89TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION UPDATE

As of March 19, 2025, the Texas Legislature is actively considering several bills that could impact Hickory Underground Water Conservation District No. 1 (Hickory UWCD#1). While it's not feasible to list all 20 bills here, We can highlight some key legislation that may affect your district:

1. Senate Bill 7 (Perry): Introduced by Senator Charles Perry, SB 7 proposes significant investments in the state's water supply, including funding for new water sources such as desalination and statewide pipeline projects. This bill aligns with the goal of addressing Texas' water scarcity challenges.

2. House Bill 1971 (Ashby/Springer): HB 1971 aims to amend Chapter 36 of the Texas Water Code, introducing changes that could influence GCD operations. Notably, it mandates that GCD boards issue final decisions in contested case hearings within 180 days of receiving the State Office of Administrative Hearings' proposal. Failure to meet this deadline would result in the SOAH's proposal becoming the board's final order.

3. House Bill 2443 (Harris/Perry): This bill adds Section 36.1025 to the Texas Water Code, allowing individuals with real property interests in groundwater to petition their GCDs to adopt or modify district rules. It outlines specific notice and hearing requirements and obligates GCDs to provide explanations if a petition is denied.

4. House Bill 3059 (T. King/Perry): HB 3059 proposes amendments to Sections 36.122 and 36.207 of the Texas Water Code, affecting export fees for groundwater. It increases the export fee cap for both tax- and fee-based districts to 20 cents per thousand gallons and permits a 3% annual increase starting January 1, 2024. The bill also specifies that these funds should be used for assessing and addressing impacts related to groundwater development.

6. Senate Bill 40 (Patrick): SB 40 addresses bail reform. Although primarily a criminal justice measure, it could have ancillary effects on water districts if passed. 

10. Senate Bill 29 (Patrick): SB 29 proposes incorporating Texas. This constitutional amendment could have broad implications, potentially affecting governance structures that oversee entities like GCDs. Texas Senate Joint Resolution 66 (SJR66) is a proposed constitutional amendment introduced during the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025. The resolution aims to dedicate a portion of the revenue derived from state sales and use taxes, as well as insurance premium taxes, to the Texas water fund.

11. Senate Joint Resolution (Perry) SJR66

•Texas Water Fund Composition: SJR66 proposes amendments to Section 49-d-16, Article III, of the Texas Constitution, detailing the composition of the Texas water fund. The fund would consist of money transferred or deposited under constitutional or legal authority, including appropriations by the legislature, investment earnings, gifts, grants, donations, and other revenues dedicated by statute.

•Allocation of Sales and Use Tax Revenue: The resolution suggests that for each state fiscal year, the comptroller deposit to the credit of the Texas water fund the net revenue derived from sales and use taxes that exceed the first $46.5 billion collected in that fiscal year.

•Allocation of Insurance Premium Tax Revenue: SJR66 also proposes that a portion of the revenue from insurance premium taxes be allocated to the Texas water fund. The specifics of this allocation are detailed in the resolution text.

•Use of Allocated Funds: The resolution outlines that during the first ten fiscal years beginning September 1, 2043, not less than 25% of the allocated funds should be used exclusively for transfer to the New Water Supply for Texas Fund. For subsequent ten-year periods, the legislature may allocate these funds to the Texas Water Development Board or its successor. The allocation cannot be amended during the ten-year period for which the money is allocated.

Legislative Process:

Introduced in Senate: SJR66 was filed and received by the Secretary of the Senate on March 6, 2025.

Committee Referral: Following its introduction, the resolution was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance for further consideration.

Sponsors:

The resolution is sponsored by Senators Charles Perry, Adam Hinojosa, Angela Paxton, Bob Hall, Brandon Creighton, Brent Hagenbuch, Bryan Hughes, Carol Alvarado, César Blanco, Charles Schwertner, Donna Campbell, José Menéndez, Juan Hinojosa, Judith Zaffirini, Kelly Hancock, Kevin Sparks, Lois Kolkhorst, Mayes Middleton, Nathan Johnson, Pete Flores, Roland Gutierrez, Royce West, Sarah Eckhardt, and Tan Parker.

Next Steps

As of March 19, 2025, SJR66 is awaiting further action in the legislative process. For the most current information on the resolution's status, including upcoming committee hearings and legislative actions, please refer to the Texas Legislature Online Bill Lookup system.

By proactively monitoring and engaging with the legislative process, Hickory UWCD#1 can better anticipate and respond to changes that may affect its operations and water resource management strategies.

At the Hickory UWCD No. 1 Regular Board meeting on March 13, 2025, 125 posters were judged as part of the annual poster contest, which was open to all 4th and 5th grade students in the district. The district spans all of Mason County, most of McCulloch and San Saba counties, and parts of Kimble, Menard, and Concho counties. This year's theme, "Save Water: The World is in Your Hands," sparked a wave of creativity among the students. The winners of this year's contest are:

• First Place: Molly Bedwell, a 4th grader from Brady Elementary, Mrs. Pryor's class
• Second Place: Erick Hernandez, a 4th grader from Mason Elementary, Mrs. Taylor's class
• Third Place (Tie): Milly Lemaster, a 4th grader, and Victoria Ramos, a 5th grader, both from Cherokee Elementary, Mrs. Padgett's class

Each of the winners received a Walmart gift card as a prize for their outstanding work.

 Visit https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?TX for the latest drought monitor