Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan revealed House Bill 9 and House Bill 10, which seek to create the Texas Broadband Infrastructure Fund and the Texas Water Fund, respectively.
HB 9, filed by state Rep. Trent Ashby, would create the fund for $5 billion, to be administered by the Texas Comptroller’s office. The money would be used to bolster the Texas Broadband Development Office’s efforts to expand internet availability in the state, among other uses, and would be the biggest state investment in broadband development to date.
HB 10, filed by state Rep. Tracy King, would allocate an as yet unspecified amount to create the Texas Water Fund. The fund would go toward infrastructure development and projects that aim to bring safe drinking water in from other states, as well as other authorized purposes.
