The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Texas expands Railroad Commission authority to regulate recycling, beneficial use, and discharge permits for produced water
Last action · March 14, 2025: Referred to Energy ResourcesSponsor: Brooks Landgraf
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What This Bill Proposed
Relating to the regulation and management of produced water from oil and gas operations.
Operators in the oil and gas sector face new explicit rules regarding the recycling, beneficial use, and discharge of , while water quality standards and discharge permits are established for state water bodies.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
oil and gas operators
Operators must comply with new rules and permit requirements regarding the recycling, beneficial use, and discharge of produced water.
Railroad Commission of Texas
The commission is tasked with adopting new rules, issuing permits, and assisting applicants with discharge permit preparation.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What new responsibilities does the Railroad Commission receive regarding produced water?
Does the state provide help to applicants seeking discharge permits?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
3 actions- Mar 14, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to Energy Resources
- Mar 14, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time
- Jan 9, 2025HouseIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expanded Oversight of Produced Water
The bill shifts regulatory focus to mandate rules specifically targeting the recycling, beneficial use, and controlled discharge of produced water.
Connected Entities
Sources
capitol.texas.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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