Transcript Highlights:

• At 4:03 a.m., the flash flood warning was upgraded to a flash flood emergency for South Central Kerr
• At 4:03 a.m., the flash flood warning was upgraded to a flash flood emergency for South Central Kerr
• flood warning... ...not only a flash flood warning on top of the flash flood watch, but subsequently
• So some of it was river flooding. Some of it was flash flooding.
• It's a flash flood.

Summary: The joint Senate and House disaster preparedness and flooding hearing opened with quorum calls, prayer, testimony time limits, and remarks from legislative leaders emphasizing decorum, respect, and the goal of learning from the July 4 flood to prevent future loss of life. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dustin Burrows said the special session and hearings were intended to hear directly from local officials and residents, and that the state would pursue immediate and longer-term legislation and continue working beyond the current session. The committee then heard invited testimony from Kerr County, Kerrville, Kendall County, Real County, and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority, followed by member questions. Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, Sheriff Larry Leitha, and emergency management coordinator William B. Thomas described the flood as a sudden, unprecedented event that overwhelmed local systems before many officials or residents understood the danger. They said the county received multiple National Weather Service and IPAWS alerts, but the rain fell in remote upstream areas with limited gauges, and the flood rose too quickly for normal response. They detailed the emergency response, including dispatchers handling heavy call volumes, deputies and volunteer firefighters conducting rescues, and state and federal partners assisting. County officials said 108 people died, including 37 children, and two remained missing. They called for better real-time flood detection, stronger rural emergency management resources, improved broadband and cell coverage, and more funding for swift-water rescue and warning systems. Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring and City Manager Dalton Rice said the city had floodplain rules, emergency plans, and prior preparedness efforts, but the event exposed gaps in communications and regional warning capacity. They urged the Legislature to fund a flood warning system, whether sirens, automated alerts, or a hybrid, and asked for support for predictive weather modeling, broadband expansion, a hazard mitigation fund, and disaster recovery resources. The Upper Guadalupe River Authority said it had long funded gauges and pursued flood-warning and mitigation projects, including a new software-based flood prediction system and possible retention dams, and planned to dedicate reserve funds to feasibility studies and infrastructure improvements. Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk said his county’s emergency action plan and early alerts helped prevent deaths there, and he recommended easier access to alerting tools, a river-wide warning system, simpler grant applications, and regional coordination. Real County Judge Bella Rubio said rural counties face major challenges because of limited cell service, broadband, staffing, and funding, especially for camps and visitors along the Frio and Nueces rivers, and argued that reliable alert systems should be treated as a necessity, not a luxury. Members asked about the timeline of the flood, low-water crossings, communications failures, sirens, bridges, and funding, and several witnesses said the key lessons were better communications, better warning systems, and more investment in rural flood mitigation and emergency response.

Transcript Highlights:

• At 4:03 a.m., the flash flood warning was upgraded to a flash flood emergency for South Central Kerr
• flood warning, ...issued not only a flash flood warning on top of the flash flood watch, but subsequently
• So some of it was river flooding, some of it was flash flooding.
• So some of it was river flooding, some of it was flash flooding.
• And flash floods are just part of the flash flood alley reality.

Summary: The joint Senate and House disaster preparedness hearing convened in Kerrville with quorum, public testimony limited to three minutes and invited testimony to 10 minutes. Leaders from both chambers, along with the lieutenant governor and speaker, framed the hearing as an unprecedented joint effort focused on learning from the July 4 flood, honoring victims, and identifying actions to reduce future loss of life. The committee also heard opening remarks about decorum, logistics, and the intent to continue work in future sessions. The first panel included Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly, Sheriff Larry Leitha, Emergency Management Coordinator William B. Thomas IV, Kerrville Mayor Joe Herring Jr., Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice, Upper Guadalupe River Authority representative William Rector, Kendall County Judge Shane Stolarczyk, and Real County Judge Bella Rubio. They described the flood as sudden and catastrophic, with Kerr County reporting 108 deaths and two missing. Local officials emphasized that they received no timely warning of the scale of the event, that responders and volunteers acted heroically under extreme conditions, and that communications, cell coverage, and rural emergency resources were strained. Several witnesses said the county’s existing alert systems were limited by geography, sparse broadband, and the speed of the flood. Testimony focused on possible improvements, including real-time flood gauges and predictive monitoring, stronger rural emergency management staffing and training, better interoperability and alerting tools such as IPAWS, CodeRED, WENS, and sirens, and expanded broadband and radio coverage. Kerrville asked for a flood warning system before next summer and state help for stormwater, floodplain, and disaster recovery funding. UGRA described its past and current flood-warning and mitigation efforts, including gauge funding, a new software-based flood prediction project, and consideration of additional retention dams. Kendall and Real counties highlighted successful or needed alerting and evacuation practices, while also stressing the difficulty of funding and maintaining such systems in small rural counties. Members asked detailed questions about the timeline of the flood response, low-water crossings, communications failures, sirens, bridges, and whether regional consolidation or additional infrastructure could improve future preparedness.

Transcript Highlights:

• At 4.03 a.m., flash flood warning was upgraded to a flash flood emergency for South Central Kerr County
• flood warning, On top of the flash flood watch, but subsequently had an actual flash flood emergency
• but this turned into flash flood warnings. any flooding.
• Some of it was river flooding. Some of it was flash flooding.
• It's a flash flood.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• flash flood evacuation plans when a flash flood warning is issued, and provide copies of the plan to
• We have flash flood watch, which is everybody gets one every day down there; flash flood warning, which
• The obvious is we need these flood warning systems, especially in these flash-flood-prone areas.
• But it's going to be additional gauges, specifically flash flood and MesoNet ties in Flash Flood Alley
• But it's meant to Flash Flood Alley goes up to Dallas.

Summary: The Senate opened with a quorum call, invocation, and approval of the previous day’s journal, then observed a moment of silence after Senator Eckhardt referenced a mass shooting in Austin. The chamber also agreed to postpone reading and referral of bills until later in the day. Early procedural business included a motion not to print Senate Bill 3, which was adopted without objection. Later, Senator Mendez raised a parliamentary inquiry about moving flood relief bills to the top of the calendar, but the presiding officer said the order of business was up to the chair. The main floor action centered on Senate Bill 4, the congressional redistricting bill. Senator King laid out the bill, describing it as the companion to the House version, based on 2020 census data, and arguing it was legal, race-blind, more compact, and likely to elect more Republicans. Senators asked extensive questions about the process, public hearings, and the map’s effects on districts and communities. The Senate voted to suspend the regular order of business and the three-day rule, then passed SB 4 to engrossment and finally passed it, with the recorded votes showing 19 yeas and 2 nays. The Senate also took up Senate Bill 6, relating to abortion and civil liability for the manufacture and provision of abortion-inducing drugs. Senator Hughes argued the bill was needed to stop illegal abortion pills being mailed into Texas and harming women and unborn children. The Senate suspended the regular order of business and the three-day rule, passed the bill to engrossment, and then finally passed it, with the recorded votes showing 18 yeas, 10 nays, and one present not voting. A lengthy discussion followed on the committee substitute for Senate Bill 14, which would standardize law enforcement personnel and departmental files statewide. Senator King said the bill codifies a TCOLE model policy and limits public access to personnel files to substantiated misconduct, commendations, and evaluations, while keeping other records available through other legal processes. Senators Eckhardt, West, Hinojosa, and others questioned how the bill would affect transparency, meet-and-confer agreements, civilian review boards, and access to unsubstantiated complaints. An amendment by Senator Hinojosa of Dallas to narrow the bill to unfounded complaints failed, and SB 14 was then passed to engrossment on a vote of 18 yeas and 10 nays. The final major item was Senate Bill 1, the natural disaster omnibus bill responding to the July flooding. Senator Perry said the bill addresses camp and RV park safety, evacuation plans, emergency rooftop access, lines of succession for local emergency management, annual drills, volunteer management, drone restrictions over disaster areas, small-business recovery loans, and a statewide data hub for flood and weather monitoring. Senators Menendez, Eckhardt, and Kolkhorst asked about autopsies, volunteer background checks, liability, warning systems, floodplain mitigation, and coordination with FEMA and local governments. Perry said the bill focuses on preparation, response, and recovery, while broader prevention and mitigation issues may be addressed later. The transcript ends during this extended discussion, before final action on SB 1 is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• And there were 21 days with flash flood warnings during camp season.
• Flash flooding in the area was identified as, quote, ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
• The potential impact was identified to include life-threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams,
• and Hunt, Texas, was specifically identified as a location that will experience flash flooding.
• Here is again the actual text of that flash flood warning from early on July 4.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Bill 2568, Plum Creek Conservation District manages 28 flood control structures. ...built on the
• In this instance, it's dam and public health and safety flood control.
• integrity of the infrastructure so it doesn't dry, rot, and create a problem when we do have a big flood
• groundwater, and other things to vegetate these structures so they wouldn't erode or be caught in a flood

Bills: SB612, SB1855, SB2568, SB3058, HB49

Keywords: SB 612, Texas Water Code, Section 49.2127, conservation and reclamation district, water district, reclamation district, developer fees, pipeline construction, water pipeline, sewer pipeline, associated infrastructure, subdivision infrastructure, cost recovery, fee cap, actual reasonable documented costs, engineering fees, legal fees, inspection fees, infrastructure relocation, utility connections

Bills: SB34, SB75, SB330, SB1535, SB18, SB 18, SB 34

Keywords: wildfire, wildfire mitigation, wildfire prevention, volunteer fire department, Texas A&M Forest Service, West Texas A&M University, prescribed burning, fuel loading, fuel reduction, firefighting equipment database, emergency communications, disaster preparedness, rural fire protection, asset hardening, natural resource management, emergency management, large wildfire risk, fire grant funding, fire suppression, Texas Legislature

Transcript Highlights:

• At 4 o 3 a.m. flash flood warning was upgraded to a flash flood emergency for south-central Kerr County
• Flood Warning on top of the Flash Flood Watch.
• A flood of this magnitude or flash flood would garner a different response.
• , some of it was flash flooding.
• floods are just part of, you know, the flash floods.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So a lot of talk about that 1:14 flash flood warning has been about.
• and flash flood response section.
• to flash flood is, it goes through until 4:15 a.m.
• flash flooding; source, radar.
• an area also known as flash flood alley.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• As you know, our state suffered horrific historic flash flooding in Central and West Texas last month
• and other types of natural disasters such as flash floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires.
• President, that they should not remove anyone from a cabin during a flash flood.
• So this is addressing those coastal camps that typically would never have a flash flood event.
• They don't have flash flood events.

Bills: SB 9, SB 7, SB 17, SB 4, SB 1, HB4, HB4, SB9, SB7, SB17, SB4, SB1, SB2, SB5

Keywords: school assessment, public education, accountability, transparency, education standards, STAAR, Texas Education Agency, TEA, public school accountability, school ratings, A-F ratings, assessment reform, student testing, benchmark tests, interim assessments, through-year assessment, diagnostic reports, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plans

Transcript Highlights:

• The idea being it’s a base level flash flood warning, roads that normally flood would flood, but you
• you get in your cell phone warning flash you get in your cell phone warning flash floods. floods
• getting too many flash flood warnings. getting too many flash flood warnings.
• what<00:34:54.280> we're flash flood warnings, it's what we're flash flood warnings, it's
• Wasn't really flash flood incident.

Bills: SCR21, SCR75, SCR50, SCR149, SCR47, SCR163, SCR169, SCR170

Keywords: healthcare, rural clinic, feasibility study, access to care, community health, Volcano community, Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation, emergency services, health assessment, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, health care, interdepartmental collaboration, public awareness, support services, education, health insurance, affordable healthcare, working group, Hawaii Health Plan, Medicaid expansion

Transcript Highlights:

• So, a lot of talk about that 1:14 flash flood warning has been about. 1:14 flash flood warning has been
• and flash flood response section.
• flash flooding, source, radar."
• Flash flooding, thunderstorms producing flash flooding, source, radar, impact, life-threatening flash
• flood warning to a flash flood emergency.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Flood warning or flash flood warning?
• On July 3rd, the first Flash Flood Advisory went out in Kerr County, forecasting potential flash flooding
• And again, flash flood alley. and how this can happen.
• At flash flood or flood warning level, which is stage two, the weather guys tell me.
• We had flash flood warnings for Burnet County and Travis County.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So in the early mornings of July 4th as the flash flooding intensified, Uh, game wardens, uh, responded
• Um, we didn't have any assets that were in low lying flash flood areas that were impacted in this storm
• Um, we are not directly impacted by the flood, though we were in a county that had a flash flood watch
• plain, but in a flash flood plain where you have the situation, and I agree wholeheartedly with the
• In our FEMA maps we have special flood hazard areas, and I don't know if that is specific to flash flooding

Transcript Highlights:

• So in the early mornings of July 4th, as the flash flooding intensified.
• Are they in the flash flood plain?
• We didn't have any assets that were in low-lying flash flood areas that were impacted in this storm.
• We were not directly impacted by the flood, although we were in a county that had a flash flood watch
• Localities differ in terms of flooding; lakes flood differently than rivers, and rivers flood differently

Keywords: 997, house, all

Bills: HB268, HB305, HB307, HB380, HB548, HB727, HB268, HB305, HB307

Keywords: false reporting, emergency response, criminal penalties, restitution, public safety, penalties, emergency services, public institutions, false reports, criminal penalty, pretrial hearings, criminal competency, legal process, court timelines, restoration of competency, fines, community service, credit, criminal justice, defendants

Bills: HB6, HB27, HB123, HB210, HB213, HB222

Keywords: hemp, consumable hemp products, hemp-derived cannabinoids, CBD, cannabidiol, CBG, cannabigerol, Texas hemp law, hemp regulation, cannabinoid products, delta-9 THC, intoxicating hemp, hemp gummies, hemp vape, retail registration, product registration, QR code labeling, child-resistant packaging, youth access, minor sales

Transcript Highlights:

• We want to also discuss the planning and projects specifically in, quote, "Flash Flood Alley."
• Extent of Flash Flood Alley in Texas.
• Just to point out on the maps, there's a correlation between Flash Flood Alley and, of course, coastal
• planning, flood mitigation, and flood control programs that may serve as a source of funding for flood
• This session, we have been talking about ways that we can identify these flash flood areas.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Now they use earthquake, flood, flash flooding, and all those things, now that didn't happen, for example
• <00:22:14.720> flash<00:22:15.039> flooding earthquake they use flood flash flooding
• earthquake they use flood flash flooding and<00:22:15.679> all<00:22:15.840> those<00:
• :40.960> flooding<00:22:41.280> is<00:22:41.520> not know a flash flooding flooding
• is not know a flash flooding flooding is not covered.<00:22:42.400> So<00:22:42.559> they<

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• flood plan.
• flood alley.
• And for reference, the approximate extent of flash flood alley in Texas.
• You'll see kind of a, just to point out on the maps, there's kind of a correlation between flash flood
• , Chairman Bell and I over the session have been talking about ways that we can identify, in these flash-flood-prone

Summary: The House Committee on Natural Resources met to focus on flooding issues across Texas, with particular attention to South Texas and the recent catastrophic flooding in Central Texas. Chair Harris and Vice Chair Martinez emphasized that flooding is a statewide problem requiring continued legislative attention. The committee heard invited testimony from Hidalgo County Commissioner David Fuentes and Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 General Manager Raul Sassine, who described the March flood event in Hidalgo County, including more than 20 inches of rain, six deaths, over $100 million in local damage, widespread road flooding, and repeated shutdowns of Interstate 2 and its frontage roads. They argued that existing drainage systems are under capacity, that TxDOT projects must account for downstream drainage impacts, and that local governments have already invested heavily in mitigation through bonds and partnerships. Fuentes and Sassine also described the county’s long-term flood mitigation and water-reuse efforts, including the Delta region water management project, which would capture stormwater, runoff, and treated effluent, reduce flooding, and create potable water supply. They said the drainage district manages about 780 miles of channels and 1,100 acres of detention facilities, has used prior Flood Infrastructure Fund and GLO grants, and has ongoing applications for additional state and federal assistance. Members discussed the need for TxDOT coordination, emergency access on frontage roads, local “skin in the game,” and the possibility of combining flood control with aquifer recharge and water supply projects. Texas Water Development Board Executive Administrator Brian McMath then presented an overview of the state’s flood planning and funding framework, including the post-Harvey legislative changes that created the Flood Infrastructure Fund, the Texas Infrastructure Resiliency Fund, and the regional/state flood planning process. He summarized the first state flood plan adopted in 2024, noting that about one in six Texans live or work in known flood hazard areas and that regional plans identified 4,609 flood risk reduction solutions with an estimated cost of $54.5 billion. He also reviewed TWDB programs for flood grants, community assistance, flood insurance compliance, stream gauges, TexMesonet, flood mapping, and the TexasFlood.org viewer. Members asked about drainage fees, technical assistance, gauge placement, the relationship between flood maps and FEMA FIRMs, and whether flood mitigation funds could support aquifer storage and recovery or recharge projects; TWDB staff said such projects can be eligible if they include flood mitigation components, but direct technical assistance cannot be paid from Flood Infrastructure Fund dollars. The committee concluded by expressing interest in further study of combining flood mitigation with aquifer recharge, and then adjourned.