Monitoring the Session

HB 638

water districts must record and post their meetings

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Carl H. TepperRHouse 84

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 a requirement that certain water districts make audio and video recordings of open meetings available on the Internet.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Chapters 36, 49 and 60 districts. Video, audio, online archive.

The bill adds districts governed by Chapters 36, 49, or 60 of the Water Code to the list of local bodies that must video and audio record their regular open meetings. These districts must also post an archived copy of each recording on the Internet, the same duty that already applies to larger school boards, cities, counties, and transit authorities. The duty starts with meetings held on or after September 1, 2025, so residents can watch these district meetings online.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 3 Republicans, 1 Democrat. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 14, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Local Government committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB638 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Carl H. TepperRHouse 84 Rep. Erin ZwienerDHouse 45 Rep. Carrie IsaacRHouse 73

+ 1 more author

ITEM

relating to a requirement that certain water districts make audio and video recordings of open meetings available on the Internet.

WHAT IT DOES

Chapters 36, 49 and 60 districts. Video, audio, online archive.

The bill adds districts governed by Chapters 36, 49, or 60 of the Water Code to the list of local bodies that must video and audio record their regular open meetings. These districts must also post an archived copy of each recording on the Internet, the same duty that already applies to larger school boards, cities, counties, and transit authorities. The duty starts with meetings held on or after September 1, 2025, so residents can watch these district meetings online.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 29, 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. Committee substitute considered in committee
  10. Reported favorably as substituted
  11. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  12. Committee report distributed
  13. Committee report sent to Calendars
  14. Considered in Calendars
  15. Placed on General State Calendar
  16. Read 2nd time
  17. Passed to engrossment
  18. Record vote RV#2351
  19. Read 3rd time
  20. Passed
  21. Record vote RV#2442
  22. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  23. Reported engrossed
  24. Received from the House
  25. Read first time
  26. Referred to Local Government
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 140 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 14, 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

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Carl H. Tepper

Donors

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$100KTexans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$25KBeef PAC$8K

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 27, 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.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$100,000.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

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 · on Oct 22, 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: 101072176.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$25,083.33

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$25,083.33

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$83.33
Total
$25,083.33
fundraiser $83.33

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 25, 2025 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.

Report IDs: 101009037, 101027338, 101072176.

Beef PAC$8,000.00

Beef PAC

$8,000.00

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

Also funds 80 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 30, 2024 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: 101012320, 101057498, 101072176.

Money

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

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

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 · on Oct 22, 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: 101072176.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$25,083.33

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$83.33
Total
$25,083.33
fundraiser $83.33

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 25, 2025 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.

Report IDs: 101009037, 101027338, 101072176.

×

Beef PAC

$8,000.00

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

Also funds 80 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 30, 2024 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: 101012320, 101057498, 101072176.

Votes2

House May 14, 2025

Yea
140
Nay
0
Present, not voting
2
Absent
5
Excused
3
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2442

HB 638 was passed by (Record 2442): 140 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 140 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 3 (derived from named list)

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

House May 13, 2025

Yea
139
Nay
2
Present, not voting
2
Absent
3
Excused
4
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2351

CSHB 638 was passed to engrossment by (Record 2351): 139 Yeas, 2 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 139 (published)
  • Nay: 2 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 3 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 4 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses10
For
2
Against
7
On
1
Names

For

  • Texas Press Association1 registration
  • Texas Public Policy Foundation1 registration

Against

  • Allen Boone Humphries Robinson LLP1 registration
  • Coats Rose PC1 registration
  • Schwartz, Page & Harding, L.L.P.1 registration
  • Self1 registration
  • Self; Assocation of Water Board Directors1 registration
  • Texas Rural Water Association1 registration
  • Touchstone District Services, LLC1 registration

On

  • Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts1 registration
Sources

10 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 H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 29, 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.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

05/15/2025 S Referred to Local Government

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.

House committee · Natural Resources · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Local Government · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

SB 1339 by Hancock (identical)

Subjects

Open Meetings

Special Districts & Authorities--Water & Utility

INTERNET

Text

The text as introduced · 324 words

89R282 MCK-D

By: Tepper
H.B. No. 638

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a requirement that certain water districts make audio

and video recordings of open meetings available on the Internet.

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

SECTION 1. Section 551.128(b-1), Government Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(b-1) A transit authority or department subject to Chapter

451, 452, 453, or 460, Transportation Code, a district subject to

Chapter 36, 49, or 60, Water Code, an elected school district board

of trustees for a school district that has a student enrollment of

10,000 or more, an elected governing body of a home-rule

municipality that has a population of 50,000 or more, or a county

commissioners court for a county that has a population of 125,000 or

more shall:

(1) make a video and audio recording of reasonable

quality of each:

(A) regularly scheduled open meeting that is not

a work session or a special called meeting; and

(B) open meeting that is a work session or

special called meeting if:

(i) the governmental body is an elected

school district board of trustees for a school district that has a

student enrollment of 10,000 or more; and

(ii) at the work session or special called

meeting, the board of trustees votes on any matter or allows public

comment or testimony; and

(2) make available an archived copy of the video and

audio recording of each meeting described by Subdivision (1) on the

Internet.

SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

an open meeting held on or after the effective date of this Act. An

open meeting that is held before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law in effect on the date of the open meeting, and

the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

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