HB 363 Texas House · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to the filing with the county clerk of certain counties of a draft of a petition requesting the creation of a municipal utility district.

HB 363 requires petitioners seeking to create a municipal utility district to send certified mail notice to county commissioners courts at least 30 days before filing their petition with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The notice must describe the proposed district's boundaries (using exact location details) and inform counties of their right to respond, review the petition, and submit written opinions. This bill amends the Water Code to add Section 54.0135 (requiring the notice) and updates Section 54.015 (adding a requirement that petitions include a copy of this notice). It applies only to petitions filed on or after the bill's effective date, directly affecting counties and those proposing new utility districts.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 28, 2025 Last action Apr 29, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Engrossed · 4 edits · Apr 25, 2025
MODERATE
The bill was amended to clarify the filing requirements for petitions to create municipal utility districts, adding a new pre-petition notice requirement and updating the petition contents to include evidence of timely filing with county clerks. The substantive policy changes focus on procedural requirements rather than new powers or funding.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on municipal utility district creation, but the applicability of new filing requirements is now explicitly limited to petitions filed on or after the effective date of the Act.
REQUIREMENT

Added a new Section 54.0135 requiring applicants to file a draft petition with county clerks at least 30 days before filing with the commission, along with a notice to commissioners courts.

Modified Section 54.015 to require petitions to include evidence that the draft was timely filed with county clerks, with an affidavit option to satisfy this requirement.

DEFINITION

Updated definitions in Section 54.001 to clarify that the Commission is the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality rather than the Natural Resource Conservation Commission.

TIMELINE

Maintained the effective date of September 1, 2025, with provisions ensuring petitions filed before this date continue under existing law.

Floor votes · House Apr 25, 2025

How they voted

1330
Passed · 9 other
Total votes 142
Apr 25, 2025
D Democratic56
51 Yea 5
91% Yea
R Republican86
82 Yea 4
95% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
27
Key actions
7
Committee
7
Apr 29, 2025
Committee
Referred to Local Government
upper
Apr 29, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
Apr 28, 2025
Introduced
Received from the House
upper
Apr 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
Apr 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed to engrossment
lower
Mar 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
Mar 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
Mar 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
lower
Mar 13, 2025
Lower · Passed
Left pending in committee
lower
Mar 13, 2025
Lower · Passed
Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
lower
Feb 28, 2025
Committee
Referred to Land & Resource Management
lower
Feb 28, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
5 primary · 3 co-sponsors

Sponsors