Governor Greg Abbott (R) praised the state legislature for passing Senate Bill 7 and House Joint Resolution 7, measures he described as a "Texas-size water package" aimed at securing the state's water future amid rapid population growth and increasing strain on water supplies.
“With the dramatic population growth that Texas continues to experience, our water supplies are drying up, impacting Texans and communities across our great state,” said Governor Abbott. “This Texas-size water package is critical to fix broken and leaking pipes and give our agriculture producers in the Rio Grande Valley and West Texas the water they need to grow their crops.”
Senate Bill 7, authored by Senator Charles Perry (R) and carried in the House by Representative Cody Harris (R), establishes a new Water Fund to address both aging infrastructure and the development of new water sources. House Joint Resolution 7 will place a constitutional amendment on the ballot this November, allowing voters to decide whether to approve funding for the initiative.
“Thanks to the efforts of Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker Burrows, Senator Charles Perry, and Representative Cody Harris, Texas will make a generational investment to our water infrastructure and tap into new water supplies,” Abbott said.
The measure is designed to support both urban and rural water systems, with particular emphasis on repairing old pipelines and investing in technology to increase water reuse and desalination.
Earlier this year, during his 2025 State of the State Address, Governor Abbott designated water infrastructure as an emergency item for the legislative session. That designation allowed lawmakers to prioritize the bill for early consideration.
“I look forward to swiftly signing Senate Bill 7 into law,” Abbott added, “and I encourage Texans to pass the constitutional amendment this November to put Texas on a path to have plenty of water for the next 50 years.”
