HB 2561

bill makes MUD boards meet inside their own district

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

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 meeting place of the board of a municipal utility district.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The meeting place has to be inside the district’s boundaries.

The bill requires the board of every municipal utility district to pick one or more meeting places inside the district's own boundaries. A board may meet outside the district only if it finds no suitable place inside, picks a spot as close as practicable, stays inside the city when the district sits wholly within one, and files a justification with the state commission while publishing newspaper notice. Residents of these utility districts get meetings closer to home and written notice when the board meets elsewhere, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House Land & Resource Management committee on Apr 10, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2561 · 2025-02-07

SOLD BY

Rep. Katrina PiersonRHouse 33

Rep. Shelley LutherRHouse 62

Rep. Gary GatesRHouse 28

+ 7 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the meeting place of the board of a municipal utility district.

WHAT IT DOES

The meeting place has to be inside the district’s boundaries.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 7, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Feb 7, 2025Filed
Mar 17, 2025Read first time
Mar 17, 2025Referred to Land & Resource Management
Apr 10, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 10, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 10, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Apr 10, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 10, 2025Left pending in committee

FILED UNDER

DEBT AND SPECIAL DISTRICTS

THE TEXT

“The board shall designate one or more places inside the district for conducting meetings of the board.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill sets a new rule for where municipal utility district boards must hold their meetings, pulling them back inside the districts they govern.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Katrina Pierson

Donors

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$90K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$33K Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$30K

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 · Jul 6, 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.

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$90,000.00

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$90,000.00

Cash: $90,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $90,000.00

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 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: 101006727, 101058404, 101071824.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$32,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$32,500.00

Cash: $32,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $32,500.00

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 · Sep 23, 2024 to Oct 13, 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: 100983941, 101006727, 101028341, 101058404, 101071824.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$30,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$30,000.00

Cash: $30,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $30,000.00

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.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 29, 2024 to Sep 7, 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: 100983941, 101068368.

Money

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

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$90,000.00

Cash: $90,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $90,000.00

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 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: 101006727, 101058404, 101071824.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$32,500.00

Cash: $32,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $32,500.00

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 · Sep 23, 2024 to Oct 13, 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: 100983941, 101006727, 101028341, 101058404, 101071824.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$30,000.00

Cash: $30,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $30,000.00

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.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 29, 2024 to Sep 7, 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: 100983941, 101068368.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 7, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

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 7, 2025

04/10/2025 H Left pending in committee

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

Coauthors

Nicole CollierDHouse 95

Charles CunninghamRHouse 127

Mark DorazioRHouse 122

Andy HopperRHouse 64

Mike OlcottRHouse 60

Keresa RichardsonRHouse 61

Wes VirdellRHouse 53

House committee · Land & Resource Management · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Open Meetings

Special Districts & Authorities--Municipal Utility Districts

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, TEXAS COMMISSION ON

Text

The text as introduced · 369 words

89R5653 JBD-D

By: Pierson
H.B. No. 2561

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the meeting place of the board of a municipal utility

district.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 54, Water Code, is amended

by adding Section 54.103 to read as follows:

Sec. 54.103. MEETING PLACE. (a) The board shall designate

one or more places inside the district for conducting meetings of

the board.

(b) A meeting place designated under this section may be a

private residence or office, if the board declares in the order

establishing the meeting place that the meeting place is a public

place and invites the public to attend any meeting of the board.

(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the board may designate

a meeting place outside the district if:

(1) the board determines that no suitable meeting

place exists inside the district and the meeting place outside the

district will not deprive the residents of the district of a

reasonable opportunity to attend meetings of the board;

(2) the meeting place is as close as practicable to the

boundaries of the district; and

(3) if the district is wholly within the corporate

limits of a municipality, the meeting place is within the corporate

limits of that municipality.

(d) If the board designates a meeting place outside the

district, the board shall give notice of the location by:

(1) filing with the commission:

(A) a true copy of the resolution designating the

location of the meeting place; and

(B) a justification of why the designated meeting

place is not in the district; and

(2) publishing notice of the location of the meeting

place in a newspaper of general circulation in the district.

(e) If the location of a meeting place outside the district

is changed, notice of the change shall be given in the manner

provided by Subsection (d).

(f) The commission shall provide information on the

commission's Internet website on the process for designation of a

meeting place under this section.

(g) In all areas of conflict, this section takes precedence

over all prior statutory enactments, including Sections 49.062 and

49.063(c).

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.