HB 1523 Texas House · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to a temporary prohibition on the authorization by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality of the use of a Class V injection well for certain aquifer storage and recovery projects.

HB 1523 temporarily prohibits the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality from authorizing Class V injection wells for aquifer storage projects in specific areas. It directly affects municipally-owned water utilities serving cities with populations of 750,000 or more located in counties adjacent to groundwater conservation districts that have certified environmental risks from such wells. The prohibition applies only where a groundwater district has adopted a resolution identifying Class V wells as posing aquifer risks, and it expires December 31, 2027. This bill creates a time-limited regulatory restriction on water storage projects under defined conditions.

Issues: ✓ Environment

Bill status passed 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

May 2025

House Passage

May 2025

Senate Passage

May 2025

Governor

Introduced Mar 12, 2025 Last action May 28, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Engrossed · 7 edits · May 28, 2025

MODERATE

This bill adds new restrictions on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's ability to authorize certain Class V injection wells used for aquifer storage and recovery projects. The changes primarily add new requirements for monitoring, public meetings, and water balance conditions while clarifying eligibility criteria for affected municipalities and counties.

Scope change

The bill expands regulatory requirements for Class V injection wells in specific geographic areas (counties with 70,000-100,000 population containing Colorado River portions, adjacent to counties with 1 million+ population) and for projects serving large municipalities (750,000+ population).

REQUIREMENT

New requirement that projects must withdraw no more water than is injected into the aquifer

New requirement for projects to establish monitoring wells

New requirement for water quality testing in accordance with existing Section 27.156

New requirement that monitoring and water quality data be provided to the groundwater conservation district

New requirement for the commission to hold a public meeting in the county where the injection well is proposed

ELIGIBILITY

Updated eligibility criteria for affected counties and municipalities with clearer population thresholds and geographic descriptions

ENFORCEMENT

New provision stating the commission cannot authorize use if required terms from Subsection (b) are not included

Floor votes · Senate May 28, 2025 · House May 12, 2025

How they voted

21–9

Passed

Total votes 30

May 28, 2025

D Democratic10

1 Yea 9 Nay

90% Nay

R Republican20

20 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 28, 2025

Amended

Amendment fails of adoption

upper

May 28, 2025

Introduced

Amendment(s) offered

upper

May 28, 2025

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (21-9)

senate

May 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee report printed and distributed

upper

May 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably as substituted

upper

May 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

Vote taken in committee

upper

May 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

Testimony taken in committee

upper

May 15, 2025

Committee

Referred to Water, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs

upper

May 15, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

upper

May 14, 2025

Introduced

Received from the House

upper

May 13, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed

lower

May 12, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed to engrossment as amended

lower

May 12, 2025

Lower · Passed

Amended

lower

May 12, 2025

House · Passed

House Vote: pass (110-25-9)

house

May 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report sent to Calendars

lower

May 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report distributed

lower

Apr 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably as substituted

lower

Apr 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

Left pending in committee

lower

Apr 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee

lower

Mar 12, 2025

Committee

Referred to Natural Resources

lower

Mar 12, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

lower

2 primary · 2 co-sponsors