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HB 289TEXASSession 891State Billdead

Did Not Advance

Texas creates Rural Infrastructure Disaster Recovery Program and special recovery account for disaster-damaged public facilities in rural areas

Original title: Relating to the Rural Infrastructure Disaster Recovery Program.

Last action · August 7, 2025: FiledSponsor: Trent Ashby

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

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What This Bill Proposed

Official description

Relating to the Rural Infrastructure Disaster Recovery Program.

Why it matters

Rural local governments facing severe disaster recovery costs become eligible for state grant funding to repair roads, schools, hospitals, and water systems when projects do not qualify for federal assistance.

Background

The Texas Division of Emergency Management operates under Chapter 418 of the Texas Government Code to manage state disaster response and recovery. context
The bill relates to the Rural Infrastructure Disaster Recovery Program as introduced during the legislative session. context

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.

Directly affected

eligible political subdivisions

Eligible counties and local political subdivisions gain the ability to apply for state grants to repair disaster-damaged critical infrastructure.

Directly affected

Texas Division of Emergency Management

The division is tasked with establishing and administering the grant program, account, and application process, and adopting necessary rules.

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

Which communities are eligible for grants under this program?

Counties with a population under 100,000, a gross domestic product under $3 billion, a poverty rate above 10 percent, located in a disaster area, and whose disaster damages exceed 10 percent of their prior year's sales and use taxes are eligible. Other s located within those counties are also eligible.

What types of infrastructure can be repaired using these grant funds?

Grant funds can be used to rebuild or repair , including roads, public schools, hospitals and healthcare facilities, water intake and treatment structures, wastewater plants, utility-scale water or wastewater storage and transmission facilities, and certain airport facilities.

Can projects that receive federal disaster aid also get these state grants?

No. An application must include documentation showing that the project does not qualify for federal funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · introduced in the House.

Procedural history

1 action

Aug 7, 2025HouseIntroduced
Filed

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.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Creation of Dedicated Rural Disaster Recovery Fund

The bill establishes a specialized grant fund within the general revenue fund specifically targeted at economically distressed and smaller rural counties impacted by disasters.

Texas Division of Emergency Management Federal Emergency Management Agency

Connected Entities

Federal Emergency Management Agency, Texas Division of Emergency Management

OrganizationFederal Emergency Management Agency“Federal agency providing disaster funding; projects must not qualify for its fun”Map →

OrganizationTexas Division of Emergency Management“Administers the rural infrastructure disaster recovery program and account”Map →

Sources

Open source document

capitol.texas.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
Controversy15
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz35
Current news / social attention level

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