S.B. No. 971 amends the Texas Water Assistance Program by repealing the existing definition of a rural political subdivision as outlined in Section 15.001(14) of the Water Code, which was previously added by S.B. 469 during the 88th Legislature. This change aims to clarify or update the criteria used to define rural political subdivisions within the context of the program, although the specific new definition is not provided in the text of the bill.

The bill is set to take effect immediately upon receiving a two-thirds majority vote from both houses of the legislature. If it does not achieve this majority, the bill will take effect on September 1, 2025. The bill has already passed both the Senate and the House with significant support, indicating a strong legislative consensus on the need for this change.