Monitoring the Session

HB 4135

Zwiener’s bill widening which counties can regulate stormwater

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Erin ZwienerDHouse 45

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 regulation of stormwater management by certain counties.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The 800,000-population minimum goes. Edwards Aquifer and Hill Country counties qualify.

This bill widens the list of counties covered by the state law that lets certain counties regulate stormwater management. It drops the 800,000-population minimum, so any county that contains part of the Edwards Aquifer or sits wholly or partly in the Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area now qualifies, alongside the large counties and districts already listed. Smaller Hill Country and Edwards Aquifer counties gain the same stormwater authority the big counties already have, starting as early as September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House Natural Resources committee on Apr 9, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4135 · 2025-03-10

SOLD BY

Rep. Erin ZwienerDHouse 45

ITEM

relating to the regulation of stormwater management by certain counties.

WHAT IT DOES

The 800,000-population minimum goes. Edwards Aquifer and Hill Country counties qualify.

This bill widens the list of counties covered by the state law that lets certain counties regulate stormwater management. It drops the 800,000-population minimum, so any county that contains part of the Edwards Aquifer or sits wholly or partly in the Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management Area now qualifies, alongside the large counties and districts already listed. Smaller Hill Country and Edwards Aquifer counties gain the same stormwater authority the big counties already have, starting as early as September 1, 2025.

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

  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
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Erin Zwiener

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$25KTexas Sands PAC$22KSandy Spears$11,545

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 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 Trial Lawyers Association PAC$25,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 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: 101012412, 101032309, 101061964, 101072091.

Texas Sands PAC$22,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$22,000.00

Cash
$22,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$22,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 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: 101012412, 101032309, 101061964, 101072091.

Sandy Spears$11,545.00
Money

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

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 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: 101012412, 101032309, 101061964, 101072091.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$22,000.00

Cash
$22,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$22,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 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: 101012412, 101032309, 101061964, 101072091.

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 Mar 10, 2025

04/09/2025 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.

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

Companion

SB 1669 by Zaffirini (identical)

Subjects

HILL COUNTRY PRIORITY GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AREA (D94KR)

Environment--Water

Special Districts & Authorities--Groundwater Conserve Dist.

Text

The text as introduced · 225 words

89R9039 JRR-D

By: Zwiener
H.B. No. 4135

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the regulation of stormwater management by certain

counties.

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

SECTION 1. Section 573.001, Local Government Code, is

amended to read as follows:

Sec. 573.001. COUNTY OR DISTRICT SUBJECT TO CHAPTER. This

chapter applies only to:

(1) a county with a population of 2.8 million or more;

(2) a district or authority created under Section 59,

Article XVI, Texas Constitution, that:

(A) has boundaries coterminous with a county

described by Subdivision (1); and

(B) is authorized to provide stormwater drainage

and flood control facilities;

(3) a county with a population of more than 1.3 million

for which the primary source of drinking water is an underground

aquifer; or

(4) a county [ with a population of 800,000 or more ]

that :

(A) contains a portion of the Edwards Aquifer ; or

(B) is located wholly or partly within the

boundaries of the Hill Country Priority Groundwater Management

Area .

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.