What the 2026 Interim Charges Mean for the Green Industry

The Texas House and Senate have now released their 2026 interim charges, the official study topics committees will work on ahead of the 2027 legislative session. These charges often become the foundation for the next round of legislation, giving us an early look at the issues that may shape the future policy environment for our industry.

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​You can review the full charges here:

Senate Interim Charges:
https://www.ltgov.texas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-Interim-Charges.pdf
House Interim Charges:
​https://www.house.texas.gov/pdfs/speaker/F-Interim-Charges-3.25.pdf

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From TNLA’s perspective, the biggest themes are water supply and supporting Texas agriculture, but the interim charges extend well beyond those issues. They also address insurance affordability, property tax relief, local government fees, workforce transportation, housing growth, permitting timelines, and the overall competitiveness of Texas agriculture and small businesses.

Taken together, these charges examine many of the core factors that determine how easy or difficult it is to operate a green industry business in Texas, from access to water and labor to the cost of trucks, insurance, land, and local permits.
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Two House committees stand out as especially important for our members.

House Agriculture & Livestock includes meaningful charges on invasive species, Texas Department of Agriculture authority, agricultural resiliency, and expanding markets for Texas-grown products. These discussions could directly affect plant health response, quarantine processes, specialty crop competitiveness, and the visibility of Texas-grown nursery and landscape products.

House Natural Resources may be the most significant committee for the green industry this interim. Charges on groundwater management, new water supply strategies, brackish groundwater, data center water use, and regional water planning all go directly to long-term water availability and allocation. These discussions will influence how Texas balances growth, agriculture, urban water needs, and future supply development.

On the Senate side, we are also closely tracking charges related to data center water demand, utility revenue transfers, desalination, insurance affordability, local fee transparency, and CDL standards. Each of these has real implications for project timelines, business costs, labor flexibility, and long-term water affordability.

Our advocacy team will be actively monitoring hearings, identifying opportunities for committee feedback and testimony, and ensuring the voice of Texas nurseries, landscape professionals, irrigators, and allied businesses is part of these conversations.

The interim is where many of the biggest ideas for the next session begin to take shape, and we believe the 2026 cycle could be especially consequential for water policy, Texas agriculture, and the overall business climate for the green industry.

We will continue to keep you updated as these hearings develop.