# United States Court **of Appeals**  **f or the Fifth Circuit** 

No. 20

- 20447

**Quadvest , L.P.; Woodland Oaks Utility, L.P.,** 
Plaintiffs

— Appellees **,**

versus
**San Jacinto River Authority,**
Defendant

— Appellant

**.**

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas USDC No. 4:19

- CV

- 4508

Before **Wiener, Elrod,** and **Higginson,** Circuit Judges

**. Stephen A. Higginson,**  Circuit Judge **:**
Plaintiffs

- Appellees Quadvest and Woodland Oaks Utility, investor

owned water utilities, sued Defendant

- Appellant San Jacinto River Authority (“SJRA”) , a state entity , alleging that SJRA violated Section 1 of the Sherman Act when it entered into and enforced contracts relating to the purchase of wholesale water in Montgomery County, Texas. SJRA asserted its entitlement to state

- action antitrust immunity in a motion to dismiss , which the district court denied. We **AFFIRM**

. United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit 

## FILED August 3, 2021 Lyle W. Cayce Clerk Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 1 Date Filed: 08/03/2021No. 20

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### I. Quadvest and Woodland Oaks Utility (“Plaintiffs”) entered into contracts with SJRA governing Plaintiffs’ purchase and use of water. Plaintiffs now challenge those contracts as anticompetitive in violation of Sherman Act Section 1. The instant interlocutory appeal asserts that SJRA is entitled to state

- action immunity from Plaintiffs’ lawsuit beca use the contracts were entered into and are enforced pursuant to a clearly articulated and affirmatively expressed state policy to replace competition with regulation

. See Cal

. Retail Liquor Dealers Ass’n v. Midcal Aluminum, Inc. , 445 U.S. 97, 105 (1980). We first discuss SJRA’s creation and its enabling statute.

A. Creation of SJRA and Enabling Statute SJRA is a political subdivision of the State of Texas, created in 1937 by the Texas Legislature to conserve, control, and utilize the storm and flood waters of the San Jacinto River and its tributary streams. According to Plaintiffs’ First Amended Complaint (“FAC”), SJRA owns one

- third of the water rights to the surface water in Lake Conroe in addition to groundwater

producing wells. Plaintiffs assert that SJRA is both a water wholesaler and retailer, (1) wholesaling raw and treated surface water to utilities that re

- sell the water to their end

- user customers, (2) wholesaling raw groundwater to municipal utility districts that serve The Woodlands, and (3) retaili ng raw surface water to its own end

- user customers. 1

1 Although the FAC describes SJRA as wholesaling only “ raw surface water” to utilities, the GRP Contracts provide for SJRA to also wholesale treated surface water to utilities. 

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### SJRA’s Enabling Statute, a s amended, 2 

### vests SJRA with the authority

to:

• “store, control and conserve the storm and flood waters of the watershed of the San Jacinto River and its tributaries , ” (§ 3(i));

• “provide water for domestic, municipal, commercial, industrial and mining purposes . . . including water supplies for cities, towns and industries, and in connection therewith to construct or otherwise acquire water transportation, treatment and distribut ion facilities and supplemental sources of supply , ” (§ 3(v));

• “ enter into any and all necessary and proper contracts . . . necessary or useful in the furtherance of any power granted by law to [SJRA] , ” (§ 3(xv)); and

• “enter into such contracts . . . with municipalities or other corporate bodies or persons, public or private, for the purpose of establishing and collecting . . . rates and other charges for thesale or use of water, water transmission, treatment or connection facilities . . . and any oth er services sold, furnished or supplied by [SJRA] , ” (§ 3(xviii))

. B. The Lone Star District Regulatory Plan In June 2006, the Texas Water Development Board, in association with SJRA and Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District ( a state entity charged with regulating groundwater use in Montgomery County ),

2 See 1937 Tex. Gen. & Spec. Laws, ch. 426; 1939 Tex. Gen. & Spec. Laws, ch. 10; 1941 Tex. Gen. Laws, chs. 480 & 613; 1943 Tex. Gen. Laws, ch. 371; 1951 Tex. Gen. Laws, chs. 366 & 367; 1967 Tex. Gen. Laws, ch. 547; 1991 Tex. Gen. Laws, ch. 698; 2003 Tex. Gen. La ws, ch. 847; 2015 Tex. Gen. Laws, ch. 1148. According to the FAC, SJRA’s Enabling Statute was deleted from Vernon’s Texas Statutes and Codes Annotated when they were recodified but was not relocated to a new code. All citation s in this opinion are to the v ersion of SJRA’s Enabling Statute that is currently in force, which Plaintiffs compiled into a single document as an exhibit to the FAC

. W e append the full Enabling Statute to our decision for reference

. 

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### commissioned a study to assess the County’s long

- term groundwater supply needs. According to the FAC, groundwater has historically been less

ex pensive , and thus more widely used, than surface water in Montgomery County. The study determined that, based on projections of future water needs, potable water demand would eventually exceed the estimated sustainable recharge rate of the Gulf Coast Aquif er (Montgomery County’s source of groundwater), necessitating the use of surface water. The report further concluded that new surface water treatment facilities would need to be constructed to meet the projected need for potable surface water. Citing the recommendations of the report, SJRA and Lone Star executed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) by which the parties agreed to “pursue a cooperative implementation strategy . . . to finance and provide wholesale surface water to converting [groundwater] users,” “to spread financing costs . . . in an equitable manner to all permitted users of water throughout [Montgomery] County, regardless of which particular users actually convert from groundwater to surface water,” and to assess water use fees to “equal ize the cost of groundwater and surface water .”

Lone Star subsequently adopted a District Regulatory Plan ( the

“ Lone Star Plan ”) to regulate groundwater production in Montgomery County, consistent with the MOU. Among other requirements, the Lone Star Plan mandated that all “large volume groundwater users” (“LVGUs” ) 3

3 The Lone Star Plan defined “Large Volume Groundwat er User” or “LVGU” as “any person or entity that, through a single well or a combination of wells, actually produced or was authorized by a permit or permits issued by [Lone Star] to produce 10 million gallons or more of groundwater annually from the Gulf Coast Aquifer within the [Lone Star] District during calendar year 2009. A Large Volume Groundwater User does not include any person or entity that produces groundwater solely for its own domestic use associated with a single family residence, agricultural use, as that term is defined by Chapter 36, Water Code, or both domestic and agricultural use.” 

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### reduce their groundwater consumption to either (a) 70% of the volume they were permitted to produce in 2009 or (b) 10 million gallons (the “Groundwater Reduction Rule”). Alternatively, LVGUs co uld satisfy the Lone Star Plan by participating in a “joint groundwater reduction plan” (“Joint GRP”) with one or more additional LVGUs, pursuant to which the LVGUs could achieve 30% groundwater use reduction on aggregate, rather than individually.

C. SJRA’s Groundwater Reduction Plan Contracts with Plaintiffs In March 2011, SJRA (itself an LVGU subject to the Lone Star Plan) finalized a Joint GRP to allow participating LVGUs to collectively achieve compliance with Lone Star’s Groundwater Reduction Rule. Under SJRA’s Joint GRP, some LVGUs would “over convert” to surface water (i.e., reduce their groundwater consumption by greater than 30%), thereby allowing other LVGUs to cont inue to use more groundwater than would otherwise be permitted. According to an exhibit to the FAC , 140 of the 202 LVGUs in Montgomery County had joined the Joint GRP by executing contracts with SJRA as of February 8, 2011

. Plaintiffs are each party to suc h a contract with SJRA (together, the “GRP Contracts”). The GRP Contracts require Plaintiff s to pay SJRA a volume

- based fee for pumping groundwater, regardless of the source (the “Groundwater Pumpage Fee”). SJRA would use the Groundwater Pumpage Fee proce eds to develop a surface water treatment facility and transmission system. Plaintiffs allege that the Groundwater Pumpage Fee is calculated to equalize the costs of groundwater and surface water. Upon completion of the surface water treatment facility, the GRP Contracts allow SJRA to (1) require Plaintiff s to connect to SJRA’s transmission system and (2) dictate how much surface water each Plaintiff must buy from SJRA (the “Surface Water Put Option”). The GRP Contracts also allow SJRA to charge a volume

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### fee on any water imported from a non

- Joint GRP participant (the “Water Importation Fee”).

D. Montgomery County Water Utilities’ Lawsuit Against Lone Star In 2015, Plaintiffs and other Montgomery County LVGUs sued Lone Star, alleging that it lacked statutor y authority for the Groundwater Reduction Rule. After an initial state trial court ruling declaring the Rule void ab initio and an interlocutory appeal, the parties filed motions for partial non

suit following Lone Star’s withdrawal of its appeal. The tria l court thus entered a final judgment in May 2019 declaring that the Groundwater Reduction Rule had been adopted without legal authority and was thereby void.

E. Procedural History
Plaintiffs in the instant lawsuit are investor

- owned water utilities that sell drinking water to retail consumers in Montgomery County and were subject to Lone Star’s Groundwater Reduction Rule before it was invalidated . They aver that they rely exclusively on groundwater and do not buy surface water from SJRA.

Plaintiffs filed th is lawsuit against SJRA on November 15, 2019 , and amended their complaint on February 3, 2020. The FAC allege s that the GRP Contracts constitute continuing violations of Sherman Act Section 1, which declares that “[e]very contract . . . in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States . . . is . . . illegal.” 15 U.S.C. § 1. Specifically, Plaintiffs asser t that the Groundwater Pumpage Fee provision “constitute[s] [a] horizontal agreement[] between SJRA and each Plaintiff to fix the price of wholesale raw water in Montgomery County by assessing pumpage fees to LVGU participants so as to equalize the wholesa le price of raw groundwater with the wholesale price of raw surface water.” They further allege that the Surface Water Put Option and Water Importation Fee provisions are Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 6 Date Filed: 08/03/2021No. 20

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### unreasonable restraints of trade. Plaintiffs request a declaratory judgment that the GRP Contracts are illegal and unenforceable and an injunction prohibiting SJRA from enforcing the GRP Contracts or taking any other acts to enforce the Joint GRP

. SJRA moved to dismiss the FAC pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), asserting that the action was barred by the statute of limitations and laches, that SJRA was entitled to state

- action immunity, and that the FAC failed to state a Sherman Act claim. On August 14, 2020, the district court entered an order denying SJRA’s motion to di smiss. Relevant to the instant interlocutory appeal, the district court concluded that SJRA had failed to demonstrate its entitlement

to state

- action immunity. SJRA filed a notice of interlocutory appeal on August 21, 2020, appealing the district court’s o rder denying its state

- action immunity defense.

II. We must first examine the basis of our jurisdiction , a question we review de novo

. Mosley v. Cozby , 813 F.2d 659, 660 (5th Cir. 1987) ; United States v. Slovacek , 699 F.3d 423, 425 (5th Cir. 2012).

Our pr ecedent holds that the collateral order doctrine confer s jurisdiction to review an interlocutory appeal of a district court’s denial of

state

- action immunity in certain circumstances. 4 

### See Martin v. Mem ’ l Hosp

.

4 This issue is the subject of an active circuit split. Every other circuit to have considered this issue disagrees with our precedent, instead holding that in terlocutory appeals from denials of state

- action immunity may not be taken under the collateral order doctrine. See Huron Valley Hosp

. , Inc. v. City of Pontiac , 792 F.2d 563 , 567

– 68 (6th Cir. 1986) ; S

. C. State Bd

. of Dentistry v. FTC , 455 F.3d 436 , 441

– 47 (4th Cir. 2006) ; SolarCity 

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### at Gulfport , 86 F.3d 1391, 1396

– 97 (5th Cir. 1996). The collateral order doctrine provides a “practical construction” of 28 U.S.C. § 1291’s “final

Corp. v. Salt River Project Agric. Improvement & Power Dist. , 859 F.3d 720 , 727 (9th Cir.), cert. granted , 138 S. Ct. 499 (Dec. 1, 2017), and cert. dismissed by agreement of the parties , 138 S. Ct. 1323 (Mar. 22, 2018) ; Sm ileDirectClub, LLC v. Battle , No. 19

- 12227, 2021 U.S. App. LEXIS 21393, *18

– 19 (11th Cir. July 20, 2021) (en banc) (overruling the Eleventh Circuit’s prior precedent which agreed with our Martin precedent, Commuter Transp. Sys., Inc. v. Hillsborough Cnty. Aviation Auth. , 801 F.2d 1286, 1290 (11th Cir. 1986))

. In 2017 , the Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari in SolarCity to decide “[w]hether orders denying state

- action immunity to public entities are immediately appealable under the collateral

- order d octrine.” SolarCity Corp. v. Salt River Project Agric. Improvement & Power Dist. , No. 17

- 368, 138 S. Ct. 499 (Dec. 1, 2017). The parties reached a settlement agreement before oral argument was heard, however , and the Court dismissed the petition pursuant to the parties’ agreement. 138 S. Ct. 1323 (Mar. 22, 2018). Last month , the en banc Eleventh Circuit held that “ interlocutory appeals may not be taken under the collateral order doctrine from the denials of s o

- called ‘ state

- action immunity , ’” overruling its prior precedent. SmileDirectClub, 2021 U.S. App. LEXIS 21393 , at *2, *18

– 19. Other courts, in critiquing our precedent, have noted that (1) the Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasized the narrowness of the collateral order doctrine in recent decisions, see SmileDirectClub, 2021 U.S. App. LEXIS 21393, at *6; SolarCity , 859 F.3d at 730; (2) the Court in Will v. Hallock held that government defendants are not entitled to immediate appealability merely to avoid the burdens of trial absent “some particular value of a high order , ” see SolarCity , 859 F.3d at 724 (discussing 546 U.S. 345, 352

– 55 (2006)) ; see also SmileDirectClub , 2021 U.S. App. LEXIS 21393, at *16

– 17 ; and (3) as our en banc
court has observed, “ Parker immunity is an inapt description, for its parentage differs from the qualified and absolute immunities of public officials. . . . ‘ Parker immunity ’ is more accurately a strict standard for locating the reach of the Sherman Act than t he judicial creation of a defense to liability for its violation .” Surgical Care C t r

. of Hammond, L.C. v. Hosp

. Serv. Dist. No. 1 o f Tangipahoa Par

. , 171 F.3d 231, 234 (5th Cir. 1999) (en banc) ; s ee S. C. State Bd. of Dentistry , 455 F.3d at 444

– 45; SmileDir ectClub , 2021 U.S. App. LEXIS 21393, at *9 (“There is some support for this aspect of Commuter Transportation Systems

. For example, in Martin the Fifth Circuit also treated Parker as providing ‘an entitlement not to stand trial under certain circumstances. ’ . . . Yet just four years later, the full Fifth Circuit

— in a unanimous opinion

— retreated from this facet of Martin in Surgical Care Center of Hammond .” (citations omitted) (quoting Martin v. Mem’l Hosp. at Gulfport , 86 F.3d 1391, 1395 (5th Cir. 1996))). We remain bound, however, by our precedent absent reconsideration by our full court. We further note that neither party raised this issue in its appellate briefing n or during oral argument. 

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### decision” requirement, Digit

. Equip

. Corp. v. Desktop Direct, Inc. , 511 U.S. 863, 867 (1994) ( cit ing Cohen v. Beneficial Indus. Loan Corp. , 337 U.S. 541, 546 (1949)), rendering a district court’s interlocutory decision immediately appealable if it “[1] conclusively determine[s] the disputed question, [2] resolve[s] an important issue completely separate from the merits of t he action, and [3] [would] be effectively unreviewable on appeal from a final judgment,” Will v. Hallock , 546 U.S. 345, 349 (2006) (internal quotation marks omitted).

In Martin , we held that denials of state

- action immunity to state , state

entity , and muni cipal defendants are immediately appealable collateral orders because (1) “denials of states’ and state entities’ claims to state action immunity clearly purport to be conclusive determinations that they have no right not to be sued under federal antitrust laws”; (2) “[a]n appellate court reviewing the denial of the state or state entity’s claim of immunity need not consider the correctness of the plaintiff’s version of the facts, nor even determine whether the plaintiff’s allegations actually state a claim ”; and (3) “state action immunity shares the essential element of absolute, qualified and Eleventh Amendment immunities

— an entitlement not to stand trial under certain circumstances,” which is “effectively lost if a case is erroneously permitted to go to t rial.” 86 F.3d at 1395

– 97 (internal quotation marks omitted). However, this court does not allow such immediate appeals for private defendants because we must “view claims of a right not to be tried with skepticism” and “the state action doctrine does not immunize private defendants from suit

. ” Acoustic Sys., Inc. v. Wenger Corp. , 207 F.3d 287, 29 2 (5th Cir. 2000) (internal quotation marks omitted)

. Accordingly, the denial of state

- action immunity to a private party would not be effectively unreviewable on appeal from a final judgment. Id. Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 9 Date Filed: 08/03/2021No. 20

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### Plaintiffs argue that because SJRA is a participant in the market relevant to their antitrust claim

— the market for wholesale raw water in Montgomery County

— SJRA invokes state

- actio n immunity as a private party rather than a state entity and is thereby subject to the doctrine’s “active supervision” requirement

. They rely on the Supreme Court’s opinion in North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. FTC , where in deciding that th e active supervision requirement applied to a state regulatory board controlled by active market participants , the Court distinguished such boards, which are more akin to “private trade associations , ” from “prototypical state agencies.” 574 U.S. 494, 511 (2015). Following Dental Examiners , we held that a state regulatory board composed of private market participants invoked state

- action immunity “as a private party” and was thus unentitled to immediate appeal of a Federal Trade Commission order denying its state

- action immunity defense. See La. Real Es t . Appraisers Bd. v. FTC , 976 F.3d 597 , 604 (5th Cir. 2020), cert. denied , 2021 U.S. LEXIS 1819, 2021 WL 1241021 (Apr. 5, 2021). SJRA, like the defendant in Martin , is a state

- created entity that , unlike the d efendant in Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers , is not alleged to be controlled by private market participants. See Martin , 86 F.3d at 1395

– 97; La. Real Est. Appraisers Bd. , 976 F.3d at 604. However, the Supreme Court has rejected a “purely formal istic inquiry” into whether a defendant invokes

state

- action immunity as a prototypical state agency or a private party

. See Town of Hallie v. City of Eau Claire , 471 U.S. 34, 39 (1985); see also La. Real Est. Appraisers Bd. , 976 F.3d at 604

. Relevant here, Pla intiffs allege that SJRA is an active participant in the market over which it purporte dly exerts anticompetitive control.

In Hallie and again in Dental Examiners , the Court focused on the risk of private interests influencing a state entity’s decisions. Se e Hallie , 471 U.S. at 45; Dental Examiners , 574 U.S. at 507

– 08; see also La. Real Est. Appraisers Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 10 Date Filed: 08/03/2021No. 20

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### Bd. , 976 F.3d at 604. As a public entity, SJRA is entitled to a presumption that it acts in the public interest “absent a showing to the contrary.” Hallie , 471 U.S. at 45. Although SJRA allegedly participates in the Montgomery County wholesale raw water market , Plaintiffs have not shown at this early stage that SJRA is influenced by or pursues outside private interests. We thus conclude that, for the purpos es of our jurisdictional analysis, SJRA invokes

state

- action immunity as a state entity

. The instant interlocutory appeal is thereby proper under this court’s precedent.

III. We now turn to the merits of SJRA’s appeal. The district court denied SJRA’s moti on to dismiss, concluding that state

- action immunity did not apply. On appeal, SJRA asserts that the district court erred because SJRA’s entry into and enforcement of the GRP Contracts was authorized by its Enabling Statute, and the displacement of competi tion in the wholesale raw water market was the foreseeable result of this authorization. Plaintiffs maintain that SJRA’s Enabling Statute does not authorize its anticompetitive conduct. In reviewing the denial of a motion to dismiss under FRCP 12(b)(6), th is court “tak[es] all well

- pleaded facts as true.” Zantiz v. Seal , 602 F. App’x 154, 159 (5th Cir. 2015) (per curiam) (unpublished) (citing Brown v. Miller , 519 F.3d 231, 236 (5th Cir. 2008)). Whe n , as here, the complaint attaches written exhibits, the exh ibits are considered “a part of the pleading for all purposes.” **Fed. R. Civ. P.** 10(c). If an attached exhibit contradicts a factual allegation in the complaint, “then indeed the exhibit and not the allegation controls.” United States ex rel. Riley v. St. L uke’s Episcopal Hosp. , 355 F.3d 370, 377 (5th Cir. 2004); see also Smit v. SXSW Holdings, Inc. , 903 F.3d 522, 528 (5th Cir. 2018). Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 11 Date Filed: 08/03/2021No. 20

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### A motion to dismiss is properly denied if, accepting the well

- pled factual allegations in the plaintiff’s complaint as true, the plaintiff states a claim to relief that is plausible on its face. Ashcroft v. Iqbal , 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009); Bell Atl

. Corp. v. Twombly , 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007). “State authorization is generally interpreted by an objective test that looks at the la nguage of the statute; if other evidence is needed, it can be gleaned from legislative histories or state judicial decisions.” Surgical Care Ctr

. of Hammond, L.C. v. Hosp

. Serv. Dist. No. 1 of Tangipahoa Par

. , 171 F.3d 231, 234 (5th Cir. 1999) (en banc) (q uoting 1 **Phillip E. Areeda & Herbert Hovenkamp**  , **Antitrust Law,** ¶ 222b (1997))

. This analysis “ordinarily produces a legal conclusion reviewed de novo.” Id. Thus, in reviewing the denial of a motion to dismiss based upon state

action immunity, we will affirm the denial if, taking the well

- ple aded factual allegations in the complaint as true and looking to the language of the relevant authorizing statute (and, to the extent necessary , legislative histor y or judicial decisions), the defendant is not entit led to state

- action immunity. See, e.g. , Earles v. State Bd. of Certified Pub. Accts. , 139 F.3d 1033, 1040

– 44 (5th Cir. 1998).

A

. Supreme Court precedent recognizes three tiers of protection from federal antitrust lawsuits under the state

- action immunity d octrine: (1) c lear exercises of a state’s sovereign power are immune from federal antitrust scrutiny ipso facto (“ Parker immunity ” ), Dental Examiners , 574 U.S. at 504 (discussing Parker v. Brown , 317 U.S. 341 (1943)) ; (2) acts of a “prototypical state agen c [ y ] ” or municipality are entitled to immunity if pursuant to a “clearly articulated and affirmatively expressed” state policy to replace competition with regulation ( “ Hallie scrutiny ” ), id. at 504, 50 6

– 07 , 511 (quoting FTC v. Phoebe Putney Health Sys., Inc. , 568 U.S. 216, 225 (2013)) Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 12 Date Filed: 08/03/2021No. 20

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### (discussing Hallie , 471 U.S. 34) ; and (3) actions by private parties or state agencies controlled by participants in the market they regulate are protected if they meet the aforementioned “clear articulation” requireme nt and are also subject to “active supervis ion ” by the state ( “ Midcal scrutiny ” ), id. at 507 (discussing Midcal , 445 U.S. 97) . Because “[s]tates regulate their economies in many ways not inconsistent with the antitrust laws,” “state

action immunity is disf avored.” FTC v. Ticor Title Ins. Co. , 504 U.S. 621,
635

– 36 (1992) (citing Lafayette v. La. Power & Light Co. , 435 U.S. 389, 398

– 99 (1978)). Ipso facto Parker immunity applies only for “[s]tate legislation and decisions of a state supreme court, acting legi slatively rather than judicially.” Dental Examiners , 574 U.S. at 504 (internal quotation marks omitted) . This case does not fit those circumstances, and SJRA thus invokes state

- action immunity as a nonsovereign actor. Anticompetitive conduct by a nonsovere ign actor must be “clearly articulated and affirmatively expressed as state policy” to merit state

- action immunity. Midcal , 445 U.S. at 105 (quoting La. Power & Light Co. , 435 U.S. at 410) . This inquiry involves two distinct questions: (1) Does state law authorize the defendant to engage in the challenged conduct?; and (2) Did the state authorize the challenged conduct with an intent to displace competition with regulation or monopoly servi ce? 1A **Phillip E. Areeda & Herbert Hovenkamp**  , **Antitrust Law,** ¶ 22 5 , p. 140 (4th ed. 2013) (“ **Areeda & Hovenkamp”** ) ; see also Phoebe Putney , 568 U.S. at
228. State lawmakers need not “expressly state in a statute or its legislative history that the legislatu re intends for the delegated action to have anticompetitive effects.” Hallie , 471 U.S. at 43 . Rather, state

- action immunity applies if the anticompetitive effect was the “foreseeable result” Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 13 Date Filed: 08/03/2021No. 20

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### of the state’s authorization. Id. at 42. “[W]hen anticompetitive consequences are simply one ‘foreseeable’ possibility among many, then authorization should not be inferred.” **Areeda & Hovenkamp** at **¶ 225,** p. 170 (discussing Phoebe Putney , 568 U.S. 216)

. B. Plaintiffs challenge three provisions of the GRP C ontracts as anticompetitive in violation of Sherman Act Section 1: (1) the Groundwater Pumpage Fee, which requires Plaintiffs to pay SJRA a volume

- based fee for pumping groundwater, regardless of the source; (2) the Surface Water Put Option, which allows S JRA to dictate the amount of surface water Plaintiffs must buy from SJRA; and (3) the Water Importation Fee, which charges Plaintiffs if they purchase water from a non

- Joint GRP participant. The FAC alleges that the Groundwater Pumpage Fee fixes the price of wholesale raw water in Montgomery County by equalizing the wholesale price of raw groundwater with that of raw surface water, and also that the Surface Water Put Option and Water Importation Fee are unreasonable restraints of trade.

We first ask whether SJRA’s Enabling Statute authorizes its entry into and enforcement of the challenged provisions. See Phoebe Putney , 568 U.S. at
228. SJRA may be correct that its Enabling Statute authorizes the challenged provisions. The Enabling Statute allows SJRA to con tract with “municipalities or other corporate bodies or persons . . . for the purpose of establishing and collecting . . . rates and other charges for the sale or use of water, water transmission, treatment or connection facilities . . . and any other serv ices sold, furnished or supplied by [SJRA].” Enabling Statute § 3(xviii). The Groundwater Pumpage Fee could be considered a rate or charge for a service provided by SJRA

— coordinated compliance with Lone Star’s Groundwater Reduction Rule

— as well as a charge for the use of SJRA’s water transmission, treatment, and connection facilities. Similarly, Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 14 Date Filed: 08/03/2021No. 20

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### the Surface Water Put Option could be viewed as a charge for the use of SJRA’s facilities. The Enabling Statute also permits SJRA to “enter into any and all necessa ry and proper contracts . . . necessary or useful in the furtherance of any power granted by law.” Enabling Statute § 3(xv). Though this statutory language is quite nonspecific, SJRA may have an argument that the Water Importation Fee is “necessary or usef ul” to provide the service of regulatory compliance to the Joint GRP participants. But our inquiry does not end there. To warrant state

- action immunity, the alleged anticompetitive effect

— the displacement of competition in the Montgomery County wholesale r aw water market

— must be the “inherent, logical, or ordinary result” of the state’s authorization. Phoebe Putney , 568 U.S. at 229. Section 3(xviii) of SJRA’s Enabling Statute authorizes SJRA to participate in the markets for water, water transmission and tr eatment, and other services through contracts establishing rates and other charges. Precedent establishes that mere authorization to participate in a market does not constitute authority to monopolize that market. See id. at 228 (“Grants of general corpora te power that allow substate governmental entities to participate in a competitive marketplace should be, can be, and typically are used in ways that raise no federal antitrust concerns.”); Hammond , 171 F.3d at 235 (distinguishing “a statute that in empowe ring a municipality necessarily contemplates the anticompetitive activity from one that merely allows a municipality to do what other businesses can do”). SJRA’s state authorization is more akin to the enabling laws at issue in Phoebe Putney and Hammond , where the defendants were statutorily authorized to acquire hospitals and enter into contracts and joint ventures to sell hospital services, respectively , than it is similar to the legislative grants in cases finding clear articulation

. See Phoebe Putney , 568 U.S. at 219

– 20; Hammond , 171 F.3d at 233. The statutory powers SJRA invokes as authorizing its challenged conduct “should be, can be, and typically are used Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 15 Date Filed: 08/03/2021No. 20

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### in ways that raise no federal antitrust concerns.” Phoebe Putney , 568 U.S. at
228. This statutory authorization lacks the indicators of monopolistic intent present in cases finding clear articulation, where the defendants were explicitly granted authority to regulate a market, such as through zoning ordinances, City of Columbia v. Omni Outdo or Advert. Inc. , 499 U.S. 365, 373 (1991) , professional conduct rules, Earles , 139 F.3d at 1042 , and the maintenance of “fair competition,” Spec’s Fam. Partners, Ltd. v. Nettles , 972 F.3d 671, 683 (5th Cir. 2020)

. SJRA argues that monopoly is the foreseeable result of its statutory authorization because “[w]henever SJRA contracts with an entity to supply surface water (at cost, as SJRA must), other raw water competitors (like groundwater wholesale suppliers) are n ecessa ri ly displaced.” This argument
contravenes precedent holding that bare authority to participate in a market does not inherently result in monopoly. See Phoebe Putney , 568 U.S. at 228; Hammond , 171 F.3d at 235. This assertion is further undermined by the FA C, which alleges that groundwater in Montgomery County is plentiful and was historically less expensive than surface water. Accepting this factual allegation as true, Iqbal , 55 6 U.S. at 678 , statutory authority to sell surface water would not inherently, logically, or ordinarily result in the displacement of competition in the market for allegedly cheaper, plentiful groundwater. Even if SJRA’s Enabling Statute could be read as vesting SJRA with monopol y power over the market for surface water in Montgomery County, precedent cautions against interpreting such statutory authority as extending to the entire wholesale raw water market. “[E]ven a lawful monopolist may be subject to antitrust restraints when it seeks to extend or exploit its monopoly in a manner not contemplated by its authorization.” La. Power & Light Co. , 435 U.S. at 417 ; see also **Areeda & Hovenkamp** at ¶ 222, p. 79 (citing Cmty. Commc’ns Co. v. City of Boulder , 455 U.S. 40 (1982)) ( “[A]uthor ization from the state must be ‘market

- specific’ in the sense that Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 16 Date Filed: 08/03/2021No. 20

- 20447

17 

### it authorizes the subdivision to displace competition in a specific area of commerce.” )

. Here, SJRA’s hypothetical monopoly authority over the surface water market in Montgomery County woul d not foreseeably extend to the entire wholesale raw water market.

We therefore conclude , with attention to the record before us , that the Texas Legislature did not authorize SJRA’s entry into and enforcement of the challenged GRP Contract provisions with the intent to displace competition in the market for wholesale raw water in Montgomery County. SJRA is thus not entitled to state

- action immunity at this stage.

IV. For the foregoing reasons, we **AFFIRM** the district court’s denial of SJRA’s motion to dismis s based upon state

- action immunity

. Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 17 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 1 S ECTION 1. It being declared by the Constitutional provision the polic y of the State of 1 Texas, Section 59, Article 16, to provide for the conservation and development of all the natural 2 resources of the State, including the control, storing, preserv ation, and distribution of its storm 3 and flood waters, the waters of its rivers and streams, for irr igation, power, and all other useful 4 purposes, the reclamation and irrigation of its arid, semi-arid , and other lands needing irrigation, 5 the reclamation and drainage of its overflowed lands, and other lands needing drainage, the 6 conservation and development of its forests, water and hydro-el ectric power, the navigation of its 7 inland and coastal waters, and the preservation and conservatio n of all such natural resources of 8 the State, are each and all hereby declared public rights and d uties, which may be effected 9 through the creation within the S tate, or the divisions of the State, into such number of 10 conservation and reclamation districts as many be determined to be essential to the 11 accomplishment of the purposes of the policy expressed in the C onstitution of the State; such 12 Districts to be governmental agencies and bodies politic and co rporate, with all rights, privileges, 13 and functions as may be conferred by law, there is hereby creat ed the San Jacinto River 14 Conservation District [now the San Jacinto River Authority] 1

. 15 SEC. 1A. (a) The District is subject to review under Chapter 32 5, Government Code 16 (Texas Sunset Act), but may not be abolished under that chapter . The review shall be conducted 17 under Section 325.025, Government Code, as if the District were a state agency scheduled to be 18 abolished September 1, 2021, and every 12th year after that yea r. 19 (b) The District shall pay the cost incurred by the Sunset Advi sory Commission in 20 performing the review. The Sunset Advisory Commission shall det ermine the cost, and the 21 District shall pay the amount promptly on receipt of a statemen t from the Sunset Advisory 22 Commission detailing the cost. 23
S EC

. 2. The San Jacinto River Conservation and Reclamation District is created as a 24 governmental agency, a body politic and corporate, vested with all the authority as such under the 25

1 See Acts of 1951, 52nd Leg., ch. 366, § 1; any usage hereinaft er of the term "San Jacinto River Conservation and Reclamation Dist rict" shall mean the "San Jaci nto River Authority" and vice versa. 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 2 of 407

20-20447.1748 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 18 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 2 Constitution and laws of the State; and shall have and be recog nized to exercise all of the powers 1 of such governmental agency and body politic and corporate as e xpressly authorized in the 2 provisions of the Constitution, Section 59 of Article 16, for D istricts created to conserve, control, 3
and utilize to beneficial service the storm and flood waters of rivers and streams of the State, or 4 such powers as may be contemplated and implied by the purposes of this provision of the 5 Constitution, and as may be conferred by General Law, and in th e provisions of this Act; and 6 shall have and be recognized to exercise all the rights and pow ers of an independent 7 governmental agency, body politic and corporate, to formulate a ny and all plans deemed essential 8 to the operation of the District 2 and for its administration in the control, storing, preservati on, and 9 distribution to all useful purposes of the storm and flood wate rs of the San Jacinto River and its 10 tributary streams; and as such District, shall have and be reco gnized to exercise such authority 11 and power of control and regula tion over such storm and flood w aters of the San Jacinto River 12 and its tributaries as may be exercised by the State of Texas, subject to the provisions of the 13 Constitution and the Acts of the Legislature. 14
S EC

. 3. The San Jacinto River Authority, in addition to all powers expressly or impliedly 15 granted by other Sections of this Act, by complying where appli cable with the provisions of 16 Chapter 1, Title 128, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes, as amended , is hereby empowered as 17
follows: 18 (i) to store, control and conserve the storm and flood waters of the watershed of the 19 San Jacinto River and its tributaries, and to prevent the escap e of any such waters through every 20 practical means; so as to prevent the devastation of lands from recurrent overflows, and to protect 21 life and property; 22 (ii) to provide through every practical means for the control, utilization and 23 coordination of regulation of the waters of the san Jacinto Riv er and its tributaries; 24

2 See Acts of 1951, 52nd Leg., ch. 366, § 2; any usage hereinaft er of the term "District" shall mean the "Authority" and vice versa. 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 3 of 407

20-20447.1749 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 19 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 3 (iii) to appropriate the waters of the San Jacinto River and i ts tributaries, to construct 1 dams and other facilities for the impoundment, conservation, di version and utilization of such 2 waters, and to devote such waters to municipal, domestic, agric ultural, commercial, industrial, 3 mining, and other beneficial uses, within and without the water shed of said River; 4 (iv) to provide waters for the irrigation of lands where irriga tion is required for 5 agricultural purposes or may be de emed helpful to more profitab le agricultural production; 6 (v) to provide water for domest ic, municipal, commercial, indus trial and mining 7 purposes within and without the watershed of said River, includ ing water supplies for cities, 8 towns and industries, and in connection therewith to construct or otherwise acquire water 9 transportation, treatment and distribution facilities and suppl emental sources of supply; 10 (vi) to encourage and develop drainage systems and provisions for drainage of lands in 11 the valleys of the San Jacinto River and its tributary streams needing drainage for profitable 12 agricultural production; and drainage for other lands in the wa tershed area of the Authority 13 requiring drainage for the most advantageous use; 14 (vii) to encourage through practical and legal means the cons ervation of soils against 15 destructive erosion and thereby preventing the increased flood menace incident thereto; 16 (viii) to forest and reforest and to aid in the foresting and reforesting of the watershed 17 area of the San Jacinto River and its tributaries and to preven t and aid in the prevention of soil 18 erosion and floods in, on, and upon all lands situated within t he boundaries of said Authority; 19 (ix) to control, store, and employ the waters of the San Jacin to River and its tributaries 20 in the development and distribution of hydroelectric powers, wh ere such use may be 21 economically coordinated with o ther and superior uses, and subo rdinated to the uses declared by 22 law to be superior; 23 (x) to encourage, aid, and protect navigation and harbor impro vements; 24 (xi) to acquire land adjacent to or in the vicinity of any wat ers impounded by the 25 Authority or adjacent to or in the vicinity of San Jacinto Rive r or any of its tributaries for park 26 and recreation purposes and to ac quire or construct park and re creation facilities thereon. Except 27 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 4 of 407

20-20447.1750 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 20 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 4 as may otherwise be provided by the general law, the acquisitio n or construction any recreation 1 and park facilities by the Authority shall be subject to the ap proval of the Texas State Parks and 2
Wildlife Commission and to such conditions as the Commission ma y prescribe; 3 (xii) to acquire or construct facilities for the gathering, tra nsporting, treating and 4 disposing of sewage and indus trial waste and effluent; 5 (xiii) to control, store and employ all or any of such waters for each and every purpose 6 for which the same when controlled and conserved may be utilize d in the performance of a useful 7 service and contemplated and authorized by the provisions of th e Constitution and the public 8 policy therein declared; 9 (xiv) to construct and otherwise acquire and to repair, improve , extend, operate and 10 maintain all works, plants and other facilities necessary or us eful in the furtherance of any power 11 granted by law to the Authority, including, but not limited to, water storage reservoirs, dams, 12 canals, waterways, and water transportation facilities of all k inds, water treatment facilities, 13 hydroelectric facilities, municipal water supply facilities, fa cilities for the treatment of sewage 14
and industrial waste and efflue nt, parks and recreation facilit ies, and all other necessary and 15 useful structures, facilities and equipment; 16 (xv) to enter into any and all necessary and proper contracts with other Federal or State 17 agencies, districts and bodies politic and corporate, and other s, to make and enter into such 18 cooperative and coordinative contracts with such agencies, dist ricts and bodies politic and 19 corporate, and others, necessary or useful in the furtherance o f any power granted by law to the 20 Authority, including the power to pledge its funds and its othe r assets or any part thereof; 21 (xvi) to acquire any properties necessary for any of its corpo rate purposes by purchase, 22 by condemnation as elsewhere provided in this Act, or by gift, and to acquire property by lease or 23 other contract, upon such terms as may be accepted by the Autho rity's Board of Directors; 24 (xvii) to operate the water and sewage properties and faciliti es of other public bodies or 25 political subdivisions upon such terms as the Authority may agr ee in connection with the 26 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 5 of 407

20-20447.1751 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 21 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 5 supplying by the Authority of any water or sewage or waste disp osal or other services to public 1 bodies; 2 (xviii) to enter into such contracts, upon such terms and for s uch periods of time as the 3 Board of the Authority might approve, with municipalities or ot her corporate bodies or persons, 4 public or private, for the purpose of establishing and collecti ng, and by resolution or order of 5 otherwise establish and collect, rates and other charges for th e sale or use of water, water 6 transmission, treatment or connection facilities, sewage or ind ustrial or other waste disposal 7 services and facilities of all types, park or recreation facili ties, power, electric energy, and any 8 other services sold, furnished, o r supplied by the Authority, w hich fees and charges shall be 9 sufficient to produce revenue adequate— 10 (1) to pay expenses necessary to the operation and maintenance of the properties and 11 facilities of the Authority; 12 (2) to pay the interest on or the principal of any bonds or ot her obligations issued by 13 the Authority when and as same become due and payable and to fu lfill any reserve or other fund 14 obligations of the Authority in connection with such bonds; and 15 (3) to pay such other expenses as the Board of Directors shall deem necessary and 16 proper for any purposes in the c orporate operations, and functi ons of the Authority; and 17 (xix) to authorize by its contracts any other districts, agenc ies, and bodies politic and 18 corporate and individuals to participate in the joint construct ion, operation, and maintenance of 19 all of said water storage reservoirs, dams, canals, waterways, and water lines and all other 20 structure, facilities, and equipment in connection therewith, o r in connection with sewage or 21 waste facilities of all types, and all necessary facilities for the manufacture, sale, and 22 transportation of such hydroelectric power, along with said Aut hority, and said Authority may by 23 such contracts allow such other agencies, districts, and bodies politic and corporate, and others to 24 receive such portion of the revenues derived from the sale of w ater and hydroelectric power or 25 furnishing sewage and waste facilities and services, as the Boa rd of Directors shall deem just, 26 equitable, and proper. 27 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 6 of 407

20-20447.1752 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 22 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 6 S EC

. 4. The powers and duties herein developed upon the San Jacinto River Authority 1 are recognized to be taken subject to all legislative declarati ons of public policy in the maximum 2 utilization of the storm, flood and unappropriated flow waters of the State for the purpose for 3 which the Authority is created, as expressed and indicated in t his Act, as amended, and subject to 4 the continuing rights of supervis ion by the State which shall be exercised through the Texas 5 Water Rights Commission, which a gency shall be c harged with the authority and duty to approve, 6 or to refuse to approve, the adequacy of any plan or plans (dev ised in the exercise of any power 7 granted under this Act) which c ontemplate improvements or facil ities, the plans pertaining to 8 which are required to be supervised or approved by said agency under the provisions of the 9 General Law. If any such plans contemplate the installation, c onstruction or other acquisition of 10 parks and recreation facilities or of facilities for the gather ing, transporting or disposal of sewage, 11 or industrial wastes and effluent, said Commission shall not ap prove such plans until it finds that 12
the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission or the Texas Water Poll ution Control Board, as the 13 case may be, has issued such approvals or permits relating to s uch matters as may be required by 14
this Act or the General Law. 15
S EC

. 5. The area of said District is hereby established to comprise all the territory 16
embraced within the watershed of the San Jacinto River and its tributary streams, save and except 17 that portion of said watershed lying and being situated within the boundaries of Harris County, 18 which is hereby expressly excepted from the boundaries of said District. Provided, that prior to 19 September 1, 1941, the actual boundaries of said District shall be established by the Reclamation 20 Department of the General Land Office, so that the same may be expressed in written calls of the 21 metes and bounds of said District. The written description of said boundaries shall be certified by 22 the Commissioner of the General Land Office, approved by the St ate Board of Water Engineers, 23
and recorded in the minutes of said District. The Board of Dir ectors shall cause a certified copy 24
of said certified boundaries to be filed and recorded in the of fice of the County Clerk of each 25 county lying in whole or in part within the boundaries of said District, and it shall also file a copy 26 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 7 of 407

20-20447.1753 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 23 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 7 thereof, together with a map showing said boundaries with the T ax Assessor and Collector of 1 each of the counties lying in whole or in part within said Dist rict. 2
S EC

. 6. The management and control of all the affairs of said District shall be vested in, 3 and the powers, rights, privileges, and functions of the Distri ct shall be exercised by, a Board of 4 Directors consisting of six (6) members, 3 all of whom shall be freehold property taxpayers and 5 legal voters of the State of Texas and four (4) of whom shall b e residents of a county wholly 6 encompassed by the District. Mem bers of such Board of Director s shall be appointed by the 7 Governor for terms of six (6) years. Provided, the present Boa rd of six (6) directors of said 8 District, appointed by the State Board of Water Engineers under authority of House Bill No. 9 1094, Chapter 613, Acts of the Regular Session of the Forty-sev enth Legislature, amending 10 Section 6 of Chapter 426, Acts of the Regular Session of the Fo rty-fifth Legislature, as amended 11 by House Bill No. 828, Chapter 480, Acts of the Regular Session of the Forty-seventh 12 Legislature, for terms of two (2), four (4), and six (6) years, shall continue to serve as such until 13 the expiration of the respective terms for which they were appo inted. Upon the expiration of the 14 respective terms for which the present members of the Board of Directors were appointed, the 15
successors of each and all of the m shall be appointed by the Go vernor for a term of six (6) years. 16 The directors shall hold office after their appointment and qu alification until their 17 successors shall be appointed and qualified. Should any vacanc y occur in the Board of Directors, 18 the same shall be filled in like manner by the Governor for the unexpired term. The Directors 19 appointed shall, within the (30) days after their appointment, qualify by taking the official oath 20 required of County Commissions, and shall execute bond in the s um of Five Thousand Dollars 21 ($5,000) payable to the District, the sufficiency of which bond shall be determined by the State 22 Board of Water Engineers, which bonds after being recorded in t he official bond records of the 23 county in which the District maintains its office shall be depo sited with the depository selected 24 and approved for the deposit of the funds of the District. 25

3 See Sec. 651.0085, Tex. Gov't Code, as amended (requiring gove rnor to appoint additional member). 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 8 of 407

20-20447.1754 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 24 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 8 The Board of Directors shall organize by electing one of its m embers President, one 1 Vice-President, one Secretary, and one Treasurer. Four (4) mem bers, including the presiding 2 officer, shall constitute a quorum to transact business. The P resident shall preside at all meetings 3
of the Board and shall be the chief executive officer of the Di strict. The Vice-President shall act 4 as President in case of the absence or disability of the Presid ent. The Secretary shall act as 5 Secretary of the Board and shall be charged with the duty of ke eping a record of all proceedings 6
and all orders of the Board. The Treasurer shall receive and r eceipt for all moneys received by 7
the District and sha ll keep books and records of all moneys rec eived and expended. In case of the 8 absence of inability of the Secretary to act, a Secretary pro t erm shall be selected by the directors. 9 The domicile of the District shall be in the City of Conroe, i n the County of Montgomery, 10 Texas, where the District shall maintain its principal office. The Board of Directors shall have 11 authority to fix the time, place and number of meetings of such Board by proper resolutions, 12 regulations and bylaws passed by said Board. Said Board shall cause to be kept complete and 13 accurate accounts conforming to a pproved methods of bookkeeping . Said accounts and all 14 contracts, documents, and records of the District shall be kept at said principal office, and same 15 shall be open to public inspec tion at all reasonable times. 16
S EC

. 7. (a) The Board of Directors shall have all powers, both exp ress and implied, to do 17 and perform any and all acts for any on behalf of the Authority which are authorized by the 18
Constitution and laws of the United States of America and the S tate of Texas for the purpose of 19 the achievement of the plans and purposes intended in the creat ion of the Authority and in the 20 exercise of all powers elsewhere herein granted to the Authorit y; and said Board of Directors 21 shall have full and complete authority to do any and all acts n ecessary or convenient to the 22 exercise of the powers, privileges, and functions conferred upo n said Authority and its Board of 23 Directors by this Act or any other Act or law. 24 (b) The Board of Directors is hereby authorized and directed to make or cause to be 25 made surveys and engineering inv estigations for the information of the Authority and to 26 determine the plans necessary to the accomplishment of the purp oses for which the Authority is 27 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 9 of 407

20-20447.1755 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 25 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 9 created, and may employ engineers, attorneys, and all other tec hnical and non-technical assistants 1 or employees and fix and provide the amount and manner of their compensation for the making of 2 such surveys, the preparation of plans, and the collection of d ata essential to the determination of 3 the character, extent, and cost of all improvements essential i n the exercise of any power granted 4 herein or in any other law applicable to the Authority, and for expenditures found essential in the 5 maintenance and administration of the Authority. The members o f the Board of Directors shall 6 receive a per diem of not more than Twenty-five ($25.00) Dollar s per day for the period served, 7 together with traveling and other necessary expenses. Any dire ctor may perform any service 8 required by the Board, but in such case may not receive the per diem and other compensation at 9
the same time. 10 (c) All bonds issued by the Authority shall be and are hereby declared to be legal and 11 authorized investments for banks, savings banks, trust companie s, building and loan associations, 12 insurance companies, fiduciaries and trustees, and for any sink ing funds of cities, towns, villages, 13 counties, school districts and ot her political corporations and subdivisions of the State of Texas. 14 Such bonds shall be eligible to secure the deposit of any and a ll public funds of th e State of Texas 15 and any and all public funds o f cities, towns, villages, counti es, school districts and other political 16 corporations or sub-divisions of the State of Texas, and such b onds shall be lawful and sufficient 17 security for said deposits at their market value when accompani ed by all unmatured coupons 18 appurtenant thereto. 19 (d) Money in any fund of the Authority or any fund established by the Board of 20 Directors in connection with the authorization of its bonds, in cluding but not limited to proceeds 21 from the sale of bonds, and which funds are not needed to satis fy their particular purpose for any 22 period of time may be invested or reinvested from time to time in direct obligations of or 23 obligations the principal and interest of which are guaranteed by the United States of America or 24 invested in direct obligations of or participation certificates guaranteed by the Federal 25 Intermediate Credit Banks, Fede ral Land Banks, Federal National Mortgage Association, Federal 26 Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives, and in certificates of deposit of any bank or trust 27 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 10 of 407

20-20447.1756 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 26 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 10 company the deposits of which are fully secured by a pledge of securities of any of the kind 1 hereinabove specified. The type and maturity of investments ma de hereunder shall be determined 2 by the Board which, in the case of funds established in connect ion with the authorization of 3 bonds, shall provide appropriate recitals with regard thereto i n the resolutions relating to the 4 issuance of such bonds. Income and profits on such investments shall be applied as provided in 5 any such resolution, and, absent such provision, shall be appli ed to the uses hereinabove specified 6 for bond proceeds. 7
S EC

. 8. For the purpose of providing funds requisite to procure nec essary engineering 8 surveys, the collection and compilation of data respecting regi onal and general conditions 9 entering into and influencing the character and extent of the i mprovements necessary to the 10 storage, control, conservation, and equitable distribution, to the greatest public advantage of such 11 flood waters when stored and controlled, it is hereby provided that any county lying in whole or 12 in part within the area of the temporary District, as herein de fined, may contribute to the funds 13 from year to year for such engineering surveys and the compilat ion of data essential to the 14 progress of flood control improvement in such amount as may be deemed an equitable part of the 15 cost of such surveys and the compilation of necessary informati on in the estimated relations of 16 such expenditures to the contemplated and probable benefit to b e secured to the respective 17 counties from the accomplishment of the plans and purposes of t he creation of the District, and 18 for the provision of such fund may make the necessary collectio ns through their respective 19 general funds, or may appropriate the amount of the estimated e quitable contribution of such 20 costs, of developing essential engineering data from their gene ral fund. 21
S EC

. 8c. (a) The Board of Directors of the Authority may adopt and enforce rules to: 22 (1) preserve and protect the sanita ry condition and prevent was te or unauthorized use 23
of water owned or contro lled by the Authority; 24 (2) preserve, protect, secure, and regulate privileges on any Authority property; and 25 (3) ensure the public safety on , in, under, across, or within a ny Authority property. 26 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 11 of 407

20-20447.1757 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 27 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 11 (b) A rule adopted under this section must clearly define any c onduct that constitutes 1 an offense and plainly state the punishment for the offense. I n adopting a rule under this section, 2 the Board must prescribe a punishment that is proportionate to the seriousness of the offense. 3 The Board may designate an offe nse only as a Class C misdemeano r. 4 (c) A rule adopted under this section does not take effect unti l the Authority has 5 published once a week for two con secutive weeks a substantive s tatement of the rule and the 6 penalty for violation of the rule in a newspaper with general c irculation in each county in which 7 the rule is to be effective. The statement must intelligently explain the purpose to be 8 accomplished by or the acts prohibited by the rule. The statem ent must advise the public that 9 violation of the rule will subject the violator to a penalty. The statement must advise the public 10 that the full text of the rule is on file in the principal offi ce of the Authority and that any 11 interested person is entitled to read the full text. The Board may use one statement to satisfy the 12 notice requirements of this section for any number of rules the Board adopts. The Board may 13 amend a rule after the rule is adopted, but must meet the notic e requirements under this 14
subsection. 15 (d) The violation of a rule is not punishable as an offense unl ess the violation occurs 16 after the 30th day on which the notice requirements under this section are met. A rule adopted 17 under this section is effective until repealed, revoked, rescin ded, or amended by official action of 18
the Board. 19 (e) A rule adopted under this section shall be recognized by th e courts of the state and 20 is enforceable by complaint filed in the appropriate court by t he proper prosecuting authority in a 21 jurisdiction in which Authority property is located in the same manner as a penal statute under 22 state law. A penalty provided by a rule under this section is in addition to any other penalty 23 provided by lay. Rules promulgated under the authority of this chapter shall not conflict with any 24 provision of the Parks and Wildlife Code or a rule adopted unde r the authority of the Parks and 25
Wildlife Code. 26 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 12 of 407

20-20447.1758 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 28 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 12 (f) The Board, the commissioners court, and the law enforcement officials in a county 1 in which Authority property is located may enter into a contrac t to provide for the employment, 2 assignment, duties, equipping, or compensation of local law enf orcement personnel to enforce the 3 Board's rules. A contract under this subsection may require th e Authority to pay the 4 commissioners court a specified portion of the cost of providin g the law enforcement personnel. 5 (g) In this section, "Authority property" means any land, easem ent, water, property, 6 equipment, work, or facility owned or controlled, in whole or i n part, by the Authority, including 7 a reservoir, impoundment, lake, canal, channel, conduit, pipe, siphon, dam, dike, levee, 8 embankment, or berm, but excl uding Lake Houston and the San Jac into River below Lake 9 Houston, except for equipment, works or facilities owned by the Authority at or near a dam site. 10
S EC

. 9. The San Jacinto River Conservation and Reclamation District is hereby declared to be a 11 Conservation and Reclamation District, having all and singular, the powers, duties, functions, and 12 to observe procedures in so far as the same may be applicable a nd practicable, to accomplish the 13 purposes of this Act, as is provided by Chapter 25 of the Gener al Laws of the Thirty-ninth 14 Legislature, Regular Session, and the several amendments thereo f; provided however, that the 15 provisions of said Chapter 25, and the subsequent Amendments th ereto, shall not apply to any 16 matter specifically provided fo r herein, or expressly or implie dly excluded, relating to the 17 creation of a district and to the issuance of preliminary bonds to finance the making of 18 investigations upon which to base a plan for improvements and t he levy of a tax therefore. It is 19 however, provided that the District may upon a vote of the qual ified electors issue such 20 preliminary bonds and levy a tax to retire the same, which tax may be in addition to all other 21 taxes hereby authorized; Section 15 of Chapter 280, General and Special Laws of the Forty-first 22 Legislature of Texas, Regular Session, amending said Chapter 25 , General Laws of the Thirty23 ninth Legislature, Regular Session, and Section 6 of Chapter 10 7 of the General and Special Laws 24 of the Fortieth Legislature, First Called Session, amending sai d Chapter 25, shall not control this 25 District, but in lieu thereof it is specifically provided as fo llows: 26 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 13 of 407

20-20447.1759 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 29 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 13 (a) After the completion and a pproval of a plan for the coordi nation of improvements 1 deemed adequate to serve said watershed as a whole, as hereinbe fore provided for, the State 2 Board of Water Engineers and the Reclamation Department of the General Land Office of Texas 3 in authorizing improvements to control the waters of, and, or i n allocating the right to use waters 4
from said San Jacinto River and its tributaries shall substanti ally conform to, and shall effectually 5 preserve the benefits of, the plan formulated by this District, and said District shall have the right 6 to enforce the observance of the same by judicial decree. 7 (b) This District shall have the power to provide and mainta in improvements for the 8 common benefit of said District as a whole, subject only in app ropriate case to the constitutional 9 and statutory provisions concerning a vote by the qualified ele ctors of the District. 10 (c) Especially shall said District have all and singular the powers contained in Section 11 15 of said Chapter 280, General and Special Laws of the Forty-f irst Legislature, relating to 12 improvements peculiar to defined areas within a district. 13 (d) It is however, further provided that if the electors of any defined area within this 14 District desire they may become a water control and improvement district for the purpose of 15 independently providing, operati ng, and maintaining improvement s designed peculiarly to serve 16 such defined area. Such contained defined area may be so const ituted under the applicable 17 provisions of said Chapter 25 of the General Laws of the Regula r Session of the Thirty-ninth 18 Legislature. In like manner any other political subdivision of the State of Texas being in whole or 19 in part in this District may independently provide, maintain, a nd operate works peculiarly 20 designed to benefit such body politic. In either case, however , such works and the operation 21 thereof shall be constructed and operated in such manner as wil l conform to this District plan to 22 the greatest practicable degree. 23 (e) To the extent necessary to enable this District to constr uct, maintain, and operate 24 works beneficial to the District as a whole, or to give the sup ervision, or to perform any service 25 inuring to the benefit of the District as a whole and provide f unds adequate to defray the cost of 26 the administration to this District, it shall have power to lev y and collect taxes, equitably 27 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 14 of 407

20-20447.1760 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 30 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 14 distributed, which taxes shall be in addition to other taxes th at may lawfully be levied by the State 1 and other political subdivisions thereof. 2 (f) This Legislature finds and declares that the recurrent, d evastating floods in the 3 valley of the San Jacinto River, which have, over a long period of years, caused a deplorable loss 4 of life and property, and the erosion of soil, and a depletion of the fertility of the lands in said 5 valley and watershed served by the San Jacinto River in Texas, and the public highways and 6 structures on land belonging to the State of Texas situated wit hin said watershed, to be a public 7 calamity, and the San Jacinto River Conservation and Reclamatio n District is hereby authorized 8 to do any and all things necessar y or suitable for the preventi on of such public calamity. 9
S EC

. 10. The San Jacinto River Conservation and Reclamation Distric t shall not be 10 authorized to issue bonds nor to incur any form of continuing o bligations or indebtedness for 11 purposes of effecting improvements comprehended in the plan of organization and administration 12 of the District, nor incur any indebtedness in the form of a co ntinuing charge upon land or 13 properties within the District, unless such proposition shall h ave been submitted to the qualified 14 property taxpaying voters of the District, or, in appropriate c ase, such voters of a defined area or 15 political subdivision within the D istrict, and approved by a ma jority of such electors voting 16
thereon. 17
S EC . 10a. The Board of Directors of the San Jacinto River Conserv ation and 18 Reclamation District, a State Agency, shall have full authority to negotiate and deal and/or 19 contract with the United States of America or with any of its g overnmental agencies now in 20 existence or that may hereafter come into existence and/or othe rs for grants, and/or loans and/or 21 allotments and is hereby granted the right and power to receive and accept grants and/or loans 22
and/or allotments from the United States of America and/or othe rs for the purpose of making 23 investigations and assembling data and/or for any one or more p urposes set forth in this Act 24 and/or the Act creating the San Jacinto Conservation and Reclam ation District and to receive and 25 use said moneys for the purpose mentioned in said Acts. 26 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 15 of 407

20-20447.1761 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 31 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 15 S EC . 10b. The Authority shall have the authority and is hereby au thorized to issue from 1 time to time its negotiable reve nue bonds for the purpose of ma king investigations and 2 assembling data; for the purpose or purposes of purchasing, acq uiring, and/or condemning lands, 3 leases, easements, rights-of-way and other properties; and for the purpose of constructing, 4 repairing, improving and extending any structures, dams, reserv oirs, transmission facilities, water 5 treatment, water supply, sewage and other waste gathering, tran smission, treatment and disposal 6 facilities, for developing park and recreation facilities; and for the purposes of acquiring, 7 constructing, improving, repairing and extending any other prop erties and facilities deemed 8 appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Authority in the e xercise of powers granted the 9 Authority in Section 3 or elsewhere in this Act. Any one or mo re or a combination of the 10 foregoing purposes may be combined into a single issue of bonds . Such bonds shall be issued in 11 accordance with, and may be secure d by and payable from any or all the revenues of the 12 Authority permitted by, Section 10c hereof, including, but not limited to, the proceeds of any one 13 or more contracts between the Authority and any persons, firms, corporations, cities and political 14
subdivisions. 15 If and when the Legislature remits the ad valorem tax in the co unties for a certain period 16 of years, the Directors may in their discretion if necessary wi th the approval of the 17 Commissioners Court of the county in the watershed use part or all of the taxes remitted to said 18 counties for the purpose of paying back to the United States of America or any of its agencies or 19 others the money borrowed by the Authority for the purpose here in mentioned. 20
S EC . 10c. The bonds issued by the auth ority of this Act may eithe r be (1) sold for cash, at 21 public or private sale, at such price or prices as the Board of Directors shall determine, not to be 22 for less than par and accrued interest, provided that the inter est cost of the money received 23 therefore, computed to maturity in accordance with the standard bonds tables in general use by 24 banks and insurance companies, shall not exceed five (5) per ce nt per annum, or (2) may be 25
issued on such terms as the Board of Directors shall deem neces sary or convenient for any 26 corporate purpose, or (3) may be issued to refund any bonds iss ued at any time under authority of 27 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 16 of 407

20-20447.1762 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 32 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 16 this Act. All such bonds shall be authorized by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors 1 concurred in by a majority of the members of the Board, and sha ll bear such date or dates, made 2 at such time or times, bear interest at such rate or rates (not exceeding five (5) per cent per 3 annum) payable annually or semia nnually, that such denomination s be in such form, either 4 coupon or registered, carrying such registered privileges as to principal only or as to both 5 principal and interest, and as to exchange of coupon bonds for registered bonds or vice versa, in 6 exchange of bonds of one denomination for bonds of other denomi nations, be executed in such 7 manner and be payable at such place or places within or without the State of Texas, as such 8 resolution or resolutions may provide. Any resolution or resol utions authorizing any bonds may 9 contain provisions, which shall be part of the contract between the directors and the bondholders 10
thereof from time to time. 11 (a) Reserving the right to redeem such bonds at such time or times, in such amounts 12 and at such prices not exceeding one hundred and two (102) per cent of the principal amount 13 thereof, plus accrued interest, as may be provided; 14 (b) Providing for the setting aside of sinking funds or reser ve funds and the regulation 15 and disposition thereof; 16 (c) Pledging to secure the payment of the principal and inter est on such bonds and the 17 sinking fund or reserve fund payments agreed to be made in resp ect to such bonds all or any parts 18 of the moneys that may be donated and/or granted herein by the State of Texas and all or any part 19 of the gross or net revenues hereafter received by the district in respect of the property, real, 20 personal, or mixed, to be acquire d and/or constructed with such bonds or with proceeds thereof, 21 or all or any part of the gross or net revenues thereafter rece ived by the District from whatsoever 22 source derived; 23 (d) Prescribing the purposes to which such bonds or any bonds thereafter to be issued 24 or the proceeds thereof, may be applied; 25 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 17 of 407

20-20447.1763 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 33 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 17 (e) Agreeing to fix and collect rates and charges sufficient t o produce revenues 1 together with the moneys that ma y be granted and/or donated by the State of Texas adequate to 2 pay the items specified herein , and prescribing the use and dis position of all revenues; 3 (f) Prescribing limitations upon the issuance of additional bo nds and upon all 4 agreements which may be made with the purchaser and successive bondholders; 5 (g) With regard to the construction, extension, improvement, o peration, maintenance, 6 depreciation, replacement, and betterments of the properties of the District and carrying of 7 insurance upon all or any part of said property covering loss o r damage or loss of use and 8 occupance resulting from specified risks; 9 (h) Fixing the procedure, if any, by which, if the District sh all so desire, the terms of 10 any contract with bondholders of such bonds may be amended or a brogated, the amount of bonds 11 the holders of such must consent thereto, and the manner in whi ch such consent shall be 12 evidenced, for the execution and delivery by the district to th e bank or trust company authorized 13 by law to accept such trust, or to the United States of America or any office or agency thereof, of 14 indentures or agreements therein authorized to be made with all for the benefit of the holders of 15 such bonds and such other provisions as may be contained in suc h indentures or agreements; and 16 (i) Such other provisions not inconsistent with provisions of this Act as the Board may 17

approve. 18 Any such resolution and any indenture or agreement entered int o pursuant thereto may 19 provide that in the event that, 20 (1a) Defaults may be made in the payment of the interest on an y or all bonds when and 21
as the same shall become due and payable, or 22 (1b) Defaults shall be made in payment of the principal of any or all bonds when and as 23 the same shall become due and payable whether at maturity there of, by call for redemption or 24 otherwise, or 25 (1c) Defaults shall be made in the performance in agreement ma de with purchasers or 26 successive holders of any bonds, and such defaults shall have c ontinued for such p eriod, if any, as 27 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 18 of 407

20-20447.1764 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 34 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 18 may be prescribed by said resolu tion in respect thereof, the tr ustee under the indenture or 1 indentures entered into in respect of the bonds authorized, and by, or, if there shall be in such 2 indenture, a trustee appointed in the manner provided in such r esolution or resolutions by the 3 bondholders of twenty-five (25) per cent aggregate principal am ount of the bonds authorized 4 hereby and at the time outstanding may, and upon the written re quest of the holders of twenty5 five (25) percent in aggregate principal amount of the bonds au thorized by such resolution or 6 resolutions at the time outstanding, shall, in his or its own n ame, be for the equal and 7 proportionate benefit of the holde rs of all such bonds; and wit h or without having possession 8
thereof for the holders of all such bonds: 9 (1) By mandamus or suit, action or proceeding at law or in equ ity, enforce all rights of 10 the holders of such bonds, 11 (2) Bring suit upon such bonds and/or appurtenant coupons, 12 (3) By action or suit in equity requiring the Directors to act as if they were the trustees 13 of an express trust fo r the bondholders, 14 (4) By action or suit in equity enjoin any act or things which may be unlawful or in 15 violation of the rights of the holders of such bonds, and/or 16 (5) After such notice of the Directors as such resolution may provide, declare the 17 principal of all such bonds due and payable and if all defaults shall be made good, then with the 18 written consent of the holders of twenty-five (25) per cent agg regate principal amount of such 19 bonds at the time outstanding, annul such declaration and its c onsequent; provided, however, that 20 the bondholders of more than the majority and principal amounts of bonds authorized thereby and 21 at the time outstanding shall by instrument or instruments in w riting delivered to such trustee, 22 have the right to direct and control any and all actions taken or to be taken by such trustee under 23 this paragraph. Such resolution, indenture or agreement may pr ovide that in any such suit, action 24 or proceeding, any such trustee, whether or not all of such bon ds shall have been declared due 25 and payable, and with or without possession of any thereof, sha ll be entitled as of right to the 26 appointment of a receiver who may enter and take possession of all or any part of the properties 27 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 19 of 407

20-20447.1765 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 35 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 19 of the District, and operate and maintain the same, and fix, co llect and receive rates and charges 1 that together with the moneys that may be granted and/or donate d by the State of Texas will be 2 sufficient to provide revenues adequate to pay the items set fo rth herein, and cost and 3 disbursements of such suit, ac tion or proceeding, and to apply such revenue in conformity with 4 the provisions of this Act and the resolution or resolutions au thorizing such bonds. In any suit, 5 action or proceeding by any such trustee or receivers, if any, counsel fees and expenses of such 6 trustee and of receiver or receivers, if any, shall constitute taxable disbursement s and all costs and 7 disbursements allowed by the Court shall be a fixed charge upon any revenue pledged to secure 8 the payment of such bonds. In addition to the powers hereinabo ve specifically provided for, each 9 trustee shall have possess all powers necessary or appropriate for the exercise of any thereof, or 10 incident to the general represen tation of the bondholders in en forcement of their rights. 11 Before any bonds shall be sold by the District, a certified co py of the proceedings for the 12 issuance thereof, including the te rm of such bonds, together wi th any other information which the 13 Attorney General of the State of Texas may require, shall be su bmitted to the Attorney General, 14
and if he shall find that suc h bonds have been issued in accord ance with law, and he shall approve 15 such bonds, he shall execute a certificate to that effect which shall be filed in the office of the 16 Comptroller of the State of Texas and be recorded in a record k ept for that purpose. No bonds 17
shall be issued until the same sh all have been registered by th e Comptroller who shall so register 18 the same if the Attorney General shall have filed with the Comp troller his certificate approving 19 the bonds and the proceedings for the issuance thereof as herei nabove provided. 20 All bonds approved by the Attorney General as aforesaid, and r egistered by the 21 Comptroller as aforesaid, and issued in accordance with proceed ings so approved shall be valid 22 and binding obligations of the District and shall be incontesta ble for any cause from and after the 23 time of such registration. 24
S EC . 10d. The Authority shall be authorized to enter into oil and gas leases with respect 25 to its properties upon such terms as the Board of Directors may consider appropriate in the 26 production of revenues to the Authority. The Authority shall b e additionally authorized to sell or 27 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 20 of 407

20-20447.1766 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 36 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 20 otherwise dispose of its properties if its Board of Directors s hall have first determined that the 1 property or interest to be disposed of is not necessary to the business of the Authority and shall 2 have approved the terms of any s uch sale. All property of the Authority, however, shall be at all 3 times exempted from forced sale under any judgment, suite or pr oceeding of any nature or kind. 4
S EC . 10e. The District shall have t he power and is hereby authori zed to acquire by 5 purchase, lease, gift, or in any o ther manner (otherwise than b y condemnation) and to maintain, 6 use and operate any and all property of any kind, real, persona l, or mixed, or any interest therein, 7 within or without the boundaries of the District necessary or c onvenient to the exercise of the 8 powers, rights, privileges, and functions conferred upon it by this Act. 9
The District shall have the power and right of eminent domain for the purpose of 10 acquiring by condemnation any and all property of any kind, rea l, personal, or mixed, or any 11 interest therein, within or without the boundaries of the Distr ict (other than such property of or 12 any interest therein without the boundaries of the District as may at the time be owned by any 13 body politic) necessary or convenient to the exercise of the po wers, rights, privileges, and 14 functions conferred upon it by this Act in the manner provided by General Law with respect to 15 condemnation, or at the option of the District, in the manner p rovided by Statutes relative to 16 condemnation by Districts organized under General Law pursuant to Section 59 of Article 16 of 17
the Constitution of the State of Texas. 18 In condemnation proceedings, being prosecuted by said District s, the District shall not be 19 required to give bond for appeal or bond for costs. 20 That if in the exercise of the power of eminent domain, the re location or change of grade 21 of any railroad facilities are required, the same shall be acco mplished under the provisions of 22 Article 7880-123a, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925. 23 The District shall have the power and authority to overflow, and inundate any public 24 lands and public property and to r equire the relocation of road s and highways in the manner and 25 to the extend permitted to Districts organized under General La w pursuant to Section 59 of 26
Article 16 of Constitution of the State of Texas 27 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 21 of 407

20-20447.1767 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 37 Date Filed: 08/03/2021Current Through: Acts 1937, 45th R.S., ch. 426

Acts 1939, 46th R.S., ch. 10 Acts 1941, 47th R.S., ch. 480 & 613 Acts 1943, 48th R.S., ch. 371 Acts 1951, 52nd R.S., ch. 366 & 367 Acts 1967, 60th R.S., ch. 547 Acts 1991, 72nd R.S., ch. 698 Acts 2003, 78th R.S., ch. 847 Acts 2015, 84th R.S., ch. 1148

legislation-chronological redline (2018).doc 21 S EC . 10f. The Board of Directors shall have authority to make all necessary rules and 1 regulations for the government a nd control of the District not inconsistent with the Constitution 2
and Laws of the State of Texas. 3
S EC . 12. In the prosecution of the plans for which the District h as been created for the 4 storing, controlling, conserving, and distributing to useful pu rposes the storm and flood waters of 5 the San Jacinto River watershed, the District shall be recogniz ed to have the right to make use of 6
the bed and banks of the San Jaci nto River and of its tributary streams for any and all purposes 7 necessary to the accomplishments o f the plans of the District. 8
S EC . 13. Nothing in this Act, as am ended, shall be construed to v iolate an provision of 9 the Federal or State Constitution, and all acts done under this Act shall be in such manner as will 10 confirm thereto, whether expressly provided or not. Where any procedure hereunder may be held 11 by any court to be violative of either of such Constitutions, t he Authority shall have the power by 12 resolution to provide an alternative procedure conformable with such Constitutions. If any 13 provision of this Act should be invalid, such fact shall not af fect the validity of any other 14 provisions of this Act, and the Legislature hereby declares tha t it would have enacted the valid 15 provisions of the Act notwithstanding the invalidity of any oth er provision or provisions hereof. 16
S EC

. 14. [OMITTED]. 17 

### Case 4:19-cv-04508 Document 16-1 Filed on 02/03/20 in TXSD Page 22 of 407

20-20447.1768 

### Case: 20-20447 Document: 00515964322 Page: 38 Date Filed: 08/03/2021