89R2207 MP-D
By: Hughes S.B. No. 1154
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a prohibition on weather and climate modification
activities by a governmental entity.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 301, Agriculture Code, is
amended by adding Section 301.002 to read as follows:
Sec. 301.002. WEATHER OR CLIMATE MODIFICATION BY
GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY PROHIBITED. (a) In this section,
"geoengineering" means the intentional injection, release, or
dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds,
substances, or apparatus into the atmosphere with the express
purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of
sunlight.
(b) Notwithstanding any other law, a governmental entity
may not engage in geoengineering, weather modification and control,
or cloud-seeding operations.
SECTION 2. Section 301.057, Agriculture Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 301.057. [CONTRACTS AND] COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.
[(a)] The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation may
cooperate with [public or] private agencies to promote the purposes
of this chapter.
[(b) The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation may
enter into cooperative agreements with the United States or any of
its agencies, with counties and municipalities of this state, or
with any private or public agencies for conducting weather
modification or cloud-seeding operations.
[(c) The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation may
represent the state, counties, municipalities, and public and
private agencies in contracting with private concerns for the
performance of weather modification or cloud-seeding operations.]
SECTION 3. Section 301.102(a), Agriculture Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation by
rule, to the extent it considers exemptions practical, shall
provide for exempting the following activities from the license and
permit requirements of this chapter:
(1) research, development, and experiments conducted
by private [state and federal agencies,] institutions of higher
learning[,] and bona fide nonprofit research organizations;
(2) laboratory research and experiments;
(3) activities of an emergent nature for protection
against fire, frost, sleet, or fog; and
(4) activities normally conducted for purposes other
than inducing, increasing, decreasing, or preventing precipitation
or hail.
SECTION 4. The following provisions of the Agriculture
Code are repealed:
(1) Section 301.056;
(2) Section 301.058(b); and
(3) Chapter 302.
SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
a contract entered into on or after the effective date of this Act.
A contract entered into before the effective date of this Act is
governed by the law in effect on the date the contract was entered
into, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.