Texas Bills

signed · Texas · House Apr 29, 2025

HB 2626: Relating to creating the Central Texas Water Alliance; providing authority to issue bonds; granting the power of eminent domain; providing authority to impose fees.

HB 2626 creates the Central Texas Water Alliance, a regional water authority designed to manage water resources across Central Texas. It directly affects local governments (like cities and counties) and private entities within the alliance's territory by granting the Alliance three key powers: the authority to issue bonds for water projects, the power of eminent domain to acquire land for infrastructure, and the ability to impose fees for water services. The bill defines "water" broadly to include groundwater, surface water, and treated wastewater, and establishes the Alliance's territory based on sponsor areas and service boundaries. This legislation provides a legal framework for coordinated water management under Texas Constitution Section 59.

signed · Texas · House Apr 28, 2025

HB 5660: Relating to the dissolution of the El Milagro Management District.

HB 5660 dissolves the El Milagro Management District, created by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) on June 13, 2024, by requiring its board to terminate operations within 60 days of the bill's effective date. If the district has outstanding bonded debt, it must remain active solely to repay that debt and wrap up operations using available funds. The bill expires on September 1, 2027, and takes effect immediately if approved by a two-thirds vote in both legislative chambers, or on September 1, 2025, otherwise. This is a procedural bill directly affecting the El Milagro Management District and its financial obligations.

signed · Texas · House Apr 28, 2025

HB 1530: Relating to the Sabine River Authority of Texas, following recommendations of the Sunset Advisory Commission; specifying grounds for the removal of a member of the board of directors.

HB 1530 specifies five clear reasons for removing a member of the Sabine River Authority of Texas board, including failing to maintain required qualifications, violating ethics laws, being unable to serve due to disability, or missing more than half of scheduled meetings without approval. The bill also requires the district manager to notify the board president if removal grounds exist, who then must inform the governor and attorney general. This update follows Sunset Advisory Commission recommendations and modifies existing board governance rules without changing the authority's core water management functions. The bill focuses on board accountability and procedural clarity for the Sabine River Authority, which oversees water resources in East Texas.

signed · Texas · House Apr 28, 2025

HB 1525: Relating to the Lower Neches Valley Authority, following recommendations of the Sunset Advisory Commission; specifying grounds for the removal of a member of the board of directors.

HB 1525 modifies governance rules for the Lower Neches Valley Authority (LNVA), a water management entity serving southeastern Texas. It requires new board members to complete mandatory training before voting or attending meetings, ensures board members maintain required qualifications, and specifies five clear grounds for removal (e.g., missing over half of meetings without approval, violating ethics laws, or failing to meet qualifications). The bill also establishes a Sunset Review process every 12 years starting in 2025, ensuring ongoing oversight without abolishing the authority. These changes directly affect LNVA board members and their accountability.

signed · Texas · House Apr 24, 2025

HB 4286: Relating to the territory of the Angelina and Neches River Authority.

HB 4286 updates the territorial boundaries of the Angelina and Neches River Authority to explicitly include 17 specific East Texas counties: Anderson, Angelina, Cherokee, Henderson, Houston, Jasper, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith, Trinity, and Van Zandt. The bill replaces a prior legal description with a direct list of these counties, clarifying which areas fall under the authority's jurisdiction for water management. It does not alter the authority's functions or create new policies, only formally defining its geographic scope. This procedural change directly affects the 17 counties named and the river authority's administrative boundaries.

signed · Texas · House Apr 24, 2025

HB 5657: Relating to the boundaries of, and validating certain acts and proceedings of, the Driftwood Conservation District.

HB 5657 amends the legal description of the Driftwood Conservation District's boundaries in Hays County, Texas, to align with current property surveys and deeds. It specifically updates the district's boundary lines using detailed metes-and-bounds descriptions referencing prior land transactions (e.g., deeds recorded in Hays County records). The bill validates all prior acts and proceedings of the district that may have been affected by the previous boundary description, ensuring legal clarity for landowners and district operations. This is a procedural adjustment with no new policy or funding impacts.

signed · Texas · Senate Apr 23, 2025

SB 14: Relating to reforming the procedure by which state agencies adopt rules and impose regulatory requirements and the deference given to the interpretation of laws and rules by state agencies in certain judicial proceedings.

SB 14, titled the Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act, creates the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office within the governor's office to streamline how state agencies develop and review regulations. The office will help agencies identify unnecessary rules, reduce costs for businesses and individuals, and establish a public online portal for searching regulatory information. This bill directly affects state agencies that create regulations and the public who interact with those regulations. The new office will operate until 2037 unless extended under the Sunset Act, with its work focused on improving regulatory efficiency and transparency.

signed · Texas · Senate Apr 23, 2025

SB 3032: Relating to the name and powers of the Sabine Pass Port Authority; altering the terms of the authority's port commission; altering the authority to issue bonds.

SB 3032 updates the legal name and governance structure of the Sabine Pass Port Authority in Texas law. It changes the official name to "Port of Sabine Pass" throughout state code, standardizes terminology, and alters the commission's election process by extending commissioner terms from two to four years with staggered elections (two commissioners elected in even-numbered years, three in odd-numbered years). The bill directly affects the Port Authority's governing commission members and their election schedule, streamlining administrative language and term structure without creating new powers or financial obligations. These changes align the authority's legal framework with its operational identity.

signed · Texas · House Apr 22, 2025

HB 5005: Relating to the election of the board of directors of the San Jacinto River Authority.

HB 5005 changes how the San Jacinto River Authority's board of directors is elected. It replaces the previous system where the governor appointed directors with a system requiring all seven board members to be elected directly by voters in the district. The bill also specifies that four of these members must be residents of counties fully within the district, while all directors must remain freehold property taxpayers and legal voters in Texas. This procedural change affects the election process for the board, which governs water management services in the San Jacinto River Authority's area.

signed · Texas · House Apr 22, 2025

HB 5004: Relating to approval by voters prior to the issuance of revenue bonds by the San Jacinto River Authority.

HB 5004 requires the San Jacinto River Authority to obtain voter approval before issuing revenue bonds for water infrastructure projects. The bill amends existing law to mandate that bond issuances - used for facilities like reservoirs, water treatment plants, and flood control systems - must be approved by a majority of voters in the affected area. This applies specifically to revenue bonds (paid from project revenues, not property taxes), replacing previous requirements that allowed some bond issuances without direct voter input. The change affects the Authority’s ability to fund water-related projects and directly involves local voters in financing decisions.

signed · Texas · House Apr 22, 2025

HB 5375: Relating to creating the Northern Cameron and Willacy County Water Authority; providing authority to issue bonds; granting the power of eminent domain; providing authority to impose fees.

HB 5375 creates the Northern Cameron and Willacy County Water Authority to manage water infrastructure in those counties. The authority would have the power to issue bonds for financing water projects, use eminent domain to acquire land for water systems, and set fees for water services. This bill directly affects residents and businesses in Northern Cameron and Willacy Counties by establishing a dedicated entity for water management. Key provisions provide concrete legal tools to develop and maintain water infrastructure through bonding, land acquisition, and fee structures.

signed · Texas · Senate Apr 22, 2025

SB 2694: Relating to the operation and dissolution of the Lubbock Reese Redevelopment Authority and to agreements between Texas Tech University and the authority.

SB 2694 updates rules for the Lubbock Reese Redevelopment Authority, which manages property formerly known as Reese Air Force Base. It requires the authority to collaborate with Texas Tech University on national security research and defines "critical infrastructure" and "national security-related technology" for tax and operational purposes. The bill specifies that property used for such research is presumed to be in interstate commerce for tax purposes under Texas law. This directly affects the authority, Texas Tech University, and businesses operating on the property related to national security projects.

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