Monitoring the Session

HB 5387

bill barring HOA fines for brown grass during drought rules

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Terry M. WilsonRHouse 20

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 authority of a property owners' association to assess a fine for discolored vegetation or turf during a period of residential watering restriction.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Watering restricted, lawn turns brown, no fine.

The bill bars a property owners' association from fining a homeowner for brown or discolored grass or plants while the home is under a drought watering restriction. It touches homeowners in associations and the associations that enforce green-lawn rules. Starting September 1, 2025, an association cannot fine for brown turf during a mandated watering restriction or for a reasonable time after the restriction is lifted.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB5387 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Rep. Terry M. WilsonRHouse 20

ITEM

relating to the authority of a property owners' association to assess a fine for discolored vegetation or turf during a period of residential watering restriction.

WHAT IT DOES

Watering restricted, lawn turns brown, no fine.

The bill bars a property owners' association from fining a homeowner for brown or discolored grass or plants while the home is under a drought watering restriction. It touches homeowners in associations and the associations that enforce green-lawn rules. Starting September 1, 2025, an association cannot fine for brown turf during a mandated watering restriction or for a reasonable time after the restriction is lifted.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Terry M. Wilson

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$414KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$231KKenneth Mongold$25,000

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 29, 2024 to Oct 23, 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$413,658.18

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$413,658.18

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$378,658.18
Total
$413,658.18
mail $190,451.68advertising $178,456.50polling $8,750.00Other filed descriptions $1,000.00

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 · Jun 27, 2025 to Oct 20, 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: 101007854, 101030352, 101067580, 101071564.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$231,075.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$231,075.00

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$181,075.00
Total
$231,075.00
canvassing $157,125.00polling $23,950.00

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 · Aug 25, 2026 to Oct 18, 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: 101067580, 101071564.

Kenneth Mongold$25,000.00
Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$413,658.18

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$378,658.18
Total
$413,658.18
mail $190,451.68advertising $178,456.50polling $8,750.00Other filed descriptions $1,000.00

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 · Jun 27, 2025 to Oct 20, 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: 101007854, 101030352, 101067580, 101071564.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$231,075.00

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$181,075.00
Total
$231,075.00
canvassing $157,125.00polling $23,950.00

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 · Aug 25, 2026 to Oct 18, 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: 101067580, 101071564.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

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 14, 2025

04/07/2025 H Referred to Trade, Workforce & Economic Development: Apr 7 2025 5:28PM

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 · Trade, Workforce & Economic Development · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

SB 542 by Schwertner (very similar)

Subjects

Property Interests--Property Owners Association

Water--Conservation (I097L)

DROUGHT

Text

The text as introduced · 221 words

By: Wilson
H.B. No. 5387

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the authority of a property owners' association to

assess a fine for discolored vegetation or turf during a period of

residential watering restriction.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 202, Property Code, is amended by adding

Section 202.008 to read as follows:

Sec. 202.008. LIMITATION ON FINES DURING RESIDENTIAL WATER

RESTRICTION. (a) For the purposes of this section, "residential

watering restriction" means a temporary restriction of water use to

irrigate residential vegetation or turf that is mandated by a

municipality, water utility, or other wholesale or retail water

supplier as part of a strategy to conserve water during a period of

drought.

(b) A property owners' association may not assess a fine

against a property owner for a violation of an applicable

restrictive covenant that requires the owner to maintain green

vegetation or turf or prohibits discolored or brown vegetation or

turf on the property:

(1) during a period when the owner's property is

subject to a residential watering restriction under which

discolored or brown vegetation or turf could reasonably result; and

(2) for a reasonable period of time after a

residential watering restriction described by Subdivision (1) is

lifted.

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