Monitoring the Session

SB 2204

more water board contracts skip the uniform grant rules

Became law, effective Sep 1, 2025

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Brian BirdwellRSenate 22

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 applicability of uniform grant and contract management standards to certain Texas Water Development Board programs.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

All of Subchapter C now, plus Subchapter R.

The bill widens the list of Texas Water Development Board programs whose contracts are exempt from the state's uniform grant and contract management law. It now covers every contract under Subchapter C, not just those for economically distressed areas and nonborder colonias, and it adds Subchapter R to the list. Contracts the board signs under those programs on or after September 1, 2025, will no longer have to follow the uniform state grant management standards.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2204 · 2025-03-11

SOLD BY

Sen. Brian BirdwellRSenate 22

ITEM

relating to the applicability of uniform grant and contract management standards to certain Texas Water Development Board programs.

WHAT IT DOES

All of Subchapter C now, plus Subchapter R.

The bill widens the list of Texas Water Development Board programs whose contracts are exempt from the state's uniform grant and contract management law. It now covers every contract under Subchapter C, not just those for economically distressed areas and nonborder colonias, and it adds Subchapter R to the list. Contracts the board signs under those programs on or after September 1, 2025, will no longer have to follow the uniform state grant management standards.

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 · April 3, 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. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Water, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Vote taken in committee
  8. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  9. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  10. Committee report printed and distributed
  11. Placed on local & uncontested calendar
  12. Laid before the Senate
  13. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  14. Vote recorded in Journal
  15. Three day rule suspended
  16. Record vote
  17. Read 3rd time
  18. Passed
  19. Record vote
  20. Reported engrossed
  21. Received from the Senate
  22. Read first time
  23. Referred to Natural Resources
  24. Considered in formal meeting
  25. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  26. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  27. Committee report distributed
  28. Laid out in lieu of companion HB 4153
  29. Read 2nd time
  30. Passed to 3rd reading
  31. Record vote RV#1228
  32. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  33. Committee report sent to Calendars
  34. Read 3rd time
  35. Passed
  36. Record vote RV#1353
  37. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  38. House passage reported
  39. Reported enrolled
  40. Signed in the Senate
  41. Signed in the House
  42. Sent to the Governor
  43. Signed by the Governor
  44. Effective on 9/1/25
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 93 yea · 27 nay

Senate · 31 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 2, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate: Final passage · Apr 16, 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

Brian Birdwell

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC Austin TX$30,000
Good Government Fund Fort Worth TX$10,000
Texas Oil & Gas Assn. Good Govt. Cmte Austin TX$10,000

Derived from itemized gifts, Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 30, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

$353,800 raised since Jul 1, 2024. Derived sum of published report totals. blank in the state's data, consistent with zero. Flow, Jul 1, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026. 4 of 4 filed reports carry a published figure.

$502,039 spent since Jul 1, 2024. Derived sum of published report totals. Flow, Jul 1, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026. 4 of 4 filed reports carry a published figure.

$731,044 cash on hand. Published report total. Stock, as of Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

$0 loans outstanding. Published report total. Stock, as of Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived sum of itemized contributions in regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Unitemized contributions are not included. Flow, Jul 1, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Money

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

Votes5

House May 2, 2025

Yea
93
Nay
27
Present, not voting
2
Absent
5
Excused
23
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1353

SB 2204 was passed by (Record 1353): 93 Yeas, 27 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 93 (published)
  • Nay: 27 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 23 (derived from named list)

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

House May 1, 2025

Yea
106
Nay
37
Present, not voting
1
Absent
2
Excused
4
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1228

SB 2204 was passed to third reading by (Record 1228): 106 Yeas, 37 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 106 (published)
  • Nay: 37 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 2 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 4 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 16, 2025

Final passage

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.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records final passage. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Sources

SB 2204 (Birdwell) Relating to the applicability of uniform grant and contract management standards to certain Texas Water Development Board programs. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)

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 16, 2025

Suspension of the three-day rule

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.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records suspension of the three-day rule. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Sources

SB 2204 (Birdwell) Relating to the applicability of uniform grant and contract management standards to certain Texas Water Development Board programs. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)

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 16, 2025

Passage to engrossment

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.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records passage to engrossment. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

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

Sources

SB 2204 (Birdwell) Relating to the applicability of uniform grant and contract management standards to certain Texas Water Development Board programs. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)

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.

Witnesses5
For
4
Against
0
On
1
Names

For

  • Self1 registration
  • Texas chapter of US Green Building Council1 registration
  • Texas Water Supply Partners1 registration
  • Upper Trinity Regional Water District1 registration

On

  • Texas Water Development Board1 registration
Sources

5 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

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 3, 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 Senate · Filed Mar 11, 2025

05/19/2025 E Effective on 9/1/25

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

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

Sponsors
Caroline FairlyRHouse 87

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

Senate committee · Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs · Committee vote 9 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Companion

HB 4153 by Fairly (identical)

Subjects

Purchasing--State

Water--Development

Water--General

WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD, TEXAS

Text

The text as introduced · 179 words

89R4095 ANG-F

By: Birdwell
S.B. No. 2204

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the applicability of uniform grant and contract

management standards to certain Texas Water Development Board

programs.

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

SECTION 1. Section 15.008, Water Code, is amended to read as

follows:

Sec. 15.008. GRANT STANDARDS. The law regarding uniform

grant and contract management, Chapter 783, Government Code, does

not apply to a contract under Subchapter B, C, F, H, I, K, [ or ] P, or

R [ to a contract relating to an economically distressed area or

nonborder colonia under Subchapter C ].

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

a contract entered into on or after the effective date of this Act.

A contract entered into before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date

of this Act, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

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