Governor Greg Abbott has amended and renewed a drought disaster proclamation in Texas. Originally issued on July 8, 2022, the proclamation was previously amended and renewed multiple times. It addresses the ongoing threat of exceptional drought conditions in various counties.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management confirmed that these drought conditions persist in many counties across the state, excluding Comal, Comanche, Denton, Gillespie, Hamilton, Hemphill, and Lipscomb Counties.

In response to this situation, Governor Abbott declared a disaster in several counties including Aransas, Archer, Atascosa, Bandera, Bastrop, Bee, Bexar, Blanco, Brewster, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cameron among others. The list also includes major urban areas such as Travis and Bexar Counties.

Under Section 418.017 of the Texas Government Code, Governor Abbott authorized the use of all available state government resources and political subdivisions necessary to address the disaster. Additionally, under Section 418.016 of the same code any regulatory statutes or rules that might hinder necessary actions are suspended upon written approval from the Office of the Governor.

Governor Abbott stated that any statute or rule related to contracting or procurement impeding emergency response could be suspended if it is crucial for protecting life or property during this declared disaster.

The proclamation will be filed with relevant authorities as required by law.

The document was signed by Governor Greg Abbott and attested by Secretary of State Jane Nelson on October 26th in Austin.