(Texas Scorecard) – Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation aimed at increasing funding for Texas’ water infrastructure on Wednesday at the Engineering Products Facility in Lubbock.
Senate Bill 7 places oversight and funding for water infrastructure development under the purview of the Texas Water Development Board.
The TWDB is Texas’ primary water planning and financing agency. It is responsible for collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional water supply and flood planning, and administering financial programs for water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control, and agricultural water conservation projects.
Assigning the TWDB to work with other government and private entities is intended to simplify water transportation through existing and new structures.
The measure also creates the Texas Water Fund Advisory Committee, which will be tasked with making recommendations to TWDB regarding the use of funds and monitoring water structure projects.
Texas Policy Research, in a published overview of the measure, applauded its overall intent, but expressed concerns regarding some of its fiscal requirements, lack of oversight, and the potential infringement on private property the measure creates.
While there is no actual spending being allocated for water projects in the measure, it does lay out a framework for long-term spending through the Texas Water Fund.
“We have an across the board urgency to make sure that we address the water issue, so much so that in my State of the State address, I made fixing the water problem an emergency item,” said Gov. Greg Abbott at the bill signing.
“And the good news is we had the legislature step up and get that job done with the largest water law in the history of the great state of Texas.”
Abbott also used the event to promote a constitutional amendment that will be before voters in the fall.
House Joint Resolution 7 amends the Texas Constitution to create steady revenue streams to the Texas Water Fund if state sales and use taxes exceed $48 billion in a year.
If those taxes exceed this amount, the state comptroller will automatically transfer up to $1 billion to the Texas Water Fund every year. This provision will expire in 20 years if no further action is taken by the legislature to renew it.
Overall, HJR 7 allows the state to take over management of Texas’ water development and for the funds to be distributed without going through the usual allocation process.
Since HJR 7 seeks to amend the Texas Constitution, taxpayers will have the opportunity to vote on the measure on November 4.