Section 12-5-543. Establishment of drought abatement program; rules and regulations

   (a) The board is authorized and directed to establish by rule and regulation for a drought abatement program for the Flint River basin in accordance with this article.

(b) In the performance of its duties, the board shall have and may exercise the power to adopt, promulgate, modify, amend, and repeal rules and regulations to implement and enforce the provisions of this article as the board may deem necessary. The rules and regulations may include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

   (1) Prescribing eligibility requirements for permittees of irrigation systems located in the affected areas to receive payments from the drought protection funds in accordance with Code Section 12-5-546. Such eligibility requirements shall include, without limitation, the following requirements:

      (A) The permittee must have applied to the division for a surface-water or ground-water withdrawal permit prior to December 1, 1999, and must have received a surface-water or ground-water withdrawal permit from the division prior to December 1, 2000; provided, however, that, if the director fails to act on a permit application by December 1, 2000, the time for receipt of a permit shall be extended until such time as the director makes a decision on the application. If the director's decision is to deny the permit and that decision is reversed on appeal, the date of receipt of a permit shall be deemed to be the date of the director's decision; and

      (B) The permittee must have demonstrated, in a manner to be defined by the director, actual previous irrigation by the permitted irrigation system on the same acres of land which the permittee agrees not to irrigate in a given year;

   (2) Establishing documentation requirements for nonuse of an irrigation system pursuant to an agreement entered into pursuant to Code Section 12-5-546 or an order issued by the director in accordance with Code Section 12-5-547;

   (3) Establishing rules and procedures to be followed in connection with the irrigation reduction auction conducted pursuant to subsection (b) of Code Section 12-5-546;

   (4) Establishing rules and procedures to be followed in connection with payments to permittees from the drought protection funds pursuant to Code Section 12-5-547; or

   (5) Establishing rules and procedures for the conduct of meetings and hearings.

(c) Any rules and regulations promulgated by the board shall be submitted by the board to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate for distribution to the members of the General Assembly at the next regular session and shall become effective upon the expiration of that session unless during that session a resolution disapproving such regulations shall have been adopted by both houses.

Code 1981, § 12-5-543, enacted by Ga. L. 2000, p. 458, § 1.