HB 4951

bill stops irrigation assessments on nonirrigable land

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

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 nonirrigable land in irrigation districts.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Town lots, streets, parks and railroad land included.

The bill stops irrigation districts from charging their upkeep assessment on land that is not being irrigated for certain reasons: the land cannot be irrigated, a majority of its owners no longer plan to irrigate it, it has been split into town lots, or it is streets, parks or railroad property on subdivided land. It also changes the district board's power to remove certain non-irrigated land from the district from optional to required, for land that already qualifies under existing exclusion rules. Landowners in irrigation districts with idle, developed or non-farm land stop paying the assessment starting September 1, 2025, and the cost shifts to the land that can still be served.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 2830 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 2830 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House Natural Resources committee on Apr 30, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4951 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Rep. Sergio Muñoz Jr.DHouse 36

ITEM

relating to nonirrigable land in irrigation districts.

WHAT IT DOES

Town lots, streets, parks and railroad land included.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 28, 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

Mar 13, 2025Filed
Apr 3, 2025Read first time
Apr 3, 2025Referred to Natural Resources
Apr 30, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 30, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 30, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 30, 2025Left pending in committee

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Sergio Muñoz Jr.

Donors

Texas Sands PAC$8K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$8K Oncor Texas State Political Action Committee of Oncor Electric Delivery Administration Corp.$3K

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 · Jul 24, 2024 to May 19, 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 Sands PAC$8,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$8,000.00

Cash: $8,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $8,000.00

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 · Oct 1, 2024 to May 19, 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: 100988555, 101060827.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$7,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$7,500.00

Cash: $7,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $7,500.00

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 · Jul 24, 2024 to Nov 18, 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: 100988555, 101031482.

Oncor Texas State Political Action Committee of Oncor Electric Delivery Administration Corp.$3,000.00

Oncor Texas State Political Action Committee of Oncor Electric Delivery Administration Corp.

$3,000.00

Cash: $3,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $3,000.00

Also funds 113 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 27, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 1, 2024 to May 19, 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: 100988555, 101060827.

Money

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

Texas Sands PAC

$8,000.00

Cash: $8,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $8,000.00

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 · Oct 1, 2024 to May 19, 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: 100988555, 101060827.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$7,500.00

Cash: $7,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $7,500.00

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 · Jul 24, 2024 to Nov 18, 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: 100988555, 101031482.

Oncor Texas State Political Action Committee of Oncor Electric Delivery Administration Corp.

$3,000.00

Cash: $3,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $3,000.00

Also funds 113 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 27, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 1, 2024 to May 19, 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: 100988555, 101060827.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 28, 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.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 2830

by Rep. Muñoz, Jr., same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 14, 2023: Referred to Natural Resources

Relating to nonirrigable land in irrigation districts.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 13, 2025

04/30/2025 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

Subjects

Special Districts & Authorities--Miscellaneous

Special Districts & Authorities--Water & Utility

Taxation--Property-Assessment & Collection

IRRIGATION & IRRIGATORS

Text

The text as introduced · 308 words

By: Muñoz
H.B. No. 4951

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to nonirrigable land in irrigation districts.

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

SECTION 1. Section 58.305, Water Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as

follows:

(a) The board by order shall allocate a portion of the

estimated maintenance and operating expenses that shall be paid by

assessment against all land in the district to which the district

can furnish irrigation water through its water delivery system or

through an extension of its water delivery system. This assessment

shall be levied against all irrigable land in the district on a per

acre basis, whether or not the land is actually irrigated , except as

provided by Subsection (a-1) .

(a-1) An assessment under this section may not be levied

against land that is not being irrigated because:

(1) the land is not irrigable;

(2) the owners of a majority of the acreage of the land

no longer intend to irrigate the land;

(3) the land has been subdivided into town lots, town

lots and blocks, or small parcels having the same general nature of

town lots, including lots and blocks designed, intended, or

suitable for a residential, commercial, or other nonagricultural

purpose; or

(4) the land is located on subdivided land and is:

(A) designated as a street, alley, parkway, or

park; or

(B) a railroad property or right-of-way.

SECTION 2. Section 58.731, Water Code, is amended to read as

follows:

Sec. 58.731. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN NONIRRIGATED LAND. The

board shall [ may ] exclude from the district land that is not being

irrigated as provided by Sections 51.759 through 51.766. This

section applies only to land that is eligible for exclusion under

Section 51.759.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.