The State Board proposes amendments to its Agricultural And Silvicultural Water Quality Management rules in Chapter 523.

The proposed amendments were published in the Texas Register, Friday, August 22, 2008 and are open for review and comment. Comments on the proposed rules may be submitted in writing to Rex Isom, Executive Director, Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, P.O. Box 658, Temple, Texas 76503.

Texas Agriculture Code §201.020(a) provides the basis for the TSSWCB to pass rules, which can be found in the Texas Administrative Code, Title 31 - Natural Resources and Conservation, Part 17 - Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board.

This website offers three ways to access TSSWCB rules:

• View rules in HTML on this site (unofficial)
• View and download rules in portable document format from this site (unofficial)
• View Title 31, Part 17 of the Texas Administrative Code in HTML Format on the Secretary of State's Web site (official)

TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE

TITLE 31-NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION

PART 17-TEXAS STATE SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION BOARD

SUBCHAPTER A: CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE
§517.1 Policy Statement
§517.2 Definitions
§517.3 Use of Funds
§517.4 Allocation of Funds
§517.5 Requests for Allocations
§517.6 Approval of Allocations
§517.7 Match Requirements
§517.8 Maximum Allocation
§517.9 Claims
§517.10 Deadlines
§517.11 Audits
§517.12 Nepotism

SUBCHAPTER B: COST-SHARE ASSISTANCE FOR BRUSH CONTROL
§517.22 Purpose
§517.23 Definitions
§517.24 State Brush Control Plan
§517.25 Evaluating Brush Control Areas
§517.26 Administration of Funds
§517.27 Approval of Brush Control Methods
§517.28 Powers and Duties of SWCDs
§517.29 Cost-share for Brush Control
§517.30 Eligibility for Cost-share Assistance
§517.31 Responsibility of Applicants
§517.32 Applications for cost-share
§517.33 Contracts for Cost-share
§517.34 Payment to Recipients
§517.35 Determining status of brush control during transfer of land ownership
§517.36 Reporting and Accounting
§517.37 Consultation with Other Agencies

CHAPTER 518-GENERAL PROCEDURES

SUBCHAPTER A: EMPLOYEE TRAINING RULES
§518.1 Policy Statement
§518.2 Approval to Participate in a Training Program, Including State Board-Sponsored Training, Seminars or Conferences Shall Not in Any Way Affect an Employee's at Will Status

SUBCHAPTER B: HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESS PROGRAM
§518.5 Historically Underutilized Business Program

CHAPTER 519-TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

SUBCHAPTER A: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
§519.1 Policy Statement
§519.2 Definitions
§519.3 Use of Funds
§519.4 Allocation of Funds
§519.5 Requests for Allocations
§519.6 Approval of Allocations
§519.7 Eligible Expenditures
§519.8 Eligible Pay Rates
§519.9 Payment of State Funds
§519.10 Reports Required
§519.11 Audits
§519.12 Nepotism

CHAPTER 520-DISTRICT OPERATIONS 

SUBCHAPTER A: ELECTION PROCEDURES
§520.1 Policy Statement
§520.2 Definitions
§520.3 District Conducted Elections; Notice
§520.4 State Board Conducted District Elections; Notice
§520.5 Election Forms; Reporting
§520.6 Adherence to Rules Required

SUBCHAPTER B: REQUIREMENTS TO RECEIVE STATE FUNDS OR ADMINISTER STATE PROGRAMS
§520.11 Policy Statement
§520.12 Definitions
§520.13 District Participation in State Board Programs

CHAPTER 521-AGRICULTURAL WATER CONSERVATION

SUBCHAPTER A: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION LAND IMPROVEMENT MEASURES
§521.1 Policy Statement
§521.2 Definitions
§521.3 Guidelines
§521.4 Purpose
§521.5 Priorities
§521.6 Eligible Districts
§521.7 Eligible Expenditures
§521.8 Applications
§521.9 Approval of Expenditures
§521.10 Payment of State Funds
§521.11 Reports Required
§521.12 Audits
§521.13 Priority in Expenditure of Funds

CHAPTER 523-AGRICULTURAL AND SILVICULTURAL WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT

§523.1 Scope and Jurisdiction
§523.2 Identification of Problem Areas
§523.3 Water Quality Management Plan Certification Program 
§523.4 Resolution of Complaints
§523.5 Memorandum of Understanding between the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
§523.6 Cost-Share Assistance for Soil and Water Conservation Land Improvement Measures
§523.7 Incentives for Composting Animal Manure
§523.8 Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning in the North Bosque River Watershed

CHAPTER 525-AUDIT REQUIREMENTS FOR SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICTS

SUBCHAPTER A: AUDITS OF DISTRICTS
§525.1 Policy Statement
§525.2 Definitions
§525.3 Duty to Audit
§525.4 Form of the Audit
§525.5 Audit Exemption
§525.6 Access to and Maintenance of District Records
§525.7 Filing of Audits and Annual Financial Reports
§525.8 Compliance Contingencies
§525.9 District Divisions and Reorganizations

CHAPTER 527-REMOVAL OF A DISTRICT DIRECTOR

§527.1 Policy Statement
§527.2 Definitions
§527.3 Petition
§527.4 Notice
§527.5 Hearing
§527.6 Determination
§527.7 Vacancy

Download TSSWCB Rules in Adobe Portable Document Format

• 31TAC517, Subchapter A - Conservation Assistance (PDF 22kb)
• 31TAC517, Subchapter B - Cost-Share Assistance for Brush Control (PDF 70 kb)
• 31TAC518, Subchapter A - Employee Training Rules (PDF 19 kb)
• 31TAC518, Subchapter B - Historically Underutilized Business Program (PDF 15 kb)
• 31TAC519, Subchapter A - Technical Assistance Program (PDF 25 kb)
• 31TAC520, Subchapter A - Election Procedures (PDF 17 kb)
• 31TAC520, Subchapter B - Requirements to Receive State Funds or Administer State Programs (PDF 12 kb)
• 31TAC521, Subchapter A - Technical Assistance Program for Soil and Water Conservation Land Improvement Measures (PDF 26 kb)
• 31TAC523, Agricultural and Silvicultural Water Quality Management (PDF 93 kb)
• 31TAC525, Subchapter A - Audits of Districts (PDF 26 kb)
• 31TAC527, Removal of a District Director (PDF 25 kb)

Texas Administrative Code

View official versions of the TSSWCB's current rules at in HTML format on the Texas Secretary of State's website Texas Administrative Code, Title 31, Part 17.

Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board Rule Review Plan