Transcript Highlights:

• drinking water in a natural aquifer, minimizing evaporation water loss, and helping us bridge times of drought
• Texas faces increasingly complex water challenges from prolonged droughts to sudden destructive flooding
• You already have that data when whenever there's a flooding or whenever there's a drought, you have that
• essential uses like drinking water, agriculture, and energy. industry, especially important in times of drought

Bills: HB1523, HB2109, HB2694, HB3525, HB3898, HB4646, HB5188, HB5219, HB5320, HB5651, HB5655, HB5659, HB5662, HB5672

Keywords: aquifer conservation, Class V injection well, environmental regulation, groundwater protection, municipal water supply, temporary prohibition, water management, reservoir construction, state water plan, Texas Water Code, environmental impact, Brazoria Drainage District, commissioners, elections, vacancies, resignation, HB 3525, North Texas Groundwater Conservation District, groundwater permit, permit amendment

Transcript Highlights:

• Mexico's not on its treaty, the droughts are affecting it, and historically these cities continue to
• That project was transferred to the city and has made that city able to survive the multiple droughts
• In times of plenty, water will be put into the aquifer, but in times of drought, it'll be pulled out.
• In times of plenty, water will be put into the aquifer, but in times of drought, it'll be pulled out.
• active with the conversations we've just had and other things, as curtailments are necessary for droughts

Summary: The committee met with limited attendance at first, then took up a series of water, agriculture, and rural affairs measures. HB 3898 would allow the Texas Water Development Board to provide financial assistance for brackish water desalination projects in certain border counties and related nonprofit suppliers even if the projects are not in the state water plan. Supporters said it is needed to address severe water shortages in places like Webb County and to support future planning; opponents, including the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts, argued it bypasses the regional and state water planning process. The bill was left pending after testimony. The committee also heard HB 5339, which would create a higher-education grant program for regenerative agriculture research. A rancher testified that regenerative methods improved soil health, water retention, and farm viability, while a senator noted existing university research but said better coordination could help. Public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. Members then heard HB 1523, a temporary prohibition on TCEQ issuing Austin a Class 5 injection well permit for an aquifer storage and recovery project in Bastrop and Lee counties until December 2027. Local officials from Bastrop supported the pause, citing unanswered questions about water treatment, recovery rates, and impacts on the aquifer, while Austin Water opposed the substitute, saying the project is central to its long-term water plan and that stakeholder talks were already underway. TCEQ explained its ASR permitting process and said public participation is possible but not always used in the current authorization process. The bill was left pending. HB 5659, concerning the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District and requiring majority city-council approval before certain water sales or interbasin transfers, drew testimony from district officials who said the change could interfere with existing contracts and district authority, but the chair emphasized the need for local buy-in and said the stakeholders had reached a workable compromise; testimony was closed and the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HB 1690, which would expand notice requirements for groundwater export permits so neighboring landowners and potentially affected aquifer areas are informed by certified mail and publication. The sponsor tied the bill to impacts from the Vista Ridge project, and no one testified against it; it was left pending. HB 3333 would prohibit TCEQ from issuing new wastewater discharge permits directly into the Devils River in Val Verde County. The sponsor and a conservation witness said the bill protects one of Texas’s most pristine rivers and reflects a local stakeholder agreement, while TCEQ said it can ensure water quality but acknowledged the river’s unique sensitivity; the bill was left pending. The committee also heard HCR 108 urging continuation of the U.S.-Mexico tomato suspension agreement, with supporters warning of major Texas job and consumer-price impacts if it ends, and HCR 76 urging federal action on imported shrimp, citing public health and industry concerns; both were left pending. Additional measures heard and left pending included HB 4158 on compensation for Texana Groundwater Conservation District directors, HB 654 creating a dismissal path for certain first-time deer hunting violations after self-reporting and hunter education, HB 4530 requiring Texas Water Development Board review of groundwater rights placed in the Texas Water Trust, HB 2128 directing a study of rural versus urban firefighting and rescue disparities, and HB 278 requiring groundwater districts and management areas to track progress toward desired future conditions over shorter intervals. On HB 278, witnesses split over whether the bill’s interim tracking would improve accountability or create new triggers that could be used against local districts, but no final vote was taken and the bill was left pending.

Transcript Highlights:

• <04:41:26.560> and<04:41:26.718> in<04:41:26.920> her drought and in her drought
• is a drought is a drought catastrophe<04:41:45.080> then<04:41:45.520> a<04:41:45.680
• Are we facing imminent drought? Are we facing long-term drought? Do we know that?
• facing imminent drought are we facing long-term<04:47:08.840> drought<04:47:09.120> do
• c><04:47:15.840> that of countering drought do we know that of countering drought do we know that

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns are likely to increase the intensity of both floods and droughts
• Sorry, towards more drought-affected areas.
• So we deal with droughts on the regular down that direction.
• In 2023, following a drought year in 2022, we saw four major floods on this farm over the course of the
• Now, 2025, we're going to drought year.

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The committee hearing focused on a broad set of climate, energy, and environmental justice proposals. Early testimony strongly supported the Climate Change Superfund or “Polluter Pays” bill (H.1014/S.58), which would assess the largest fossil fuel emitters for a one-time fee based on historic emissions to fund climate adaptation. Sponsors argued the bill is modeled on Superfund cleanup principles, would target only the largest multinational polluters, would not be passed on to consumers, and would direct a significant share of funds to environmental justice communities. Committee members asked about the number of companies covered, consumer impacts, and whether the bill would address other forms of environmental destruction; sponsors said it was limited to major fossil fuel companies with a Massachusetts footprint and did not cover other pollution sources. The committee also heard testimony on a fusion energy compact proposal (S.673) that would direct the administration to develop a framework for a New England regional compact to accelerate fusion research, workforce development, and supply-chain growth. Supporters from MIT and the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities said fusion could become a major clean-energy and economic opportunity, but acknowledged the technology is not yet commercially viable and still has unresolved technical, cost, and waste-management questions. Members pressed on environmental impacts, siting, waste, costs, and whether the bill would create a compact or only a framework; sponsors said it would only create the framework and that the administration would need to negotiate with other states. Another major topic was a pilot program for nature-based climate solutions (H.971/S.??), backed by legislators, Boston Harbor Now, and UMass Boston’s Stone Living Lab. Witnesses said the bill would help speed permits for research and demonstration projects such as living shorelines, marsh restoration, and hybrid “green-to-gray” flood protections, while maintaining safeguards and protecting Indigenous and historic resources. Committee members asked how the proposal would interact with other permitting reforms and whether it could conflict with housing or wetland-related streamlining; supporters said it was complementary and aimed at making projects faster, more affordable, and more data-driven. The hearing also covered climate-safe buildings and climate adaptation funding bills. Supporters of H.1004/S.583 said current building codes do not adequately account for future flooding, heat, and wind, and the bill would add climate expertise to the building board, allow stretch resilience codes, expand floodplain standards, and create a retrofit program. Related testimony backed H.938/S.572, which would create a dedicated climate and community resilience fund financed by a small fee on property insurance premiums; advocates said it would provide stable long-term revenue for adaptation, especially in environmental justice communities, and help replace unreliable federal funding. One witness from CLF supported the climate-safe buildings and funding bills but opposed S.560/H.939 as too broad. The committee also heard testimony on airport air-quality legislation (H.997) calling for more monitoring and mitigation of ultra-fine particulate pollution around Logan Airport and Massport communities. No votes were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• First, desalination seawater represents a drought-proof supply.
• Existing statutes and rules for drought contingency plans were not developed with seawater desalination
• So I was wondering, could your desal plants help us in years of drought, help us maintain the proper
• The project is critical to avoid the next stage of our drought contingency plan, which is a level one
• But because we are in this ongoing drought, we are going to be holding our meeting tomorrow.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We were created in 1957 after a very devastating. drought.
• In times of drought, those with the earliest dates have the senior right to get their water first.
• Given the current conditions, combined with expected drought, the water deliveries are critical for this
• appreciate your testimony on this issue as it has taken a devastating toll and impact on South Texas, drought
• What does drought mean? What does emergency and inability to deliver water?

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Drought is a weather, natural condition, and because of that, we’ve— I’m sure I’m terribly sorry.”
• I’m explaining the bill, and so this program, the federal drought, creates a platform of different programs
• please adopt…” I'm terribly sorry Madam Chair I'm explaining the bill and so this program the federal drought
• So as we were stating, we have programs based on our federal drought status for weather... ...based on
• our federal drought status for weather incidences that are creating water scarcity for property, and

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those include addressing how water supply deficits during drought are being reduced and describing the
• First, we need to expand and diversify our water supply portfolio for a drought-prone and growing state
• From West Texas, where it's a drought-prone region, to farmers along the Rio Grande who are experiencing

Bills: SB7

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

Transcript Highlights:

• Following the droughts in 1910 and 1917, the citizens.
• Those of us that live in East Texas will remember the drought. 2011 which was a hundred-year drought
• And not just during the extreme drought conditions seen in 2011.
• Precisely when surface water supplies are most vulnerable, during drought.
• We need to do a lot of things. to study drought and how we can overcome drought.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that we've got drought across the West, across the country, so we're going to have to look at
• Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to improve water infrastructure and to mitigate drought
• One of the most pressing issues for my state is drought funding, and we continue to see challenges with
• Do you commit to releasing all previously appropriated funding and do you recognize the urgency of drought
• Thank you senator for the question and as I've discussed before we do know that drought is an extremely

Transcript Highlights:

• assistance to low- and moderate-income households with domestic wells in areas recently impacted by drought
• We don't control where drought is.
• And I would say that my county has regularly declared droughts.
• fact, as I look up and down the coast, and yes, believe me, that many coastal counties do declare droughts
• very partially meet a serious unmet need that is going to become more serious if the projections on drought

Summary: The Emergency Board approved a series of consent federal grant applications from the Natural Resources and Public Safety subcommittees, along with several budget and position requests. The board approved grant applications for parks, transportation, judicial, emergency management, higher education, school nutrition, and other programs, including retroactive approvals where deadlines had passed. One member objected to the Natural Resources consent grants over concerns about future funding needs, but the motion still passed. The board also approved a one-time increase for Judicial Department court security, including digital privacy protections, circuit court security, and a statewide facilities assessment. A major discussion centered on Southern Oregon University’s financial stability. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission reported on SOU’s structural deficits, declining enrollment, and projected cash shortfall. The subcommittee recommended, and the board approved, allocating $7.5 million from the special appropriation for short-term stability, with a required update at the September 2026 Emergency Board meeting and a future request for the remaining funds. Members debated the broader crisis in higher education, with several saying SOU’s situation reflects systemwide enrollment and funding pressures and that long-term restructuring will be needed. The board also approved an AmeriCorps volunteer generation grant, an apprenticeship expansion grant, and a Department of Education nutrition equipment grant. In public safety, it approved funding for Oregon Military Department readiness facilities, a statewide evacuation planning tool, and a juvenile justice information system modernization report, while requiring a follow-up viability report. The Department of Justice received approval for additional antitrust positions and expenditure limitation, though several members raised concerns about the funding structure and incentives tied to settlement revenues; the motion passed despite objections. In natural resources, the board approved funding for the Water Resources Department’s well abandonment, repair and replacement grants, an assistant water master position in Washington County, groundwater data collection in the Lower Umatilla Basin, a wetlands remote sensing pilot, and parks-related grant applications for operations, maintenance, and capital improvements. Members generally supported the requests but raised concerns about geographic equity, long-term sustainability, and whether some county responsibilities were being shifted to the state. The meeting also included discussion of a Department of Emergency Management evacuation tool as an urgent wildfire preparedness measure, with members emphasizing its potential to save lives.

Transcript Highlights:

• So it's not really just intervening in severe weather situations like drought, you know, preventing droughts
• So it's not really just intervening in severe weather situations like drought, you know, preventing droughts
• So it's not really just intervening in severe weather situations like drought, you know, preventing droughts
• drought you know preventing<00:26:27.440> droughts<00:26:27.919> or<00:26:28.720> pre
• <00:26:28.720> preventing preventing droughts or pre preventing preventing droughts or pre

Bills: HB60

Keywords: geoengineering, weather modification, environmental safety, atmospheric pollutants, criminal pollution, Meeting Start: 00:00:02 Roll Call: 00:00:08 26 RS HB 60 - AN ACT relating to geoengineering: 00:01:35 Department of Corrections Update: 00:32:59 Kentucky Parole Board Update: 01:19:21, 958, all

Transcript Highlights:

• due to drought and ESA related<00:24:39.840> regulations.
• <00:54:19.440> It won't improve drought conditions. It won't improve drought conditions.
• It's not drought conditions in California right now.
• <00:56:50.640> It's<00:56:50.880> not<00:56:51.119> drought drought conditions
• It's not drought drought conditions.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Thursday, May 1, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• imported water supplies that are essential to maintaining groundwater levels, protecting against drought
• storing imported water supplies that are essential to maintaining groundwater levels protecting against drought
• , ensuring long-term To maintaining groundwater levels, protecting against drought, ensuring long-term
• As California faces increasing threats from climate change, drought, and catastrophic wildfire, the health

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee heard several measures focused on conservation, coastal protection, water supply, and urban greening. AB 1987 by Assemblywoman Aguirre-Curry would direct fees generated by state wildlife areas back to their operation and maintenance; she accepted committee amendments, and Audubon California testified in support with no opposition. AB 1448 by Assembly Member Hart would restrict state actions that could facilitate expanded offshore oil and gas development in federal waters, including limits on using existing infrastructure for new offshore drilling and added review requirements for lease changes; it drew broad support from coastal governments and environmental groups and no opposition, and was referred to Appropriations. AB 1894 by Assembly Member Blanca Rubio would allow imported water deliveries for groundwater recharge to continue when they comply with approved invasive mussel control plans, addressing disruptions caused by the golden mussel; supporters said it protects groundwater reliability while maintaining invasive-species safeguards, while opponents argued it could undercut local authority and liability protections. After discussion about liability and whether the bill weakens invasive-species protections, the committee voted 6-0 to send it to Appropriations. The committee also considered ACR 107 by Assembly Member Bauer-Kahan, which recognizes the Diablo Range as a conservation priority and links it to habitat protection, groundwater recharge, and the state’s 30-by-30 goals. Save Mount Diablo and other supporters emphasized the range’s ecological value and limited current protection, and members voiced support; the resolution passed 7-0. AB 1946 by Assembly Member Bryan would encourage land conservation investments in historically underserved urban communities and support greening, park creation, and restoration in places like South Los Angeles. Testimony from Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation and park and conservation groups stressed environmental justice, access to nature, and the need to regenerate degraded lands into parkland. Members discussed the importance of urban parks, maintenance, biodiversity, and balancing rural and urban conservation, and the bill passed 7-0 to Appropriations. The committee also took up the consent calendar, which passed unanimously. Throughout the hearing, members repeatedly noted the need to balance environmental protection with practical water delivery and local community needs, and several bills were amended or clarified before votes. Final recorded actions included unanimous or near-unanimous approvals for the measures heard, with AB 1448, AB 1894, AB 1987, and AB 1946 moving forward, along with ACR 107 and the consent calendar.

Transcript Highlights:

• state's accelerating rate of growth, population increase, rapid economic development, and increasing drought
• It's also in other rural areas, for example, the drought that we're seeing in South Texas, the Rio Grande
• We're a drought-prone state, and we need the supplies.
• We can all agree that with increased instances of drought, new water supply funding is essential.

Bills: HB3077, HJR2, HJR7, HJR7

Keywords: alcohol, taxation, reporting requirements, sales, distribution, death tax, inheritance tax, estate tax, property transfer, constitutional amendment, water fund, Texas water supply, state revenue, infrastructure, HJR 7, Texas Legislature, quorum, majority quorum, two-thirds quorum, legislative procedure

Transcript Highlights:

• And she wanted, of course, this to be able to have, of course, in a severe drought situation.
• <01:59:06.639> conditions um exceptional drought conditions um exceptional drought conditions
• seating to to essentially treat drought seating to to essentially treat drought or<02:02:54.239>
• <02:11:29.440> and was having difficulties with drought and was having difficulties with drought
• and how to deal with drought.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• happening is that the land mass of the Earth is no longer functioning as a carbon sink, with the droughts
• Um, the cycle of droughts and floods we're seeing certainly makes life harder on farmers, lest we forget
• functioning as a carbon sink with longer functioning as a carbon sink with the<00:36:19.359> droughts
• Um<00:37:55.839> the<00:37:56.400> cycle<00:37:56.720> of<00:37:56.960> droughts
• <00:37:57.359> and<00:37:57.520> floods Um the cycle of droughts and floods Um the

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• are temporary O requirements on the Shasta and the Smith that came out of the Governor's Emergency Drought
• that were explicitly designed to be temporary, implemented in response to specific and extraordinary drought
• bit of background, this is extending an emergency, emergency regulations that were pommel during a drought
• , there was an emergency when we had a drought on flow requirements.
• And today, you're extending it when there is no drought, right?

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Those include addressing how water supply deficits during drought are being reduced and describing the
• First, we need to expand and diversify our water supply portfolio for a drought-prone and growing state
• be flexible in addressing different challenges all across the state, from West Texas, where it's a drought-prone
• especially in economically distressed, uh, areas, but in spaces where we have level 3 or level 4 drought

Bills: SB 7

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

Transcript Highlights:

• And in a time when we are faced with such an extreme drought, as well as wildfire risk, I really...
• flood and fire, as Texans now, so when it rains... it floods, and when it doesn't, we're in deep drought
• And when they had the drought, like in 2011, it is a fire hazard.

Bills: SB840, HB2025, HB2512, HB3139, HB3798, HB3892, HB4373, HB4398, HB4582, HB4689, HB5187, HB5658, HB5666

Keywords: HB 2025, Texas Property Code, plat filing, replat, amended plat, condominium plat, subdivision, county clerk, tax certificate, ad valorem taxes, delinquent taxes, property records, real property, land use, local government, property development, subdivision recording, condominium recording, tax receipt, eminent domain