intensity, duration, or frequency.
(b)  The commission shall update rules as necessary to
incorporate the latest available rainfall intensity, duration, and
frequency data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration or a comparable source at least once every five
(c)  The commission shall update rules as necessary to
incorporate the latest available rainfall intensity, duration, and
frequency data from each new volume of the Precipitation-Frequency
Atlas of the United States published by the National Oceanic and
(d)  During each rulemaking required by Subsection (b), the
(1)  the value of costs avoided by the state as a result
of updating the rainfall intensity, frequency, and duration data;
(2)  a description of the variance between the existing
and newly available rainfall intensity, frequency, and duration
(3)  the accuracy of the newly available rainfall
intensity, frequency, and duration data in comparison to the
existing rainfall intensity, frequency, and duration data.
SECTION 2.  Not later than January 1, 2026, the Texas
Commission on Environmental Quality shall adopt the first updated
rules required by Section 5.137, Water Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.