Water to be on State Constitutional Amendment Ballot this Fall

Water security remained a top priority for rural Texas and agriculture during the regular session of the Texas Legislature.

Texas Farm Bureau supported SB 7 and its companion resolution, HJR 7, by Sen. Charles Perry and Rep. Cody Harris.

These measures establish the Texas Water Fund, dedicating $1 billion annually through 2047 from state sales tax revenue exceeding $46.5 billion. Funds will support rural water and wastewater infrastructure, as well as flood mitigation projects.

“This is a step in the right direction to strengthen water access in rural Texas,” Lemae Higgs, Fayette County Farm Bureau president, said. “These investments will help ensure that farms, ranches, and rural communities have the water infrastructure they need now and in the future.”

The legislation includes safeguards to protect rural landowners. It prohibits the acquisition of property for reservoir construction under the fund and restricts water rights transactions to leasing—protecting rural landowners from forced sales.

Fresh groundwater projects, however, are not eligible for funding under the new fund.

Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 7 into law, so the next step lies with Texas voters.

HJR 7 will appear on the statewide constitutional amendment ballot in November, where voters will decide whether to enshrine the Texas Water Fund in the state’s constitution.

“This is a critical opportunity to secure long-term investments in water infrastructure without burdening rural Texans,” Higgs said.