HB 561: bill adding city water utilities to defense realignment grants

Caption

relating to the eligibility of certain local governmental entities affected by the realignment of defense worker jobs or facilities to receive grants.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

City-owned retail water or sewer utilities in a defense community qualify.

The bill adds one more kind of local entity to the list of those that can get state grants tied to defense jobs or facilities being moved or cut. The new eligible entity is a city-owned retail water or sewer utility operating in a defense community. Starting September 1, 2025, those city-owned utilities can apply for the same grants that cities, counties, junior colleges and defense base authorities already can.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 4908 (Did not pass) 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 4908 (Did not pass). 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.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 8, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Economic Development committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB561 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Ray LopezDHouse 125

+ 2 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the eligibility of certain local governmental entities affected by the realignment of defense worker jobs or facilities to receive grants.

WHAT IT DOES

City-owned retail water or sewer utilities in a defense community qualify.

The bill adds one more kind of local entity to the list of those that can get state grants tied to defense jobs or facilities being moved or cut. The new eligible entity is a city-owned retail water or sewer utility operating in a defense community. Starting September 1, 2025, those city-owned utilities can apply for the same grants that cities, counties, junior colleges and defense base authorities already can.

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 · March 21, 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

Nov 12, 2024Filed
Mar 3, 2025Read first time
Mar 3, 2025Referred to s/c on Defense & Veterans' Affairs by Speaker
Mar 24, 2025Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
Mar 24, 2025Considered by s/c in public hearing
Mar 24, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
Mar 24, 2025Left pending in subcommittee
Apr 9, 2025Recalled from subcommittee
Apr 9, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 9, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Apr 14, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 14, 2025Committee report distributed
Apr 15, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 2, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 6, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 7, 2025Read 2nd time
May 7, 2025Passed to engrossment
May 7, 2025Record vote RV#1665
May 7, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 8, 2025Read 3rd time
May 8, 2025Passed
May 8, 2025Record vote RV#1780
May 8, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 8, 2025Reported engrossed
May 8, 2025Received from the House
May 22, 2025Read first time
May 22, 2025Referred to Economic Development

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 100 yea · 47 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 8, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Ray Lopez

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$5K Texas Sands PAC$4K Valero Energy Corporation PAC$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 5, 2024 to May 29, 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$5,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$5,000.00

Cash: $5,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $5,000.00

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 13, 2024 to Jul 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: 100987088, 101031958.

Texas Sands PAC$4,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$4,000.00

Cash: $4,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $4,000.00

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 · on Oct 23, 2024. 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: 100987088.

Valero Energy Corporation PAC$3,000.00

Valero Energy Corporation PAC

$3,000.00

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

Also funds 94 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 25, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 13, 2024 to Jul 9, 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: 100987088, 101031958.

Money

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

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$5,000.00

Cash: $5,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $5,000.00

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 13, 2024 to Jul 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: 100987088, 101031958.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$4,000.00

Cash: $4,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $4,000.00

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 · on Oct 23, 2024. 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: 100987088.

×

Valero Energy Corporation PAC

$3,000.00

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

Also funds 94 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 25, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 13, 2024 to Jul 9, 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: 100987088, 101031958.

Votes2

House May 8, 2025

Yea: 100
Nay: 47
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 1
Excused: 0

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 1780

HB 561 was passed by (Record 1780): 100 Yeas, 47 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 100 (published)
Nay: 47 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 1 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House May 7, 2025

Yea: 90
Nay: 40
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 3
Excused: 15

Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 1665

HB 561 was passed to engrossment by (Record 1665): 90 Yeas, 40 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

Yea: 90 (published)
Nay: 40 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 3 (derived from named list)
Excused: 15 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses11

For: 6
Against: 4
On: 1

Names

For

El Paso Water1 registration
San Antonio Water System1 registration
Self1 registration
Self; VFW Dept of Texas1 registration
Texas Coalition of Veterans Organizations1 registration
The American Legion, Dept of Texas1 registration

Against

City of Corpus Christi1 registration
City of El Paso1 registration
City of Fort Worth1 registration
City of San Antonio1 registration

On

Office of the Governor1 registration

Sources

11 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 · March 21, 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 4908

by Rep. Ray Lopez, same lead author · Did not pass · same text

Introduced text

Last action, May 8, 2023: Considered in Calendars

Relating to the eligibility of certain local governmental entities affected by the realignment of defense worker jobs or facilities to receive grants.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

05/22/2025 S Referred to Economic Development

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors

Trey Martinez FischerDHouse 116

Terry M. WilsonRHouse 20

House committee · Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs · Committee vote 7 aye, 4 nay · Out of committee

Senate committee · Economic Development · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Economic & Industrial Development--General

Utilities--General

Text

The text as introduced · 210 words

89R2419 LRM-F

By: Lopez of Bexar
H.B. No. 561

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the eligibility of certain local governmental entities

affected by the realignment of defense worker jobs or facilities to

receive grants.

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

SECTION 1. Section 436.201(a), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) The following local governmental entities are eligible

for a grant under this subchapter:

(1) a municipality or county that is a defense

community;

(2) a regional planning commission that has a defense

community within its boundaries;

(3) a public junior college district that is wholly or

partly located in a defense community;

(4) a campus or education extension center of the

Texas State Technical College System that is located in a defense

community;

(5) a defense base development authority created under

Chapter 379B, Local Government Code; [ and ]

(6) a political subdivision that has the power of a

defense base development authority created under Chapter 379B,

Local Government Code ; and

(7) a municipally owned utility that acts as a retail

public utility, as those terms are defined by Section 13.002, Water

Code, in a defense community .

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

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

Texas Sands PAC

Valero Energy Corporation PAC

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

Texas Sands PAC

Valero Energy Corporation PAC

House May 8, 2025

House May 7, 2025

For

Against

On

88R HB 4908