Transcript Highlights:

• water for beneficial purposes.
• usage and their water rates from one particular water company, leading to much higher bills than they
• You guys do great work in trying to address the water needs and water infrastructure, and I know this
• is supposed to be a water session.
• Everyone wants water and needs water.

Bills: HB29, HB685, HB1633, HB1689, HB1690, HB1918, HB2010, HB2500, HB2608, HB2626, HB29

Keywords: water audit, water loss, water loss mitigation plan, municipally owned utility, municipal utility, water conservation, Texas Water Development Board, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, water leakage, leak detection, billing data accuracy, utility validation, water audit validation, water scarcity, water management, infrastructure, public utility, conservation plan, administrative penalty

Transcript Highlights:

• Paco Sewer and Water Company.
• is distributed through a water delivery system that is commingled with other sources of water supply
• It's already somebody's water.
• , how treating water, if it be the AWP, you know, recycling water, et cetera.
• The bill also allows county water augmentation authorities to enter into a loan repayment agreement with

Bills: HB2013, HB2026, HB2056, HB2098, HB2113, HB2156, HB2158, HCM2011, HCR2057

Keywords: air pollution, wildfires, environmental standards, public health, Arizona Revised Statutes, assured water supply, groundwater, commingling, commingled water, water supply, Arizona Department of Water Resources, ADWR, active management area, AMA, subdivision plat, development approval, water rights, municipal provider, private water company, certificate of assured water supply

Bills: SB 1493, SB 1598, SB 1895, SB 1919, SB 2039, SB 2226, SB 2243, SB 2425

Keywords: sidewalk user, pedestrian safety, traffic laws, bicycles, electric scooters, mobility devices, transportation, aviation, economic development, grants, loans

Transcript Highlights:

• water.
• My small business uses water. We do abrasive water jet cutting, and it uses water.
• As a loan program that is required to get a return on investment, the Long-Term Water Augmentation Fund
• water.
• Water.

Bills: HB2042, HB2052, HB2055, HB2056, HB2094, HB2098, HB2185, HB2328, HB2758, HB2798

Keywords: solar radiation management, environment, prohibition, Arizona Revised Statutes, public health, complaint process, Attorney General, groundwater management, water conservation, irrigation, water supply, brackish groundwater, water supply development, desalination, water infrastructure, financial assistance, environmental reviews, brackish water, groundwater, water resources

Transcript Highlights:

• He said that right now, a user only has to report water use, not measure how much water is actually applied
• , and that there has been a long-time fear that underground water users would lose water if they did
• He said he would like a bill that would stop all outside, out-of-state water users from pulling water
• water before it's returned to the water table?
• brine water, back into the water table.

Bills: HB2976, HB4459, HB3142, HB4316, HB4338, HB4230

Keywords: environmental protection, water quality, aluminum, Department of Environmental Quality, EPA standards, groundwater conservation, water rights, permit allocation, metering, Oklahoma Water Resources Board, liquefied petroleum gas, safety regulation, LP-Gas Board, inspections, accident investigations, rural water service, district organization, emergency legislation, Oklahoma, water management

Summary: The House Energy Committee met for its second scheduled meeting and announced it would need to meet again the following week because of bill reassignments and new agenda items. The committee first considered House Bill 2976, which requires the Department of Environmental Quality to promulgate water quality criteria rules for aluminum. An amendment was adopted to extend the rulemaking deadline to December 31, 2027, to allow time for an OU study on aluminum in water to be completed. The bill then passed 9-0. The committee next heard House Bill 4459, which would create a five-year averaging option for certain water users, mainly irrigators, allowing flexibility in annual use while requiring measurement and reporting over the five-year period. Members questioned whether the bill could encourage excessive use during drought years and whether it would improve reporting accuracy; the author said he was open to discussing a possible reduction from 200% to 150% and emphasized long-term aquifer conservation. HB 4459 was reported out due pass. House Bill 3142, described as a revised version of a bill vetoed last year, also passed unanimously after the author said it addressed the governor’s veto concerns. The committee then advanced House Bill 4316, which updates outdated language related to rural water districts and passed 11-0. House Bill 4338, the so-called Brine Act, was adopted with a PCS and would allow wastewater or produced water to be used in ways that could expand Oklahoma’s iodine production industry; the author said it would create value from material now disposed of and would not change disposal rules. Members asked about treatment and environmental safeguards, and the author said the bill only recognizes the activity as legal and does not mandate it. HB 4338 passed 11-0. Finally, House Bill 4230, which expands the ability to use qualified outside suppliers for training and technical assistance, passed 11-0 after brief questioning about who those suppliers might be.

Transcript Highlights:

• This bill will also require that all staff be trained in basic water rescue and first aid.
• And all we're asking is that the staff be trained in basic water rescue and first aid.
• He panicked, breathed in water.
• That services young children who don't know how to swim in water.
• A body of water is deadly, unintentional, preventable death. That's what we're trying to stop here.

Bills: SB 28

Keywords: groundwater, groundwater conservation district, Water Code, Water Development Board, modeled available groundwater, aquifer, water permit, groundwater transfer, export groundwater, out-of-district transfer, management area, desired future conditions, well permit, retail public utility, potable water, emergency interconnect, subsidiary, controlled entity, aquifer management, water resources

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm with the Texas Water Association, which is a statewide water policy association focused on water
• Um, any water that's made available to meet water needs that wasn't previously available is new water
• And would you agree that lost water is new water?
• Someone else mentioned new lost water is new water because you're capturing that water.
• Uh, for You know, provide financial assistance, mostly loans, uh, for the development of, of water, wastewater

Bills: SB 7

Keywords: water infrastructure, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, water supply, environmental sustainability

Transcript Highlights:

• </c><00:09:34.080><c> season,</c> of just during the open water season, of just during the open water
• </c><01:13:00.080><c> and</c> with the Minnesota Board of Water and with the Minnesota Board of Water
• ><c> permit</c><01:38:04.639><c> transfer</c> support for water permit transfer support for water permit
• Even though the water permit was already in place, the water use never changed.
• </c> the state where we already have water the state where we already have water concerns<01:42:11.280

Bills: HF4253, HF4257, HF3236, HF4264, HF4149, HF4019

Keywords: boat storage structures, public waters, natural resources, rule amendments, watercraft canopy, PFAS, environmental regulation, manufacturers, public health, product safety, groundwater, water appropriation, water-use permit, water permit, aquifer test, aquifer, well construction, groundwater permit, Department of Natural Resources, DNR

Transcript Highlights:

• the Water Caucus and the Texas Water Foundation.
• And we appreciate water.
• That's an nominal idea in it, that they can actually pump water when they get water. Yes, sir.
• Texas Water Code.
• water, Especially as our state water supply, infrastructure, treatment, groundwater, and surface water

Bills: SB480, SB767, SB790, SB971, SB1066

Keywords: water resources, interlocal contracts, local government, collaboration, planning activities, wildfire response, firefighting equipment, emergency services, state database, Texas Forest Service, customer complaints, Public Utility Commission, water service, complaint process, utility regulation, SB 971, Texas Water Assistance Program, Water Code, rural political subdivision, rural water

Summary: The Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs met on Texas Water Day and limited public testimony to two minutes. The chair emphasized the need to move quickly because of scheduling conflicts with other committees and noted the importance of water policy and related stakeholders. The committee heard several bills focused on water administration, rural utilities, emergency response, and public works contracting. Senate Bill 790 by Senator Alvarado would let the Public Utility Commission create a simplified process for resolving tenant complaints over water or wastewater bill discrepancies; it was described as a way to avoid lengthy contested-case hearings for small disputes. Senate Bill 971 by Senator Sparks would clean up conflicting statutory definitions of “rural political subdivision” so Texas Water Development Board programs are applied consistently; Texas Rural Water Association testified in support. Senate Bill 767, also by Senator Sparks, would expand and improve a statewide database of fire-response equipment so departments, including volunteer and rural departments, can locate and share resources more effectively during emergencies; fire service witnesses supported the bill and suggested annual updates to keep the database current. Chair Perry laid out Senate Bill 480 to clarify that local governments and special districts may enter interlocal agreements for water-related planning and research, including aquifer management and flood/water planning. He also presented Senate Bill 1066, which raises payment and performance bond thresholds for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department public works contracts to $150,000, arguing the change would reflect inflation and help smaller vendors on lower-risk projects. Witnesses were heard on the bills, with no opposition recorded in the transcript. The committee voted out all five bills favorably. SB 1066, SB 480, SB 767, SB 790, and SB 971 each received unanimous committee approval and were recommended to the local and contested calendar, with SB 767 noted as amended by a suggested annual-update requirement for the equipment database.

Transcript Highlights:

• Well then, who owns the water?
• Water source that we have.
• Lake Py is Birmingham Water Works' secondary water supply.
• Other water boards should not have the ability to control bodies of water.
• Water is important for us.

Bills: HB471, HB473

Keywords: water authority, sewer management, fire protection, local governance, board of directors, local officers, water recreation, public access, water bodies, recreational use, water commissions, 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Most of our members are nonprofit water supply corporations and districts, water districts.
• Lastly, the bill requires permit holders to annually report water data, um, water quality data instead
• water quality.
• the water caucus.
• There's so much need for water. That's all we've heard about how important water is.

Bills: HB 937, HB 2078, HB 2080, HB 3322, HB 3350, HB 4212, HB 4630, HB 4896, HB 4951, HB 5348, HB 5675, SB 565, SB 971, SB 1662, SB 2124

Keywords: special districts, notice requirements, Water Code, government transparency, public meetings, meeting notice, transparency, public engagement, notice, elections, groundwater management, water conservation, joint planning, environmental impact, desired future conditions, groundwater, conservation district, environmental quality, regulatory review, water utility

Transcript Highlights:

• Most of our members are nonprofit water supply corporations and water districts.
• Water utilities, both large...
• water quality.
• There's so much need for water. That's all we've heard about how important water is.
• There's not enough water in Texas.

Bills: HB937, HB2078, HB2080, HB3322, HB3350, HB4212, HB4630, HB4896, HB4951, HB5348, HB5675, SB565, SB971, SB1662, SB2124

Keywords: special districts, notice requirements, Water Code, government transparency, public meetings, meeting notice, transparency, public engagement, notice, elections, groundwater management, water conservation, joint planning, environmental impact, desired future conditions, groundwater, conservation district, environmental quality, regulatory review, water utility

Transcript Highlights:

• Trent Blomberg, chief legislative liaison with the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
• The 2007 agreement mandated a series of reductions as water levels decreased, measured by water levels
• Water is the number one issue, or one of the top issues, this year and will continue to be.
• Water is number one issue or one of the top issues this year and will continue to be.
• on what is or is not appropriable water.

Bills: HB2053, HB2116, HB2148

Keywords: stormwater, recharge mapping, water resources, groundwater, appropriation, Arizona, HB2116, Colorado River, litigation fund, water rights, Arizona water law, general fund appropriation, state budget, interstate water compact, Colorado River Compact, water litigation, A.R.S. 45-119, natural resources, water policy, river management

Transcript Highlights:

• It is Texas Water Day at the Capitol.
• All the offices have received invitations to participate in the Water Day activity from the Water Caucus
• and the Texas Water Foundation.
• It's a great way to learn more about Texas water.
• Our water district management and aquifer systems...

Bills: SB480, SB767, SB790, SB971, SB1066

Keywords: water resources, interlocal contracts, local government, collaboration, planning activities, wildfire response, firefighting equipment, emergency services, state database, Texas Forest Service, customer complaints, Public Utility Commission, water service, complaint process, utility regulation, SB 971, Texas Water Assistance Program, Water Code, rural political subdivision, rural water

Transcript Highlights:

• water supply portfolio.
• I'm with the Texas Water Association, which is a statewide water policy association focused on water
• We need water at the tap, water in the fields, and water to run our economic engine. is not going to
• over the Water Development Board's use of dedicated revenues to the Texas Water Fund.
• Any water that's made available to meet water needs that wasn't... ...previously available is new water

Bills: SB7

Keywords: water infrastructure, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, water supply, environmental sustainability, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Governing water supply contracts for in-state water do not apply to contracts for water import.
• water facilities.
• With the Rural Water Assistance Fund and Loan Assistance Fund, there is about $232 million.
• This time, we focused on water loss and water management.
• water allocation.

Bills: SB7

Keywords: water infrastructure, financial assistance, Texas Water Development Board, water supply, environmental sustainability, 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• They also informed me that it is a water district's bond council, not the water district itself that
• So we're the Texas Rural Water Association.
• With over 750 water district members.
• Water districts are small entities by design.
• Water control improvement districts, underwater, uh, water conservation districts, freshwater supply

Bills: HB 279, HB 310, HB 365, HB 391, HB 420, HB 422, HB 638

Keywords: HB 279, uranium mining, uranium permit, production area authorization, production zone, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, contested case hearing, administrative hearing, groundwater restoration, groundwater baseline, water quality, mining permit, restoration values, natural resources, environmental regulation, in-situ uranium mining, permit amendment, public hearing

Transcript Highlights:

• But we could put the water trough in the corral.
• Where's my water? We don't we don't do water. We're we're We're a county, we're unincorporated.
• Members, Texas faces ongoing challenges in water infrastructure and the Texas Water Fund fund, which
• Although 70% of American customers are are customers of large drinking water supplies, 77% of all water
• water supplies.

Bills: HB279, HB310, HB365, HB391, HB420, HB422, HB638, HB279, HB310

Keywords: HB 279, uranium mining, uranium permit, production area authorization, production zone, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, contested case hearing, administrative hearing, groundwater restoration, groundwater baseline, water quality, mining permit, restoration values, natural resources, environmental regulation, in-situ uranium mining, permit amendment, public hearing

Transcript Highlights:

• They also informed me that it is a water.
• So we're the Texas Rural Water Association.
• providers, Water Supply Corporation.
• There were a number of different water districts, including... Water control improvement districts.
• Water conservation districts, freshwater supply districts, municipal utility districts, water. improvement

Bills: HB279, HB310, HB365, HB391, HB420, HB422, HB638, HB279, HB310

Keywords: HB 279, uranium mining, uranium permit, production area authorization, production zone, Texas Water Code, TCEQ, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, contested case hearing, administrative hearing, groundwater restoration, groundwater baseline, water quality, mining permit, restoration values, natural resources, environmental regulation, in-situ uranium mining, permit amendment, public hearing

Transcript Highlights:

• Members, House Bill 1209 by Representative Fuhrman provides for the withdrawal of surface water.
• House Bill 1209 places a pause on the issuance of new cooperative endeavor agreements for surface water
• Issuance of new cooperative endeavor agreements for surface water withdrawals while allowing existing
• The purpose is to give the state time to take a hard look at how we're managing our surface water resources
• and people have invested life savings to buy waterfront property, and you can't even tell there's water

Bills: HCR54, HCR79, HCR87, HCR94, HCR104, HB1209

Keywords: migratory waterfowl, hunting regulations, flooded crops, wildlife management, environmental impact, hunting, Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, deer hunting, dogs, conservation, hunting heritage, federal regulations, Senator Kennedy, wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, legislative support, environment, protective measures, boating safety

Summary: The Senate Natural Resources Committee met on March 27 with a quorum present, approved prior minutes, and then took up several resolutions and one bill related to wildlife, water resources, and conservation. H.C.R. 79, as amended, urged the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to work together to allow the use of dogs for hunting in Kisatchie National Forest; supporters described it as a traditional hunting practice that has been restricted for years and could benefit local hunters and businesses. H.C.R. 104, as amended, asked the Department of Conservation and Energy and the Louisiana Geological Survey to study and modernize the collection, retention, and access to subsurface data, with members emphasizing the need to avoid sharing company-specific information. H.C.R. 87 was reported favorably to support correspondence from U.S. Sen. Kennedy regarding duck flyway management, H.C.R. 54 was reported favorably to study the impact of flooded corn on migratory waterfowl and restore an enforcement mechanism related to hunting over intentionally flooded crops, and H.C.R. 94 was reported favorably to require annual boating safety reports to legislative committees. The committee then heard HB 1209, which would have paused new cooperative endeavor agreements for surface water withdrawals while allowing existing agreements to continue and be renewed through December 31, 2036. The author said the bill was intended to give the state time to develop a more comprehensive, data-driven surface water strategy and to address invasive species such as giant salvinia, which he said has severely affected waterways in his district. Members and witnesses acknowledged the seriousness of the issue, but there was concern that the bill was too complex to move quickly in the session. The committee discussed converting it into a study resolution instead, and the bill was deferred without objection. The meeting then adjourned.