Action Needed: Support HB2068 NOW!
4/8/25 – State Representative Dennis Paul has authored a bill, HB2068, which would transform the Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) by reconstituting its management and potentially expanding its geographic scope. Fifteen other state representatives have expressed their support by signing on as “co-authors” of the bill. Most represent parts of the San Jacinto River Basin.
The Texas House of Representatives Natural Resources committee will hold hearings on the bill tomorrow. We need to make sure the bill doesn’t die a quiet death by never making it out of the committee for a vote by the full House. So please write today to express your support.
Why We Need HB2068
Water doesn’t respect political boundaries. Back in 1937 when the legislature created HCFCD, that wasn’t a huge problem. Most of the region’s population lived within Harris County.
But since then, the Houston area has grown to encompass all or parts of seven counties. Having the state’s only flood control district focusing primarily on the area inside Beltway 8 no longer serves the needs of the region.
For instance, in the San Jacinto watershed, an area half again as large as Harris County drains past Kingwood. Yet Kingwood has received only $230 in capital improvement construction projects from HCFCD. Ever.
But during Harvey, Kingwood also had the highest flooding in the county. And it has flooded several times since then.
Meanwhile, eight other watersheds favored by certain Harris County Commissioners have received more than $740 million…just since 2018.
Their formula for allocating funds relies heavily on race and income. The majority of County Commissioners now in control do not even include flood damage or risk in their current formula for prioritizing flood-mitigation projects.
Moreover, HCFCD under the leadership of Harris County Commissioners Court refuses to release comparative flood risk data in their possession.
Plus, certain commissioners have vowed not to allow HCFCD to spend money on projects outside of Harris County, where many of the County’s flooding problems originate.
How HB2068 Could Change That
HB2068 modifies the legislation that originally created HCFCD. The modifications do two basic things. They:
- Replace Harris County Commissioners Court as managers of HCFCD with a board appointed by the governor. (See Section 1D Page 3.)
- Allow surrounding counties to join the reconstituted district voluntarily after approval by their Commissioners Courts and voters.
Thus…
HB2068 would enable the reconstituted district to serve all people of the river basin and give them a way to address their flooding issues together.
Flooding does not respect political boundaries. HB2068 bridges those boundaries.
How to Express Your Support
The Natural Resources committee will meet on Wednesday April 9, 2025 to hear testimony on HB2068.
- You can submit comments electronically until the hearing is adjourned by visiting: https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c390
- To testify in person, register at: https://mytxlegis.capitol.texas.gov/HWRSPublic/About.aspx
- For instructions on getting to the meeting, see: https://house.texas.gov/committees/public-access-house committee-meetings/
- To view a live video broadcast, go to: https://house.texas.gov/video-audio
Remember public comments must be submitted before the end of the meeting. To be safe, do it now! And do it here. You are limited to 3000 characters. I suggest something that expresses the key points above under:
- Why We Need HB2068
- How HB2068 Could Change That.
They include 2000 characters.
If you are pressed for time, just say, “I support this bill.”
Please DO IT NOW!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 4/8/2025
2779 Days since Hurricane Harvey
