Monitoring the Session

HB 4931

Edwards Aquifer well ban gets one exception: Medina County

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Wes VirdellRHouse 53

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 aquifer storage and recovery projects that transect a portion of the Edwards Aquifer.

Caption from analyzed text · version H.

Summary

Drill through the aquifer to store water below it. Rules due March 1, 2026.

The bill lets the state environmental agency approve one kind of well that currently cannot be approved: a water storage and recovery well that drills through the Edwards Aquifer in Medina County to put water into a deeper rock layer below it. It touches water suppliers planning these storage projects in Medina County and the agency that issues injection well permits. On the ground, the old blanket ban on wells through the Edwards Aquifer gets one new exception for Medina County, and the agency must write rules for it by March 1, 2026.

Labels

Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Natural Resources committee 11-0 on Apr 24, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4931 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Rep. Wes VirdellRHouse 53

ITEM

relating to aquifer storage and recovery projects that transect a portion of the Edwards Aquifer.

WHAT IT DOES

Drill through the aquifer to store water below it. Rules due March 1, 2026.

The bill lets the state environmental agency approve one kind of well that currently cannot be approved: a water storage and recovery well that drills through the Edwards Aquifer in Medina County to put water into a deeper rock layer below it. It touches water suppliers planning these storage projects in Medina County and the agency that issues injection well permits. On the ground, the old blanket ban on wells through the Edwards Aquifer gets one new exception for Medina County, and the agency must write rules for it by March 1, 2026.

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 14, 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. Recommended to be sent to Local & Consent
  10. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  11. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  12. Committee report distributed
  13. Comm. report sent to Local & Consent Calendar
FILED UNDER

DATA CENTERS, WATER AND THE GRID

THE TEXT

“an aquifer storage and recovery project that includes an ASR injection well, as defined by Section 27.151, that transects the Edwards Aquifer in Medina County”…

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

The bill opens an exception to the Edwards Aquifer injection well ban so water can be stored below the aquifer in Medina County for later supply.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Wes Virdell

Donors

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$25KPhysicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC$25KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$23K

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 · Nov 3, 2024 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.

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$25,000.00

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$25,000.00

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

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jun 24, 2025. 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: 101012375.

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC$25,000.00

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

$25,000.00

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

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 22, 2025. 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: 101031736.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$22,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$22,500.00

Cash
$22,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$22,500.00

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 · Nov 25, 2024 to Jul 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: 100987242, 101012375, 101060151, 101072158.

Money

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

×

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$25,000.00

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

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jun 24, 2025. 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: 101012375.

×

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

$25,000.00

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

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 22, 2025. 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: 101031736.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$22,500.00

Cash
$22,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$22,500.00

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 · Nov 25, 2024 to Jul 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: 100987242, 101012375, 101060151, 101072158.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses5
For
4
Against
0
On
1
Names

For

  • Edwards Aquifer Authority1 registration
  • Medina County1 registration
  • Self; Yancey Water Supply Corporation1 registration
  • Yancey WSC/ Medina County Regional Water Alliance1 registration

On

  • TCEQ1 registration
Sources

5 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 significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 14, 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 13, 2025

04/29/2025 H Comm. report sent to Local & Consent Calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

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

Companion

SB 2159 by Flores (identical)

Subjects

MEDINA COUNTY

Environment--Water

Water--Conservation (I097L)

Water--Development

Water--General

EDWARDS AQUIFER

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, TEXAS COMMISSION ON

Text

The text as introduced · 274 words

89R16112 CMO-F

By: Virdell
H.B. No. 4931

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to aquifer storage and recovery projects that transect a

portion of the Edwards Aquifer.

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

SECTION 1. Section 27.051(i), Water Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(i) For purposes of this subsection, "Edwards Aquifer" has

the meaning assigned by Section 26.046(a). Except as otherwise

provided by this subsection, the commission may not authorize by

rule or permit an injection well that transects or terminates in the

Edwards Aquifer. The commission by rule or permit may authorize:

(1) injection of groundwater withdrawn from the

Edwards Aquifer;

(2) injections of storm water, flood water, or

groundwater through improved sinkholes or caves located in karst

topographic areas; [ or ]

(3) injections of water made in accordance with

Section 1.44(e)(3), Chapter 626, Acts of the 73rd Legislature,

Regular Session, 1993 ; or

(4) an aquifer storage and recovery project that

includes an ASR injection well, as defined by Section 27.151, that

transects the Edwards Aquifer in Medina County for the injection of

water into a geologic formation that underlies the Edwards Aquifer .

SECTION 2. Not later than March 1, 2026, the Texas

Commission on Environmental Quality shall adopt rules to implement

Section 27.051(i), Water Code, as amended by this Act.

SECTION 3. 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.