HB 2923

Tepper Bill Ends State Appeals Of City-To-City Water Rates

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 jurisdiction of the Public Utility Commission of Texas over certain rates for water or sewer service charged by a municipality.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

A city buying water from another city loses its state appeal. Districts and counties keep theirs.

The bill takes away the Public Utility Commission's power to review wholesale water and sewer rates that one city charges another city. Cities that sell water or sewer service in bulk to other cities, and the cities that buy it, are the ones affected. After September 1, 2025, a buying city could no longer appeal those city-to-city wholesale rates to the state commission, though appeals by other districts and counties stay open.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Feb 18, 2025 and referred to the House Natural Resources committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2923 · 2025-02-18

SOLD BY

Rep. Carl H. TepperRHouse 84

ITEM

relating to the jurisdiction of the Public Utility Commission of Texas over certain rates for water or sewer service charged by a municipality.

WHAT IT DOES

A city buying water from another city loses its state appeal. Districts and counties keep theirs.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Feb 18, 2025Filed
Mar 19, 2025Read first time
Mar 19, 2025Referred to Natural Resources

FILED UNDER

DATA CENTERS, WATER AND THE GRID

THE TEXT

“Subsection (f) does not apply to a decision of a municipality regarding wholesale water or sewer service provided to another municipality.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill ends state rate review when one city sells wholesale water or sewer service to another, which changes who can challenge what a city pays for its water.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Carl H. Tepper

Donors

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$100K Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$25K Beef PAC$8K

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 27, 2024 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.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$100,000.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

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 · on Oct 22, 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: 101072176.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$25,083.33

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$25,083.33

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $83.33
Total: $25,083.33

fundraiser $83.33

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 · Jun 25, 2025 to Oct 21, 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: 101009037, 101027338, 101072176.

Beef PAC$8,000.00

Beef PAC

$8,000.00

Cash: $8,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $8,000.00

Also funds 80 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 30, 2024 to Oct 20, 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: 101012320, 101057498, 101072176.

Money

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

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

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 · on Oct 22, 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: 101072176.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$25,083.33

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $83.33
Total: $25,083.33

fundraiser $83.33

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 · Jun 25, 2025 to Oct 21, 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: 101009037, 101027338, 101072176.

Beef PAC

$8,000.00

Cash: $8,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $8,000.00

Also funds 80 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 30, 2024 to Oct 20, 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: 101012320, 101057498, 101072176.

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 18, 2025

03/19/2025 H Referred to Natural Resources: Mar 19 2025 12:35PM

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

City Government--Utilities

Utilities--Water & Sewer

WATER & SEWER SERVICE

PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION

Text

The text as introduced · 272 words

89R8951 SCR-D

By: Tepper
H.B. No. 2923

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the jurisdiction of the Public Utility Commission of

Texas over certain rates for water or sewer service charged by a

municipality.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 12.013(b) and (d), Water Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(b) In this section, "political subdivision" means

municipalities [ incorporated cities, towns or villages ], counties,

river authorities, water districts, and other special purpose

districts.

(d) The utility commission's jurisdiction under this

section relating to a municipality [ incorporated cities, towns, or

villages ] shall be limited to water furnished by the municipality

[ such city, town, or village ] to another political subdivision ,

other than another municipality, on a wholesale basis.

SECTION 2. Section 13.043, Water Code, is amended by adding

Subsection (f-1) and amending Subsection (j) to read as follows:

(f-1) Subsection (f) does not apply to a decision of a

municipality regarding wholesale water or sewer service provided to

another municipality.

(j) In an appeal under this section, the utility commission

shall ensure that every appealed rate is just and reasonable. Rates

shall not be unreasonably preferential, prejudicial, or

discriminatory but shall be sufficient, equitable, and consistent

in application to each class of customers. The utility commission

shall use a methodology that preserves the financial integrity of

the retail public utility. [ For agreements between municipalities

the utility commission shall consider the terms of any wholesale

water or sewer service agreement in an appellate rate proceeding. ]

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