Texas : 2025 Regular Session : BILL SB1154
Relating to a prohibition on weather and climate modification activities by a governmental entity.
Sponsor: Sen Bryan Hughes & Sen Tan Parker
Bill Details
Relating to a prohibition on weather and climate modification activities by a governmental entity.
GeoLawWatch Bill Summary
SB 1154 would prohibit governmental entities from engaging in geoengineering, weather modification and control, or cloud-seeding operations while preserving the existing licensing framework for private operators.
The bill defines "geoengineering" as 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. This definition encompasses traditional cloud seeding, solar radiation management, and other atmospheric interventions.
The prohibition applies to governmental entities—a term not further defined in the bill but presumably encompassing state agencies, counties, municipalities, and potentially federal entities operating within Texas.
The bill makes corresponding changes to the existing regulatory framework. It amends Section 301.057 to eliminate TDLR's authority to enter cooperative agreements with public agencies for weather modification. The revised section would allow TDLR to cooperate only with private agencies. The current law's provisions allowing TDLR to contract with the United States or its agencies, counties, municipalities, or public agencies for conducting weather modification operations would be repealed.
The exemption provisions in Section 301.102 would be narrowed. Currently, research conducted by state and federal agencies, institutions of higher learning, and nonprofit research organisations may be exempted from licensing requirements. The amendment removes state and federal agencies from this exemption, leaving only private institutions of higher learning and bona fide nonprofit research organisations eligible.
The bill repeals Section 301.056 (the content of which is not shown in the bill text), Section 301.058(b), and Chapter 302 in its entirety—the same chapter that HB 1382 would also repeal.
Transitional provisions specify that the changes apply only to contracts entered into on or after the effective date, with prior contracts governed by the former law.
History
SB 1154 was filed by Senator Hughes on February 6, 2025, receiving its first reading on February 28, 2025, with referral to the Senate Natural Resources Committee. A co-author was authorised on April 2, 2025, indicating growing support for the measure.
The bill's assignment to Natural Resources rather than a licensing committee (as with the House bills) reflects its focus on governmental authority over natural resources rather than the licensing regime itself. As of the available record, no hearing has been scheduled.
SB 1154 represents a third distinct approach to weather modification policy in the 89th Legislature, alongside HB 1382 (complete prohibition with criminal penalties) and HB 3740 (enhanced chemical approval requirements). The coexistence of these three bills—prohibition, regulation, and governmental restriction—illustrates the range of legislative responses to concerns about weather modification. If SB 1154 advances while HB 1382 stalls, Texas could end up with a framework that privatises weather modification entirely, removing governmental participation while allowing licensed private operators to continue.
- Thu 06 Feb 2025 Received by the Secretary of the Senate
- Thu 06 Feb 2025 Filed
- Fri 28 Feb 2025 Read first time
- Fri 28 Feb 2025 Referred to Natural Resources
- Wed 02 Apr 2025 Co-author authorized
Consolidated Bill Text
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. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation may cooperate with private agencies to promote the purposes of this chapter.
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 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.