Texas House bill by Rep. Kerwin addresses Johnson County Special Utility District elections and bond authority

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Helen Kerwin seeks to update election requirements for directors and expand bond issuance powers of the Johnson County Special Utility District, aiming to clarify governance and financial authority, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 49 Democrats and 49 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while four Democrats and 30 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 11 Democrats and 17 Republicans voted in favor, while three Republicans voted against it.

Helen Kerwin introduced the bill in the Texas House on Friday, April 11, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Kerwin, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 58th House district, replacing previous state representative DeWayne Burns.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the election of directors for and the authority to issue bonds of the Johnson County Special Utility District’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the Special District Local Laws Code to address the election of directors and bond issuance authority for the Johnson County Special Utility District. It stipulates that candidates for the board of directors must be qualified voters and customers of the district, owning land serviced by it or holding a beneficial interest in a trust owning such land. The board may also allow elections from single-member districts, requiring candidates to reside in the district they wish to represent. The district is granted the authority to issue bonds per Chapter 1371 of the Government Code, superseding certain restrictions in the Water Code. The bill will take effect immediately upon receiving two-thirds support in each legislative house or otherwise on Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Wednesday, May 28, but was vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday, June 22.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.