Brent Howard
SB 259 status: To Governor — Approved by Governor 05/20/2026 (updated May 29, 2026).
Source
OpenStates
Confidence
Low
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
Bill summary
The bill establishes a new regulatory framework requiring individuals to obtain permits for groundwater pumping and to report their usage data.
Any entity or individual involved in groundwater extraction, including agricultural operators, commercial entities, and potentially residential users depending on specific thresholds.
Applicants must secure permits and satisfy monitoring and reporting obligations regarding the quantity of water pumped.
Direct costs include permit application fees and the potential expense of installing monitoring equipment to comply with reporting mandates.
The bill has been approved as of May 2026.
Improved sustainability of groundwater aquifers, better resource management data, and clear legal procedures for water rights.
Increased regulatory burden, compliance costs for rural/agricultural stakeholders, and potential for administrative delays.
The specific permitting thresholds, the exact methodology for monitoring, and the cost of enforcement are not detailed in the available summary.
Modeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Positive outlook
Mixed / Neutral
Mixed / Neutral
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Positive outlook
Positive outlook
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
OpenStates
Official bill text or data from OpenStates.
Confidence
Low
Information is limited or incomplete.
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
LegiScan returned a PDF-only document. PDF extraction is not enabled in this build, so the pipeline used a safer fallback.
Analysis scope
Source is an abstract summary; lacks full legislative text.
Set your location
Add your district to see how this bill may affect your community and who to contact.
Your Representatives
Your representatives appear here once you add your location.
Contact your representatives
Let them know how you feel about this bill.
Share your view
Join the discussion and see what others are saying.
Track this bill
Stay updated on progress and changes.