By: Johnson S.B. No. 1624

(In the Senate - Filed February 25, 2025; March 10, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs; April 14, 2025, reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; April 14, 2025, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1624 By: Perry

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the purposes for which the Texas Water Bank and the Texas Water Trust may accept and hold water rights.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 15.703(a), Water Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) The board may take all actions necessary to operate the water bank and to facilitate the transfer of water rights from the water bank for future beneficial use including but not limited to:

(1) negotiating a sale price and terms acceptable to the depositor and purchaser;

(2) maintaining a registry of water bank deposits and those water users in need of additional supplies;

(3) informing water users in need of additional supply of water rights available in the bank;

(4) encouraging water right holders to implement water conservation practices and deposit the right to use the conserved water into the bank;

(5) establishing requirements for deposit of a water right into the water bank including minimum terms for deposit;

(6) purchasing, holding, and transferring water or water rights in its own name;

(7) establishing regional water banks;

(8) acting as a clearinghouse for water marketing information including water availability, pricing of water transactions, environmental considerations, and potential buyers and sellers of water rights;

(9) preparing and publishing a manual on structuring water transactions;

(10) accepting and holding donations of water rights to meet conservation needs or environmental needs, including instream flow, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, or bay and estuary inflow needs;

(11) entering into contracts with persons to pay for feasibility studies or the preparation of plans and specifications relating to water conservation efforts or to estimate the amount of water that would be saved through conservation efforts; and

(12) other actions to facilitate water transactions.

SECTION 2. Section 15.7031(a), Water Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) The Texas Water Trust is established within the water bank to hold water rights dedicated to conservation needs or environmental needs, including instream flow [flows], water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, or bay and estuary inflow needs [inflows].

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

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