Monitoring the Session

SB 1413

Nichols’s bill widening fast release from water utility areas

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Robert NicholsRSenate 3

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 procedure for amending or revoking certificates of public convenience and necessity issued to certain water utilities.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

More counties qualify, two steps out from 1.2 million people.

The bill widens the list of Texas counties where an owner of 25 or more acres with no water or sewer service can demand fast release of the land from a water utility's service area. It adds counties two steps out from a county of at least 1.2 million people and drops an old exclusion for one small county bracket. It also lets the landowner offer to pay off a utility's federal loan as part of the release, makes the utility disclose the payoff amount, and lets the utility commission order the utility to accept it.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on Apr 23, 2025. Died in the House: voted out of the Natural Resources committee 13-0, no floor vote.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1413 · 2025-02-19

SOLD BY

Sen. Robert NicholsRSenate 3

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to the procedure for amending or revoking certificates of public convenience and necessity issued to certain water utilities.

WHAT IT DOES

More counties qualify, two steps out from 1.2 million people.

The bill widens the list of Texas counties where an owner of 25 or more acres with no water or sewer service can demand fast release of the land from a water utility's service area. It adds counties two steps out from a county of at least 1.2 million people and drops an old exclusion for one small county bracket. It also lets the landowner offer to pay off a utility's federal loan as part of the release, makes the utility disclose the payoff amount, and lets the utility commission order the utility to accept it.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

Net to General Revenue · FY 2026($878,172)

LBB estimate, flow · fiscal note version S · ( ) = negative · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · April 15, 2025

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1413, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($1,756,344) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

First year · FY 2026 · ($878,172)

Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Water, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs
  5. Co-author authorized
  6. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  7. Considered in public hearing
  8. Testimony taken in committee
  9. Left pending in committee
  10. Considered in public hearing
  11. Testimony taken in committee
  12. Vote taken in committee
  13. Reported favorably as substituted
  14. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  15. Committee report printed and distributed
  16. Placed on intent calendar
  17. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  18. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  19. Vote recorded in Journal
  20. Three day rule suspended
  21. Record vote
  22. Read 3rd time
  23. Passed
  24. Record vote
  25. Reported engrossed
  26. Received from the Senate
  27. Read first time
  28. Referred to Natural Resources
  29. Considered in formal meeting
  30. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  31. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  32. Committee report distributed
  33. Committee report sent to Calendars
  34. Considered in Calendars
  35. Placed on General State Calendar
ALSO NOTED · NOT CHARGED (1)

BRACKET BILL · analysis confidence 30%

THE TEXT

…“a county with a population of more than 200,000 and”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The eligibility list keeps an existing narrow population band tied to a university enrollment test, which points at a small set of counties. This bill mostly widens eligibility rather than narrowing it, so the bracket does not change what the bill does.

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 31 yea · 0 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · Apr 23, 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

Robert Nichols

Donors

James I Perkins$25,000Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. PAC$10KTexas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10K

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 2, 2024 to Mar 25, 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.

James I Perkins$25,000.00
Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. PAC$10,000.00

Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. PAC

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Dec 5, 2024 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 5, 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: 100965387.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 5, 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: 100965387.

Money

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

×

Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. PAC

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Dec 5, 2024 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 5, 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: 100965387.

×

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 5, 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: 100965387.

Votes3

Senate Apr 23, 2025

Yea
31
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Sources

Senator Nichols moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 1413 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

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

  • Yea: 31 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Senate Apr 23, 2025

Yea
31
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Sources

Senator Nichols moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 1413 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

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

  • Yea: 31 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Senate Apr 23, 2025

Yea
Not printed
Nay
Not printed
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.

Sources

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.

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

  • Yea: Not printed
  • Nay: Not printed
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Witnesses16
For
10
Against
3
On
3
Names

For

  • Allen Boone Humphries Robinson LLP1 registration
  • CoatsRose P C1 registration
  • HistoryMaker Homes1 registration
  • Houston San Jacinto Ranch1 registration
  • Self1 registration
  • Self; Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association1 registration
  • Texas Association of Builders1 registration
  • Texas chapter of US Green Building Council1 registration
  • Texas Farm Bureau1 registration
  • Windy Hill Development1 registration

Against

  • Self; East Rio Hondo Water Supply Corporation & South Texas Water Utility Managers’ Association1 registration
  • Self; SS Water Supply Corporation1 registration
  • Self; Texas Rural Water Association and East Medina County SUD1 registration

On

  • Public Utility Commission1 registration
  • Texas Association of Water Companies (TAWC)1 registration
  • Texas Commission on Environmental Quality1 registration
Sources

16 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

Senate witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal
Net to General Revenue · FY 2026($878,172)

LBB estimate, flow · fiscal note version S · ( ) = negative · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · April 15, 2025

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB1413, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($1,756,344) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

First year · FY 2026 · ($878,172)

Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds

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 Senate · Filed Feb 19, 2025

05/27/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed · House Committee Report

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

Coauthors
Brandon CreightonRSenate 4
Sponsors
Cody HarrisRHouse 8

House committee · Natural Resources · Committee vote 13 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Senate committee · Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs · Committee vote 7 aye, 0 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Companion

HB 3322 by Harris (identical)

Subjects

Property Interests--General

Utilities--Water & Sewer

FEDERAL RELATIONS

LOANS

PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION

Text

The text as introduced · 422 words

89R10822 ANG-D

By: Nichols
S.B. No. 1413

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the procedure for amending or revoking certificates of

public convenience and necessity issued to certain water utilities.

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

SECTION 1. Section 13.2541, Water Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (e-1) to read as

follows:

(b) As an alternative to decertification or expedited

release under Section 13.254, the owner of a tract of land that is

at least 25 acres and that is not receiving water or sewer service

may petition for expedited release of the area from a certificate of

public convenience and necessity in the manner provided by this

section and is entitled to that release if the landowner's property

is located in a county with a population of at least 1.2 million, a

county adjacent to a county with a population of at least 1.2

million, [ or ] a county with a population of more than 200,000 and

less than 233,500 that does not contain a public or private

university that had a total enrollment in the most recent fall

semester of 40,000 or more, or a county adjacent to a county

adjacent to a county with a population of at least 1.2 million [ and

not in a county that has a population of more than 50,500 and less

than 52,000 ].

(e-1) A landowner that submits a petition under this section

may agree to pay to the certificate holder that is the subject of

the petition under this section an amount equal to the amount

necessary to pay or defease a federal loan for a certificate holder

that is a borrower under a federal loan program. On request from

the petitioner, the certificate holder must provide the petitioner

with the amount necessary to pay or defease the federal loan. The

utility commission may issue an order to require the certificate

holder to accept a loan payment or defeasance under this section.

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

a proceeding affecting a certificate of public convenience and

necessity that commences on or after the effective date of this Act.

A proceeding affecting a certificate of public convenience and

necessity that commenced before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law in effect on the date the proceeding is

commenced, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

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