Monitoring the Session

SB 879

closed-loop geothermal wells skip two Natural Resources Code sections

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 an exemption for drillers or operators of closed-loop geothermal injection wells from certain requirements applicable to persons involved in activities under the jurisdiction of the Railroad Commission of Texas.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

85.2021 and 91.142, for Railroad Commission permit-by-rule holders.

The bill says two sections of the Natural Resources Code, 85.2021 and 91.142, do not apply to people who use a Railroad Commission permit by rule for closed-loop geothermal injection wells. It touches geothermal drillers and operators who request or hold that permit. Those operators no longer have to meet the requirements in those two sections for permit applications filed on or after September 1, 2025.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB879 · 2025-01-22

SOLD BY

Sen. Brian BirdwellRSenate 22

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to an exemption for drillers or operators of closed-loop geothermal injection wells from certain requirements applicable to persons involved in activities under the jurisdiction of the Railroad Commission of Texas.

WHAT IT DOES

85.2021 and 91.142, for Railroad Commission permit-by-rule holders.

The bill says two sections of the Natural Resources Code, 85.2021 and 91.142, do not apply to people who use a Railroad Commission permit by rule for closed-loop geothermal injection wells. It touches geothermal drillers and operators who request or hold that permit. Those operators no longer have to meet the requirements in those two sections for permit applications filed on or after September 1, 2025.

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 18, 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 Natural Resources
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Testimony taken in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Vote taken in committee
  11. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  12. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  13. Committee report printed and distributed
  14. Placed on intent calendar
  15. Co-author authorized
  16. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  17. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  18. Vote recorded in Journal
  19. Three day rule suspended
  20. Record vote
  21. Read 3rd time
  22. Passed
  23. Record vote
  24. Reported engrossed
  25. Received from the Senate
  26. Read first time
  27. Referred to Energy Resources
  28. Considered in formal meeting
  29. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  30. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  31. Committee report distributed
  32. Committee report sent to Calendars
  33. Laid out in lieu of companion HB 1971
  34. Read 2nd time
  35. Passed to 3rd reading
  36. Record vote RV#1152
  37. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  38. Read 3rd time
  39. Passed
  40. Record vote RV#1340
  41. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  42. House passage reported
  43. Reported enrolled
  44. Signed in the Senate
  45. Signed in the House
  46. Sent to the Governor
  47. Signed by the Governor
  48. Effective on 9/1/25
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 122 yea · 0 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 3, 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
122
Nay
0
Present, not voting
2
Absent
4
Excused
22
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1340

SB 879 was passed by (Record 1340): 122 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 122 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 4 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 22 (derived from named list)

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

House May 1, 2025

Yea
141
Nay
0
Present, not voting
1
Absent
5
Excused
3
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1152

SB 879 was read second time and was passed to third reading by (Record 1152): 141 Yeas, 0 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 141 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 3 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 3, 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 Birdwell moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 879 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 3, 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 Birdwell moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 879 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 3, 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.

Witnesses3
For
2
Against
0
On
1
Names

For

  • Texas 20361 registration
  • Texas Geothermal Energy Alliance1 registration

On

  • Railroad Commission of Texas1 registration
Sources

3 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 · March 18, 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 Jan 22, 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.

Coauthors
César BlancoDSenate 29
Sponsors
Drew DarbyRHouse 72 R.D. "Bobby" GuerraDHouse 41

House committee · Energy Resources · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Natural Resources · Committee vote 8 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Companion

HB 1971 by Darby (identical)

Subjects

Energy--General

Energy--Geothermal (IP9BV)

Environment--Water

Mines & Mineral Resources

INJECTION WELLS

PERMITS

RAILROAD COMMISSION

Text

The text as introduced · 158 words

89R8807 ANG-F

By: Birdwell
S.B. No. 879

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to an exemption for drillers or operators of closed-loop

geothermal injection wells from certain requirements applicable to

persons involved in activities under the jurisdiction of the

Railroad Commission of Texas.

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

SECTION 1. Section 27.037, Water Code, is amended by adding

Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:

(c-1) Sections 85.2021 and 91.142, Natural Resources Code,

do not apply to a person who submits a request for authorization or

is authorized to use a valid permit by rule issued by the railroad

commission under this section.

SECTION 2. Section 27.037, Water Code, as amended by this

Act, applies to a permit application or materially amended permit

application that is filed with the Railroad Commission of Texas on

or after the effective date of this Act.

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