The section applies only to districts in a county that contains part of the Cedar Creek Reservoir and borders a county of 2.6 million or more, which aims a Water Code rule at a few districts around one lake. The caption says "certain water districts," so the narrowness is only partly disclosed.
Subsection (b) requires a quarterly meeting inside the district or within 10 miles of it, but this clause lets the board meet that duty by telephone or video conference call. Only a meeting to discuss the tax rate must be held in person, so the ordinary quarterly meeting can skip the location rule.
Meet within 10 miles, or dial in. Only tax rate meetings need a room.
The bill sets a meeting-place rule for water district boards in counties that contain part of the Cedar Creek Reservoir and border a county of 2.6 million people or more. If such a board meets at least quarterly, it must hold at least one meeting each quarter inside the district or within 10 miles of its boundary. The board can meet that rule by phone or video call instead, but a meeting to discuss the district's tax rate must be held in person.
Labels
Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on Apr 25, 2025. Died in the Senate: received, never referred to a committee.
relating to the meeting places for the board of directors of certain
water districts.
WHAT IT DOES
Meet within 10 miles, or dial in. Only tax rate meetings need a room.
The bill sets a meeting-place rule for water district boards in counties that contain part of the Cedar Creek Reservoir and border a county of 2.6 million people or more. If such a board meets at least quarterly, it must hold at least one meeting each quarter inside the district or within 10 miles of its boundary. The board can meet that rule by phone or video call instead, but a meeting to discuss the district's tax rate must be held in person.
The section applies only to districts in a county that contains part of the Cedar Creek Reservoir and borders a county of 2.6 million or more, which aims a Water Code rule at a few districts around one lake. The caption says "certain water districts," so the narrowness is only partly disclosed.
Subsection (b) requires a quarterly meeting inside the district or within 10 miles of it, but this clause lets the board meet that duty by telephone or video conference call. Only a meeting to discuss the tax rate must be held in person, so the ordinary quarterly meeting can skip the location rule.
TOTAL
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The following bills which were considered on second reading on the previous legislative day on the local, consent, and resolutions calendar were laid before the house, read third time, and passed by the following record vote (members registering votes and the results of the vote are shown following the bill number). (Record 552): 125 Yeas, 6 Nays, 3 Present, not voting.
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 130 (published)
Nay: 1 (published)
Present, not voting: 3 (published)
Absent: 9 (derived from named list)
Excused: 7 (derived from named list)
House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Witnesses3
For
1
Against
2
On
0
Names
For
Kaufman County1 registration
Against
Coats Rose PC1 registration
Self1 registration
Sources
3 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.
Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
House committee · Natural Resources · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee
Subjects
KAUFMAN COUNTY
Open Meetings
Special Districts & Authorities--Municipal Utility Districts
Taxation--Property-Tax Rate
Water--General
TELECONFERENCING
VIDEOCONFERENCING
Text
The text as introduced · 223 words
89R2262 SCP-D
By: Bell of Kaufman
H.B. No. 420
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the meeting places for the board of directors of certain
water districts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 49, Water Code, is amended
by adding Section 49.0621 to read as follows:
Sec. 49.0621. MEETING PLACES FOR BOARD OF CERTAIN
DISTRICTS. (a) This section applies only to a district wholly or
partly located in a county that:
(1) contains a portion of the Cedar Creek Reservoir;
and
(2) borders a county with a population of 2.6 million
or more.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 49.062, if the board of a
district to which this section applies conducts meetings at least
quarterly, the board shall conduct a meeting at least once per
quarter at a designated meeting location:
(1) inside the district; or
(2) within 10 miles of the boundary of the district.
(c) Notwithstanding Chapter 551, Government Code, and
except as provided by this subsection, a district to which this
section applies may satisfy the requirements of Subsection (b) of
this section by conducting quarterly meetings by telephone
conference call or video conference call. A meeting to discuss the
tax rate of the district must be conducted in person.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Monitoring