Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 7 and House Joint Resolution 7 into law to deliver the largest generational investment in Texas' water infrastructure during a bill signing ceremony at SIMFLO.
“Water is a critical need for all Texas,” said Governor Abbott. “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 Governor was joined by Speaker Dustin Burrows, Chairman Charles Perry, Chairman Cody Harris, Representative Greg Bonnen, Representative Carl Tepper, SIMFLO CEO Troy Pickering, and other state and local officials and business leaders.
“This session, lawmakers knew we had to be proactive in delivering a significant investment to help Texas meet its current and future water needs,” said Speaker Burrows. “This legislation will not only help secure Texans’ access to water, it will support continued economic growth and job creation across our state. I want to thank Chairman Harris for leading these efforts in the House, as well as Lieutenant Governor Patrick and Senator Perry for the thoughtful collaboration that allowed us to deliver to Governor Abbott and Texas voters a long-term strategy for a more secure water future.”
“Senate Bill 7 is a generational investment in securing Texas’ water future,” said Chairman Perry. “This legislation ensures our children and grandchildren have access to the water supply needed to keep our communities strong and our economy thriving. I’m grateful for the steadfast leadership of Governor Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Patrick, Speaker Burrows, and Chairman Harris in making this historic initiative a reality.”
“The perpetuation of Texas’ economic miracle depends on the reliability of our water infrastructure,” said Chairman Harris. “This includes expanding our water supply portfolio and fixing our aging, water and wastewater systems. Texas is growing fast, and our water supply isn’t keeping up. Senate Bill 7 and HJR 7 are Texas-sized investments that puts us on a path to strengthen the state’s water system and, in turn, create jobs, support population growth and attract new investments to water infrastructure and new water sources for generations to come.”
The $20 billion dollar legislation starts with a one-time investment of $2.5 billion into the water fund. Voters will then decide on a proposal calling for $1 billion a year for 20 years which would fund new water supplies, repair water infrastructure and also include conservation projects.
The bill was led by Lubbock State Senator Charles Perry, who laid out a framework for funding projects through the Texas Water Development Board.