AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The Texas Legislature has guaranteed the right of landowners to install drought-resistant landscaping.
The Senate passed a bill Monday denying homeowners' associations the power to ban landscaping designs intended to save water. The bill now goes to Gov. Rick Perry for his signature.
Democratic Sen. Kirk Watson authored the bill that still allows associations to review new landscaping plans. But the Austin lawmaker said that after the 2011 drought, homeowners should be allowed to install landscapes that can survive on very little water.
The Legislature is considering a $2 billion water development fund to meet the state's water needs. The Texas Water Development Board estimates the state needs to spend $53 billion over the next 50 years to meet the state's growing demand for water.
