2025 · Regular session · Senate bill
SB971
SB971 removes one competing version of “rural political subdivision” from the Texas Water Assistance Program’s definitions.
Official caption: Relating to the definition of a rural political subdivision for purposes of the Texas Water Assistance Program.
Official report lists Senate author(s): Sparks. This does not identify sponsors or amendment drafters.
Bill explanation published · Version and amendment review scope is stated below · Individual amendment records may not be separately annotated.
Bill highlights
Selected points from the published explanation. Follow each point to its source-linked context; conditions and limits may matter.
- SB971 removes one competing version of “rural political subdivision” from the Texas Water Assistance Program’s definitions.
- The significant wording difference concerns one route for municipalities with populations of 10,000 or less.
- The governor signed the bill June 20, 2025, and it took effect immediately.
What does it do?
SB971 removes one competing version of “rural political subdivision” from the Texas Water Assistance Program’s definitions. It repeals only Water Code 15.001(14) as added by 2023 SB469. The parallel definition added by 2023 HB3582 remains. It does not abolish the rural category or repeal the water-assistance program. Exact repeal; 2023 SB469, section 1; 2023 HB3582, section 1.
The significant wording difference concerns one route for municipalities with populations of 10,000 or less. The repealed version said part of the service area was in an urban area of 50,000 or more. The surviving version says no part may be in such an urban area. A separate municipal route remains for a municipality wholly within a county where no urban area exceeds 50,000. Other retained routes cover qualifying water/sewer corporations, districts or authorities, qualifying counties, and specified entities that satisfy the Texas Water Development Board that the entity is rural or the project’s service area is wholly rural. Thus failure of the small-municipality route does not by itself establish ineligibility under every route. Pre-act competing definitions; Definition after repeal.
The governor signed the bill June 20, 2025, and it took effect immediately. The recorded passage votes met the immediate-effect requirement; September 1 was only a fallback. The act does not appropriate money or guarantee a grant or loan. History; Two-section final law.
What changed along the way?
All five bill versions contain the same operative repeal and effective-date clause. The amendment index lists no floor amendments. No broader program repeal or funding increase was added.
For the full amendment record, open the official amendment index.
Official bill versions
Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.
Who could benefit—and who could bear the costs?
The board and applicants have a single definition rather than two inconsistent formulations. A small municipality with urban-area overlap cannot rely on the repealed wording alone, but may still need assessment under another surviving route. Funding remains subject to the relevant program’s requirements and available resources; the bill does not calculate which applicants will receive or lose an award. Surviving definition; Program purposes.
The sole February 26 fiscal note anticipates no significant state or local fiscal impact and assumes costs can be absorbed with existing resources. It supplies no count of affected municipalities or dollar estimate of changed awards.
Official sources
- Bill history and latest recorded action
- Bill versions, analyses and fiscal notes
- Action history and votes
- Amendment index
Catalog report retrieved 2026-10-25. Check the official record for corrections or later changes.
