S E N A T E A M E N D M E N T

   AMENDMENT NO. _____

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CREATEDATE \@ "MMMM d, yyyy" \* MERGEFORMAT April 21, 2026

ADOPTED		TABLED	CARRIED OVER	FAILED	RECONSIDERED

Clerk of the Senate

   ADOPTION NO. _____

BILL NO: H.5126  (Reference is to Printer's Date 04/21/26-S.)

04572000 

 Senator BLACKMON proposes the following amendment (AM DATA CENTER WATER USE):

 Amend the bill, as and if amended, Part IB, Section 55, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, page 428, after line 24, by adding an appropriately numbered new proviso to read:

/ (DES: Commercial Data Center Water Use Reporting) (A) With funds appropriated in the current fiscal year to the Department of Environmental Services for Water Management, the department shall require a commercial data center to report to the department, by January thirty-first, the source and monthly volume of surface water, groundwater, or other water utilized during the prior calendar year and the anticipated volume of water to be utilized during the current fiscal year.

 (B) The department shall make these reports publicly available and may audit the reports and any supporting data; provided, however, the department gives at least thirty days' notice prior to commencing an audit. The department may assess a civil penalty of up to ten thousand dollars for each day after January thirty-first that a required report is not filed and may assess a civil penalty of up to ten thousand dollars for any inaccurate, misleading, or false information contained in a report.

 (C) For purposes of the proviso, "data center" is defined as a facility, campus of facilities, or array of interconnected facilities in this State used by a business enterprise to operate, manage, or maintain computers or related systems for the primary purpose of storing, retrieving, or transmitting data, that consumes three million or more gallons of water per month. / 

 Renumber sections to conform.

 Amend sections, totals and title to conform.