Monitoring the Session

HB 3875

bill giving builders impact fee credits for saving water

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Cecil Bell Jr.RHouse 3

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 provision by a political subdivision of credits against impact fees to builders and developers for certain water conservation and reuse projects.

Caption from analyzed text · version H.

Summary

Conserve or reuse water, get a credit against the fee.

The bill requires cities, counties and other local governments that charge water and wastewater impact fees to give builders and developers a credit against those fees when they build, contribute or dedicate facilities, systems or products that save, conserve or reuse water. It touches local governments that collect impact fees and the builders and developers who pay them. Developers who install qualifying water-saving or reuse features pay lower impact fees, and each local government must write its own rules for calculating and approving the credits, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Intergovernmental Affairs committee 9-1 on Apr 28, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3875 · 2025-03-05

SOLD BY

Rep. Cecil Bell Jr.RHouse 3

ITEM

relating to the provision by a political subdivision of credits against impact fees to builders and developers for certain water conservation and reuse projects.

WHAT IT DOES

Conserve or reuse water, get a credit against the fee.

The bill requires cities, counties and other local governments that charge water and wastewater impact fees to give builders and developers a credit against those fees when they build, contribute or dedicate facilities, systems or products that save, conserve or reuse water. It touches local governments that collect impact fees and the builders and developers who pay them. Developers who install qualifying water-saving or reuse features pay lower impact fees, and each local government must write its own rules for calculating and approving the credits, starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 29, 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 Intergovernmental Affairs
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Committee substitute considered in committee
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in formal meeting
  10. Committee substitute considered in committee
  11. Reported favorably as substituted
  12. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  13. Committee report distributed
  14. 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

Cecil Bell Jr.

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$303KDUSTIN BURROWS CAMPAIGN$84KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$84K

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 · Aug 30, 2024 to Apr 2, 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$303,416.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$303,416.00

Cash
$77,500.00
Paid by others
$225,916.00
Total
$303,416.00
mail $151,916.00advertising $57,250.00polling $16,750.00

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 · Nov 14, 2024 to Mar 3, 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: 101012348, 101016762, 101032999, 101036177, 101041213, 101061435.

DUSTIN BURROWS CAMPAIGN$84,000.00

DUSTIN BURROWS CAMPAIGN

$84,000.00

Cash
$75,000.00
Paid by others
$9,000.00
Total
$84,000.00
polling $9,000.00

Also funds 39 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 13, 2025 to Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 29, 2025 to Jan 27, 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: 101032999, 101036177, 101041213.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$83,505.68

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$83,505.68

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$83,505.68
Total
$83,505.68
canvassing $50,000.00Other filed descriptions $24,666.67polling $7,750.00texting $1,089.01

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 · Feb 9, 2026 to Mar 3, 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: 101041213, 101061435.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$303,416.00

Cash
$77,500.00
Paid by others
$225,916.00
Total
$303,416.00
mail $151,916.00advertising $57,250.00polling $16,750.00

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 · Nov 14, 2024 to Mar 3, 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: 101012348, 101016762, 101032999, 101036177, 101041213, 101061435.

×

DUSTIN BURROWS CAMPAIGN

$84,000.00

Cash
$75,000.00
Paid by others
$9,000.00
Total
$84,000.00
polling $9,000.00

Also funds 39 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 13, 2025 to Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 29, 2025 to Jan 27, 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: 101032999, 101036177, 101041213.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$83,505.68

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$83,505.68
Total
$83,505.68
canvassing $50,000.00Other filed descriptions $24,666.67polling $7,750.00texting $1,089.01

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 · Feb 9, 2026 to Mar 3, 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: 101041213, 101061435.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses19
For
16
Against
0
On
3
Names

For

  • City of Buda1 registration
  • City of Denton1 registration
  • Element Fuels1 registration
  • Greyter Water Systems Inc1 registration
  • Independent Bankers Assoc of TX1 registration
  • Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club1 registration
  • Self3 registrations
  • Self; Greater Houston Builders Association1 registration
  • Self; Home builders association of greater austin1 registration
  • Texas Association of Builders1 registration
  • Texas Farm Bureau1 registration
  • Texas Mortgage Bankers Association1 registration
  • Texas Society of Architects1 registration
  • Txas Realtors1 registration

On

  • City of fort worth1 registration
  • City of Georgetown1 registration
  • San Antonio Water System1 registration
Sources

19 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 · April 29, 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 Mar 5, 2025

05/02/2025 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 · Intergovernmental Affairs · Committee vote 9 aye, 1 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 1253 by Perry (identical)

Subjects

City Government--General

County Government--General

Fees & Other Nontax Revenue--Local

Political Subdivisions

Water--Conservation (I097L)

Text

The text as introduced · 256 words

89R12881 DNC-F

By: Bell of Montgomery
H.B. No. 3875

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the authority of a political subdivision to provide

credits against impact fees to builders and developers for certain

water conservation and reuse projects.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 395, Local Government

Code, is amended by adding Section 395.0231 to read as follows:

Sec. 395.0231. CONSERVATION AND REUSE CREDITS AGAINST WATER

AND WASTEWATER FEES. (a) A political subdivision may provide a

credit against water and wastewater impact fees otherwise assessed

to a development to a builder or developer for the construction,

contribution, or dedication of an eligible facility, system, or

product that results in water reuse, conservation, or savings.

(b) A facility, system, or product eligible for a credit

under this section includes a facility, system, or product that:

(1) reduces per service unit water consumption, supply

requirements, or necessary treatment and distribution

infrastructure per service unit;

(2) decreases the need of wastewater collection and

treatment facilities per service unit;

(3) diminishes the demand for stormwater, drainage,

and flood control facilities per service unit; or

(4) integrates practices or technologies that achieve

water efficiency, reuse, or conservation performance that exceed

standard compliance requirements.

(c) A political subdivision that provides a credit under

this section shall establish procedures for:

(1) calculating and applying the credits in a fair and

consistent manner; and

(2) reviewing and approving credits under this

section.

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