District weighs ponds over two acres built just to look nice.
The bill tells the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District to look at whether a well's water will fill a pond or lake bigger than two acres just to make the landscape look nice before it grants or denies a permit. It touches people applying to that district for a new well permit or a permit amendment. On the ground, the district must weigh decorative pond and lake use in permit decisions for applications filed after the law takes effect.
Labels
Labels: QUICK READ: 109 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 109 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on May 6, 2025. Died in the House: voted out of the Natural Resources committee 8-0, no floor vote.
relating to the authority of the North Texas Groundwater
Conservation District to consider certain factors before granting
or denying a permit.
WHAT IT DOES
District weighs ponds over two acres built just to look nice.
The bill tells the North Texas Groundwater Conservation District to look at whether a well's water will fill a pond or lake bigger than two acres just to make the landscape look nice before it grants or denies a permit. It touches people applying to that district for a new well permit or a permit amendment. On the ground, the district must weigh decorative pond and lake use in permit decisions for applications filed after the law takes effect.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.
Sources
Senator Hagenbuch moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 1959 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.
Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.
Sources
Senator Hagenbuch moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 1959 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.
NORTH TEXAS GROUNDWATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT (DB56D)
Special Districts & Authorities--Groundwater Conserve Dist.
Special Districts & Authorities--Water & Utility
Water--Conservation (I097L)
Text
The text as introduced · 109 words
89R17489 TYPED
By: Hagenbuch
S.B. No. 1959
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to permit considerations for the North Texas Groundwater
Conservation District.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 8856, Special District
Local Laws Code, is amended by adding Section 8856.108 to read as
follows:
Sec. 8856.108. PERMIT CONSIDERATIONS. Before granting or
denying a permit, or a permit amendment issued in accordance with
Section 36.1146, the district shall consider whether the proposed
use of water from the well is wholly or partly to provide water to a
pond or lake to enhance the appearance of the landscape.
Monitoring 