Relating to the administration by the Texas Water Development Board of the Texas Water Bank and certain funds and accounts.

SB 1629 amends Texas Water Code provisions to expand how the Texas Water Development Board administers the Texas Water Bank and related funds. It authorizes financial assistance to cities and counties for specific water projects, including desalination (marine/brackish water), produced water treatment (excluding oil/gas exploration), aquifer storage, and reservoir projects meeting federal and state permitting requirements. The bill also clarifies that funds can be transferred to state water implementation funds and establishes new mechanisms for the board to operate the water bank, such as maintaining a registry of available water rights and encouraging conservation deposits. These changes directly affect local governments developing water infrastructure and the Texas Water Development Board’s operational authority.