FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 13, 2025

Contact: Shannon.Harmon@senate.texas.gov

Senator Charles Perry Announces Filing of SB 7 & SJR 66

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Senator Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) announced today the filing of Senate Bill 7 and Senate Joint Resolution 66 securing the Texas-Sized Investment in Water prioritized as an emergency item by Texas Governor Greg Abbott during his State of the State Address on February 2.

Senate Joint Resolution 66 proposes a constitutional amendment dedicating up to $1 Billion per year to the Texas Water Fund for sixteen years beginning in 2027. In addition, the legislation:

• reserves 80% of that funding to finance new water supply projects;
• authorizes the Legislature to renew the dedication in increments of ten years beginning in 2043; and
• reserves to the Legislature the power to reallocate the funding among the Water Fund-supported programs that finance each type of water infrastructure project for each ten year renewal period.

Senate Bill 7 makes sweeping changes to the financial assistance programs for local water infrastructure projects administered by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and increases transparency and accountability in agency functions. In particular, the legislation:

• creates the Texas Water Fund Advisory Committee to provide oversight of all Texas Water Fund activities;
• requires TWDB to submit a biennial progress report to the Legislature regarding projects financed with Texas Water Fund money;
• creates the Office of Water Supply Conveyance Coordination to optimize water supply infrastructure construction for regional and statewide interconnection and interoperability;
• protects non-saline groundwater reserves in the state’s rapidly depleting freshwater aquifers;
• preserves local control over surface water rights;
• authorizes TWDB’s state water bank program to purchase out-of-state water for importation to meet the needs of Texans across the state;
• expands both project eligibility for financing from the New Water Supply for Texas Fund and the available methods of financing;
• prioritizes wastewater treatment projects in rural communities and small cities for financial assistance; and
• adds the Flood Infrastructure Fund to the Texas Water Fund structure, allowing flood projects to be financed using the funding stream constitutionally dedicated by SJR 66.

Senator Perry gave the following statement:

“Water scarcity is no longer a distant threat—it’s here, and it’s already disrupting the lives of Texans across the state. From West and South Texas, where agriculture is being strangled, to communities struggling to keep up with economic and industrial growth, the lack of water has become the single biggest limiting factor for our state’s future. Meanwhile, our aging treatment and conveyance infrastructure is deteriorating, and flood risks continue to rise in East Texas and along the Gulf Coast.

The bottom line: We are out of time. Texas must act now to secure a reliable water supply for today and for future generations. This is not just a priority—it is a fundamental responsibility of state and local government. Either we step up and solve this challenge, or we risk failing tens of millions of Texans. This is the moment. It’s now or never.

I am honored to lead this effort and deeply grateful to Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, my colleagues in the Senate, our counterparts in the House—especially Speaker Dustin Burrows and Chairman Cody Harris—state agencies, and the many stakeholders across Texas who have helped shape this legislation over the past year. Together, we have the opportunity to deliver the most significant water infrastructure investment in Texas history, and I look forward to getting it across the finish line this year.”

###