Monitoring the Session

HB 2505

bill drops “in writing” from city utility takeover notice

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Mark DorazioRHouse 122

Initial 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 the notification provided by a municipality to a retail public utility of the municipality's intent to provide water or sewer service in an incorporated or annexed area.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Cities still notify the utility. Just not necessarily “in writing.”

The bill drops the rule that a city must notify a private or other water or sewer utility "in writing" when it plans to take over service in an area it has incorporated or annexed. It also lets the city send the utility a copy of its takeover application to the state utility commission by e-mail, in addition to certified mail or hand delivery. Cities and the existing water and sewer utilities in newly annexed areas are affected: the 180-day negotiation clock can start without a written notice, and the application copy can arrive by e-mail, for cases starting on or after September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Feb 5, 2025 and referred to the House Natural Resources committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2505 · 2025-02-05

SOLD BY

Rep. Mark DorazioRHouse 122

ITEM

relating to the notification provided by a municipality to a retail public utility of the municipality's intent to provide water or sewer service in an incorporated or annexed area.

WHAT IT DOES

Cities still notify the utility. Just not necessarily “in writing.”

The bill drops the rule that a city must notify a private or other water or sewer utility "in writing" when it plans to take over service in an area it has incorporated or annexed. It also lets the city send the utility a copy of its takeover application to the state utility commission by e-mail, in addition to certified mail or hand delivery. Cities and the existing water and sewer utilities in newly annexed areas are affected: the 180-day negotiation clock can start without a written notice, and the application copy can arrive by e-mail, for cases starting on or after September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Natural Resources
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Mark Dorazio

Donors

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$381KTexans for Truth and Liberty PAC$211KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$160K

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 Oct 24, 2026. 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.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$381,050.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$381,050.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$281,050.00
Total
$381,050.00
canvassing $239,000.00advertising $25,000.00polling $17,050.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 14, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. 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: 101069938, 101072345.

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$211,000.00

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$211,000.00

Cash
$205,000.00
Paid by others
$6,000.00
Total
$211,000.00
polling $6,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 25, 2025 to Oct 6, 2026. 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: 101007777, 101036063, 101041570, 101069938, 101072345.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$160,036.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$160,036.00

Cash
$125,000.00
Paid by others
$35,036.00
Total
$160,036.00
mail $35,036.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Sep 24, 2026. 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: 101007777, 101036063, 101041570, 101061158, 101069938.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$381,050.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$281,050.00
Total
$381,050.00
canvassing $239,000.00advertising $25,000.00polling $17,050.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 14, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. 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: 101069938, 101072345.

×

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$211,000.00

Cash
$205,000.00
Paid by others
$6,000.00
Total
$211,000.00
polling $6,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 25, 2025 to Oct 6, 2026. 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: 101007777, 101036063, 101041570, 101069938, 101072345.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$160,036.00

Cash
$125,000.00
Paid by others
$35,036.00
Total
$160,036.00
mail $35,036.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Sep 24, 2026. 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: 101007777, 101036063, 101041570, 101061158, 101069938.

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 Feb 5, 2025

03/17/2025 H Referred to Natural Resources: Mar 17 2025 2:32PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Natural Resources · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

City Government--Utilities

Utilities--Water & Sewer

EMAIL & ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

Text

The text as introduced · 327 words

89R5269 SCR-D

By: Dorazio
H.B. No. 2505

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the notification provided by a municipality to a retail

public utility of the municipality's intent to provide water or

sewer service in an incorporated or annexed area.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 13.255(b) and (b-1), Water Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(b) If an agreement is not executed within 180 days after

the municipality[ , in writing, ] notifies the retail public utility

of its intent to provide service to the incorporated or annexed

area, and if the municipality desires and intends to provide retail

utility service to the area, the municipality, prior to providing

service to the area, shall file an application with the utility

commission to grant single certification to the municipally owned

water or sewer utility or to a franchised utility. If an

application for single certification is filed, the utility

commission shall fix a time and place for a hearing and give notice

of the hearing to the municipality and franchised utility, if any,

and notice of the application and hearing to the retail public

utility.

(b-1) On the day a municipality submits an application for

single certification to the utility commission under this section,

the municipality shall send, via certified mail , [ or ] hand

delivery, or e-mail, a copy of the application to the retail public

utility.

SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

a proceeding affecting a certificate of public convenience and

necessity that commences on or after the effective date of this Act.

A proceeding affecting a certificate of public convenience and

necessity that commenced before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law in effect on the date the proceeding is

commenced, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

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