2026 Regular Session
SB259
Water and water rights; establishing procedures for permitting, monitoring, and reporting of groundwater use. Effective date.
Legislative progress
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This summary includes only completed milestones supported by recorded actions. It does not predict the next step, and it preserves later committee reassignments, concurrence, conference, veto, and approval actions when they occur.
Partner positions
Likes
Requires water permit holders to remit their annual report of water use to the Water Resources Board and directs the Board to require all water wells requiring a permit to take and use groundwater to utilize water well flow meters or alternative measuring systems. The Board shall promulgate rules providing for an 8-year phase-in schedule of adopting these systems. Requires all reporting to be anonymized.
Recorded floor votes
6 roll calls are available for this bill. This record includes procedural and intermediate action as well as substantive final votes.
March 5, 2026 · Senate
Senate: Energy Committee: DO PASS AMENDED CS
Passed
7 yea–1 nay
March 25, 2026 · Senate
Senate: THIRD READING
Passed ⭐ Substantive final action
36 yea–10 nay · 2 absent
April 8, 2026 · House
House: Energy Committee: DO PASS AS AMENDED BY CS
Passed
8 yea–0 nay
April 13, 2026 · House
House: Energy and Natural Resources Oversight Committee: DO PASS AS AMENDED BY CS
Passed
8 yea–6 nay
May 6, 2026 · House
House: THIRD READING
Passed ⭐ Substantive final action
88 yea–1 nay · 10 absent
May 14, 2026 · Senate
Senate: FOURTH READING
Passed
38 yea–10 nay
Committee referrals
April 6, 2026 · House
Energy
March 30, 2026 · House
Energy and Natural Resources Oversight
March 30, 2026 · House
Agriculture
February 4, 2025 · Senate
Energy
Instrument history
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This is the complete recorded action history in the current source package. Highlighted entries are marked as significant by the source. A roll-call link appears only when a vote-like action has one unambiguous same-day chamber vote.
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Senate Approved by Governor 05/20/2026
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Senate Sent to Governor
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House Signed, returned to Senate
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Senate Enrolled, to House
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Senate Referred for enrollment
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Senate Measure passed: Ayes: 38 Nays: 10 View roll call
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Senate HAs adopted View roll call
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Senate Coauthored by Representative Boles
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Senate HAs read
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House Engrossed, signed, to Senate
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House Referred for engrossment
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House Third Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 88 Nays: 1 View roll call
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House Amended
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House General Order
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House CR; Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Energy and Natural Resources Oversight Committee
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House Coauthored by Senator(s) Burns
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House Policy recommendation to the Energy and Natural Resources Oversight committee; Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Energy View roll call
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House Referred to Energy
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House Withdrawn from Agriculture Committee
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House Referred to Agriculture
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House Second Reading referred to Energy and Natural Resources Oversight
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House First Reading
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Senate Engrossed to House
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Senate Referred for engrossment
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Senate Measure passed: Ayes: 36 Nays: 11 View roll call
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Senate Ayes: 34 Nays: 8
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Senate Advanced to Third Reading
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Senate Title restored
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Senate General Order, Amended
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Senate Placed on General Order
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Senate Title stricken
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Senate Reported Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Energy committee; CR filed View roll call
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Senate Referred to Energy
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Senate Withdrawn from Appropriations committee
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Senate Coauthored by Representative Newton (principal House author)
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Senate Second Reading referred to Energy Committee then to Appropriations Committee
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Senate Authored by Senator Howard
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Senate First Reading