Houston Daily

Governor Greg Abbott has enacted Senate Bill 7 and House Joint Resolution 7, marking a significant investment in Texas' water infrastructure. The signing ceremony took place at SIMFLO in Lubbock.

"Water is a critical need for all Texas," Governor Abbott stated. "In my State of the State Address, I called on the Texas legislature to make the largest investment in water in Texas history. This law written by Chairman Perry and Chairman Harris does just that, providing a $20 billion generational investment for both new water supply and for the repairing of existing infrastructure. With this law, we will secure Texas water future for generations to come."

The event was attended by several officials including Speaker Dustin Burrows, Chairman Charles Perry, Chairman Cody Harris, Representative Greg Bonnen, Representative Carl Tepper, and SIMFLO CEO Troy Pickering.

Speaker Burrows commented on the proactive approach taken by lawmakers: "This session, lawmakers knew we had to be proactive in delivering a significant investment to help Texas meet its current and future water needs. This legislation will not only help secure Texans’ access to water, it will support continued economic growth and job creation across our state."

Chairman Perry emphasized the long-term benefits: "Senate Bill 7 is a generational investment in securing Texas’ water future. This legislation ensures our children and grandchildren have access to the water supply needed to keep our communities strong and our economy thriving."

Chairman Harris highlighted the importance of reliable infrastructure: "The perpetuation of Texas’ economic miracle depends on the reliability of our water infrastructure... Senate Bill 7 and HJR 7 are Texas-sized investments that put us on a path to strengthen the state’s water system."

Governor Abbott addressed over 150 industry workers about how these laws will address statewide needs by improving outdated systems and exploring new sources.

Senate Bill 7 tasks the Texas Water Development Board with coordinating supply conveyance while expanding uses of funds dedicated through House Joint Resolution 7. The resolution allocates $1 billion annually from sales taxes toward financing projects.

In his State Address earlier this year, Governor Abbott declared this initiative an emergency legislative item.