HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES — NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
COMMITTEE: Natural Resources
TIME & DATE: 10:00 AM, Tuesday, June 23, 2026
PLACE: E2.036
CHAIR: Rep. Cody Harris
The committee will meet to hear invited testimony only on the following interim charges:
Agency Oversight - Pursuant to the broad oversight responsibilities granted to the Committee under Section 301.014, Government Code, and the House Rules of Procedure, monitor the Texas Water Development Board, under the Committee’s jurisdiction, including for fraud, waste, and abuse, where applicable.
Monitoring - Monitor the implementation and associated rulemaking of the following legislation passed by the Committee and enacted by the 89th Legislature to ensure that legislative purposes are properly implemented:
· HJR 7, proposing a constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of the revenue derived from state sales and use taxes to the Texas water fund and to provide for the allocation and use of that revenue;
· SB 7, relating to the oversight and financing of certain water infrastructure matters under the jurisdiction of the Texas Water Development Board
Program Capacity - Assess the capacity of existing state and federal water infrastructure financial assistance programs, including the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas. Evaluate strategies to leverage the dedicated revenue stream established by Proposition 4(HJR 7, 89th Regular Session) to meet identified capital needs and develop recommendations to mitigate any possible short-term funding shortfalls.
The committee will hear invited and public testimony on the following interim charge:
Data Center Water Use and Conservation - Examine the total water usage of data center operations in Texas, including direct and indirect uses. Evaluate regulatory, permitting, and infrastructure considerations for water-efficient data center development, particularly in water-stressed regions. Consider policy options to optimize water resources and enhance water stewardship in the data center sector.
Online submission of public comments will be available on the following topics:
Agency Oversight: The Texas Water Development Board
Implementation of 89(R) House Joint Resolution 7
Implementation of 89(R) Senate Bill 7
Infrastructure Financial Assistance Program Capacity
Data Center Water Use and Conservation
Texas residents who wish to electronically submit comments related to
agenda items on this notice without testifying in person can do so until
the hearing is adjourned by visiting:
https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c390
For those persons who will be testifying, information for in-person witness registration, can be found here: https://mytxlegis.capitol.texas.gov/HWRSPublic/About.aspx
A live video broadcast of this hearing will be available here: https://house.texas.gov/video-audio/
Instructions related to public access to the meeting location are available here: https://house.texas.gov/committees/public-access-house-committee-meetings/
NOTICE OF ASSISTANCE AT PUBLIC MEETINGS
Persons with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting and who may need assistance, such as a sign language interpreter, are requested to contact Stacey Nicchio at (512) 463-0850, 72 hours prior to the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.