SB1532

Regular Session

Relating to the information required to be posted by the Texas Water Development Board on the board's Internet website regarding the use of the state water implementation fund for Texas.

LowStandard timeline

Low Cost

Effective:2025-09-01

Enforcing Agencies

Texas Water Development Board

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: September 1, 2025
Compliance Deadline: August 15, 2025 (Internal deadline to operationalize new data retrieval workflows before the public feed is potentially terminated).
Agency Rulemaking: The TWDB is not required to issue new rules to implement this reduction in transparency. However, the Board retains discretion to post information via internal rule; stakeholders must monitor upcoming Board meetings for indications of whether voluntary posting will continue.

Immediate Action Plan

1. Audit Data Usage: Immediately determine which internal departments (Sales, Estimating, Legal) currently rely on the TWDB SWIFT transparency webpage.
2. Establish PIA Protocol: Draft a standard, recurring Public Information Act request for "Approved SWIFT Financial Assistance Applications" to be filed monthly starting September 2025.
3. Monitor Board Agendas: Subscribe to TWDB Board Meeting agendas and minutes. While the detailed application data may vanish from the website, project approvals will still be recorded in meeting minutes.
4. Update Lead Times: Adjust business development timelines to account for a 10-to-20-day lag in obtaining project intelligence due to the shift from instant web access to the open records request cycle.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

Teaming Agreements: Prime contractors and subcontractors must accelerate pre-bid teaming agreements. Because project funding details will no longer be automatically public, identifying partners after funding approval will become slower and more difficult.
Confidentiality: For SWIFT applicants, the risk of inadvertent disclosure of proprietary data via the website is reduced, but standard Texas Public Information Act (PIA) provisions still apply to all submitted documents.

Hiring/Training

Business Development Staff: Staff currently responsible for scraping or monitoring the TWDB website must be retrained on the Texas Public Information Act (PIA) process.
Legal/Compliance: In-house counsel must equip sales teams with pre-approved PIA request templates to avoid bottlenecks.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

PIA Logs: Implement a tracking log for PIA requests sent to TWDB. Unlike the instant access of a website, PIA requests have a statutory 10-business-day response window. Your team must track these dates to ensure data is received in time for bid preparation.

Fees & Costs

Administrative Costs: Expect a minor increase in administrative overhead dedicated to drafting and managing open records requests.
Data Charges: While standard electronic data is often free, the TWDB may charge standard state rates for labor and overhead if data requests are voluminous or require manipulation.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

Discretionary Posting: The law removes the *mandate* to post information but does not *prohibit* the Board from doing so. It is currently unclear if the TWDB will cease posting immediately to reduce administrative burden or continue posting as a courtesy.
"Other Information": The statute retains the Board's authority to post "any other information required by board rule." If industry pushback regarding the loss of transparency is significant, the Board may re-regulate this disclosure requirement through the standard rulemaking process.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsWater Water--development Water--general Internet Water Development Board, Texas

Official Analysis

View HRO Analysis View All Bill Documents

BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 1532
89R4086 ANG-F	By: Zaffirini
	Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs
	3/10/2025
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) requested this cleanup bill to eliminate an outdated reporting requirement that creates inefficiencies and inconsistencies across its financial programs. Currently, TWDB must post full or abridged financial assistance applications for the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) online, a requirement unique to SWIFT that imposes an unnecessary administrative burden. No other TWDB financial assistance program requires this level of online disclosure, and all application information remains accessible through public information requests.

S.B. 1532 would remove this online posting requirement while maintaining key financial and administrative disclosures, including bond transactions, loan repayment statuses, administrative costs, and project prioritization data. By aligning SWIFT with other TWDB financial programs, this bill would reduce redundancy and allow the agency to allocate resources more efficiently.

As proposed, S.B. 1532 amends current law relating to the information required to be posted by the Texas Water Development Board on the board's Internet website regarding the use of the state water implementation fund for Texas.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 15.440(b), Water Code, as follows:

(b) Deletes existing text requiring the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to post certain information on TWDB's Internet website regarding the use of the fund and regularly update the information posted, including for each regional water planning area, a description of each project funded through bonds supported by a bond enhancement agreement entered into under Section 15.435 (Bond Enhancement Agreements), including any nonconfidential information submitted to TWDB as part of an application for financial assistance under Subchapter G (State Water Implementation Fund for Texas) that is approved by TWDB. Makes nonsubstantive changes.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2025.

Senate Authors

Sen. Judith ZaffiriniDemocrat · Primary Author

House Sponsor

Rep. Armando MartinezDemocrat · Primary Sponsor

Bill Text(with markup)

S.B. No. 1532

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

	AN ACT
	relating to the information required to be posted by the Texas Water
	Development Board on the board's Internet website regarding the use
	of the state water implementation fund for Texas.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 15.440(b), Water Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(b) The board shall post the following information on the
	board's Internet website regarding the use of the fund and
	regularly update the information posted:
	(1) the progress made in developing needed water
	supply statewide and for the benefit of each regional water
	planning area;
	(2) for each regional water planning area, a
	description of each project funded through bonds supported by a
	bond enhancement agreement entered into under Section 15.435,
	including:
	(A) the expected date of completion of the
	project;
	(B) the current status of the project;
	(C) the amount of bonds issued and the terms of
	the bonds;
	(D) a summary of the terms of the bond
	enhancement agreement; and
	(E) the status of repayment of any loan provided
	in connection with the project, including an assessment of the risk
	of default based on a standard risk rating system;
	(3) a description of the investment portfolio of the
	fund;
	(4) the expenses incurred in investing money in the
	fund;
	(5) the rate of return on the investment of money in
	the fund;
	(6) a description of the point system for prioritizing
	projects established by the board under Section 15.437(b) and the
	number of points awarded by the board for each project;
	(7) [~~any nonconfidential information submitted to the~~
	~~board as part of an application for financial assistance under this~~
	~~subchapter that is approved by the board;~~
	[~~(8)~~] the administrative and operating expenses
	incurred by the board in developing the state water plan and
	providing financial assistance for projects included in the plan;
	and
	(8) [~~(9)~~] any other information required by board
	rule.
	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


March 16, 2025

TO:	Honorable Charles Perry, Chair, Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs

FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	SB1532 by Zaffirini (Relating to the information required to be posted by the Texas Water Development Board on the board's Internet website regarding the use of the state water implementation fund for Texas.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

It is assumed that any costs associated with the bill could be absorbed using existing resources.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

580 Water Development Board

LBB Staff:

JMc, FV, MW, AJL

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB1532

What does Texas SB1532 do?

SB1532 eliminates the statutory requirement for the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to post nonconfidential details of approved State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) applications on its website. This deregulation removes a primary source of market intelligence for engineering firms, contractors, and financial advisors tracking state-funded water projects, requiring an immediate pivot to active public records monitoring. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: September 1, 2025 Compliance Deadline: August 15, 2025 (Internal deadline to operationalize new data retrieval workflows before the public feed is potentially terminated).

Who authored SB1532?

SB1532 was authored by Texas Senator Judith Zaffirini during the Regular Session.

When was SB1532 signed into law?

SB1532 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on May 19, 2025.

Which agencies enforce SB1532?

SB1532 is enforced by Texas Water Development Board.

How urgent is compliance with SB1532?

The compliance urgency for SB1532 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of SB1532?

The cost impact of SB1532 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does SB1532 address?

SB1532 addresses topics including water, water--development, water--general, internet and water development board, texas.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

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