Senate bars homeowner association fines for brown lawns during water restrictions

The Texas Senate on Monday unanimously passed House Bill 517, a measure that prevents property owners associations (POAs) from assessing fines for discolored vegetation or a homeowner’s failure to install new grass or turf during periods of municipal residential watering restrictions and for 60 days after such restrictions are lifted.

The bill is aimed at resolving conflicts that occur when municipal water‑use limits make compliance with POA landscaping bylaws impracticable.

Senator Schwartner, the bill’s sponsor on the floor, told senators that POA bylaws sometimes require continuous green lawns or the installation of new turf, but that municipal drought restrictions can make such obligations impossible to meet without violating local water rules or incurring fines. Schwartner said HB 517 “relieves homeowners from unfair POA penalties and prioritizes pertinent water conservation efforts” by specifically prohibiting POAs from imposing fines for discolored vegetation during a residential watering restriction and for at least 60 days after the restriction ends. Senator Hinojosa asked whether a broader interim study of POA authorities might be warranted; Schwartner agreed such a study could be appropriate in the future.

The Senate suspended rules to take the bill up and passed it through third reading and then suspended the three‑day rule; the floor record shows the measure passed third reading and final passage with a 30–0 recorded vote.

Sponsors and supporters presented the measure as a balance between local environmental regulation and private covenant enforcement; the transcript records the sponsor’s explanation, a brief exchange on broader POA reform, and unanimous approval on the floor.