TGWA tracking groundwater, business bills in 89th Texas Legislature

TGWA is tracking proposed state legislation that could impact the groundwater industry and our members, including:

​Senate Joint Resolution 66 and House Joint Resolution 7: These bills propose a constitutional amendment, that if approved by voters, would direct a yearly amount of $1 billion from general revenue to the Texas water fund.

Senate Bill 100: This bill has been referred to the Senate Business & Commerce Committee. The bill proposes amendments to the Texas Occupations Code, specifically regarding the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) licensing of certain out-of-state applicants. The bill also proposes a maximum fee of $100 for out-of-state applicants, which is significantly lower than the fee for Texas applicants in many industries.

SB542: This bill has been referred to the Senate Business & Commerce Committee. It would prohibit property owners’ associations from assessing fines for discolored vegetation or turf during a period of residential watering restriction.

SB616 (Companion to HB1618): This bill passed out of the Senate committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs. According to the Senate Research Center, the bill aims to maintain the current prohibition on waste injection wells in certain areas of the Edwards Aquifer, while allowing TCEQ to approve aquifer storage and recovery injection wells in those areas.

SB624 (Companion to HB1633): This bill has been referred to the Senate Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs Committee. It involves the criteria considered by groundwater conservation districts before granting or denying a permit or permit amendment.

SB768: This bill has been referred to the Senate Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs Committee. It would create a study by the University of Houston and state agencies on the effects of PFAS chemicals on public health, including health impacts of PFAS in groundwater.

SB879 (Companion to HB 1971): This bill builds on recent legislation and state rulemaking by creating an exemption for drillers or operators of closed-loop geothermal injection wells from certain Railroad Commission requirements.

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