HB 1501
Tinderholt Desalination Bill Orders One Study And Expires In 2027
Died in committee
Verdict: Smells
Why it's charged
Study, task force, commission, report
The only duty in the bill is a study and a report due January 1, 2027. Any action on desalination incentives waits for that report.
Study, task force, commission, reportInitial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade
Caption
relating to a study of the feasibility of using seawater desalination processes in Texas.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Look at Israel and Australia, report by January 1, 2027. No plant, no money.
The bill orders the Texas State University Meadows Center for Water and the Environment to study how Texas could encourage building seawater desalination plants on the Gulf Coast. The center must look at plants abroad, including in Israel and Australia, and at ways to dispose of leftover brine, then report to state leaders by January 1, 2027. Nothing changes on the ground: no plant, incentive, rule or money is created, and the Act expires February 1, 2027.
Labels
Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Dec 3, 2024 and referred to the House Natural Resources committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-HB1501 · 2024-12-03
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to a study of the feasibility of using seawater desalination processes in Texas.
WHAT IT DOES
Look at Israel and Australia, report by January 1, 2027. No plant, no money.
The bill orders the Texas State University Meadows Center for Water and the Environment to study how Texas could encourage building seawater desalination plants on the Gulf Coast. The center must look at plants abroad, including in Israel and Australia, and at ways to dispose of leftover brine, then report to state leaders by January 1, 2027. Nothing changes on the ground: no plant, incentive, rule or money is created, and the Act expires February 1, 2027.
CHARGES
[x] STUDY, TASK FORCE, COMMISSION, REPORTanalysis confidence 90%
The only duty in the bill is a study and a report due January 1, 2027. Any action on desalination incentives waits for that report.
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Natural Resources
FILED UNDER
DATA CENTERS, WATER AND THE GRID
THE TEXT
…“creation of seawater desalination plants along the Gulf Coast.”
Bill text, introduced version (I)
The bill studies how the state could incentivize new seawater desalination plants to add water supply on the Gulf Coast.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
Not tied to this bill.
Sources
The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.
Derived itemized flow · Oct 28, 2024 to Jan 12, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$50,000.00
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
$50,000.00
- Cash
- $50,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $50,000.00
Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · on Oct 29, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 100985343.
Texans For Conservative Leadership$35,000.00
Texans For Conservative Leadership
$35,000.00
- Cash
- $35,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $35,000.00
Also funds 5 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Aug 27, 2024 to Mar 31, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · Oct 28, 2024 to Oct 31, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 100985343.
Texans United for Conservative Majority PAC$13,812.00
Texans United for Conservative Majority PAC
$13,812.00
- Cash
- $0.00
- Paid by others
- $13,812.00
- Total
- $13,812.00
Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · on Oct 28, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · on Oct 28, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 100985343.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
$50,000.00
- Cash
- $50,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $50,000.00
Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · on Oct 29, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 100985343.
Texans For Conservative Leadership
$35,000.00
- Cash
- $35,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $35,000.00
Also funds 5 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Aug 27, 2024 to Mar 31, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · Oct 28, 2024 to Oct 31, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 100985343.
Texans United for Conservative Majority PAC
$13,812.00
- Cash
- $0.00
- Paid by others
- $13,812.00
- Total
- $13,812.00
Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · on Oct 28, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · on Oct 28, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.
Report IDs: 100985343.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Fiscal
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
How this was graded
Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.
Sources
Texas House · Filed Dec 3, 2024
03/12/2025 H Referred to Natural Resources: Mar 12 2025 11:15AM
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
House committee · Natural Resources · Final status: Died in committee
Subjects
Coastal Affairs & Beaches
Education--Higher--General
Energy--Nuclear
Environment--Solid Waste
Environment--Water
Interim Studies
Public Lands, Buildings & Resources
Water--Development
Water--General
Water--Rights
DESALINATION
TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Text
The text as introduced · 236 words
89R3930 ANG-D By: Tinderholt H.B. No. 1501 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to a study of the feasibility of using seawater desalination processes in Texas. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. DEFINITION. In this Act, "center" means the Texas State University Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. SECTION 2. STUDY. (a) The center shall conduct a study evaluating the ways in which this state can incentivize the creation of seawater desalination plants along the Gulf Coast. (b) In conducting the study, the center shall: (1) research international desalination plants, including plants located in Israel and Australia, and identify best practices used and potential issues encountered by international desalination plants, including any financial barriers to the development and operation of a desalination plant; and (2) include findings on the most environmentally sensitive and cost-effective methods of disposing of brine concentrate, including the potential for using brine concentrate in the production of nuclear energy. SECTION 3. REPORT. Not later than January 1, 2027, the center shall report the results of the study conducted under this Act to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the standing committees of the senate and the house of representatives that have jurisdiction over natural resources. SECTION 4. EXPIRATION. This Act expires February 1, 2027. SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.