Monitoring the Session

HB 3525

bill making a groundwater district weigh decorative ponds

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. David SpillerRHouse 68

Initial review · graded Oct 22, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the authority of the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District to consider certain factors before granting or denying a permit.

Caption from analyzed text · version H.

Summary

Ponds over two acres meant to look nice get a second look.

The bill requires the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District to consider, before granting or denying a well permit or permit amendment, whether the water would fill a pond or lake larger than two acres meant to make the landscape look better. It touches landowners and developers who apply to that one district for groundwater permits. The district gains an explicit factor to weigh against decorative ponds, but the bill does not ban such use or tell the district what to decide.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 107 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 107 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Natural Resources committee 11-1 on Apr 29, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3525 · 2025-02-28

SOLD BY

Rep. David SpillerRHouse 68

ITEM

relating to the authority of the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District to consider certain factors before granting or denying a permit.

WHAT IT DOES

Ponds over two acres meant to look nice get a second look.

The bill requires the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District to consider, before granting or denying a well permit or permit amendment, whether the water would fill a pond or lake larger than two acres meant to make the landscape look better. It touches landowners and developers who apply to that one district for groundwater permits. The district gains an explicit factor to weigh against decorative ponds, but the bill does not ban such use or tell the district what to decide.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 1, 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

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Natural Resources
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  7. Left pending in committee
  8. Considered in formal meeting
  9. Committee substitute considered in committee
  10. Reported favorably as substituted
  11. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  12. Committee report distributed
  13. Committee report sent to Calendars
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

David Spiller

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$40KMax Poynor$10,000Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10K

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 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$40,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$40,000.00

Cash
$40,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$40,000.00

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 · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 18, 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: 101009978, 101031338, 101071836.

Max Poynor$10,000.00
Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Jun 30, 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: 100987103, 101057871.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$40,000.00

Cash
$40,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$40,000.00

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 · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 18, 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: 101009978, 101031338, 101071836.

×

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Jun 30, 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: 100987103, 101057871.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses1
For
1
Against
0
On
0
Names

For

  • North Texas Groundwater Conservation District1 registration
Sources

1 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 1, 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 H by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Feb 28, 2025

05/07/2025 H Committee report sent to Calendars

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

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

House committee · Natural Resources · Committee vote 11 aye, 1 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 1959 by Hagenbuch (very similar)

Subjects

NORTH TEXAS GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT (DB56D)

Special Districts & Authorities--Groundwater Conserve Dist.

PERMITS

Text

The text as introduced · 107 words

By: Spiller
H.B. No. 3525

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to permit considerations for the North Texas Groundwater

Conservation District.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 8856, Special District

Local Laws Code, is amended by adding Section 8856.108 to read as

follows:

Sec. 8856.108. PERMIT CONSIDERATIONS. Before granting or

denying a permit, or a permit amendment issued in accordance with

Section 36.1146, the district shall consider whether the proposed

use of water from the well is wholly or partly to provide water to a

pond or lake to enhance the appearance of the landscape.