At a Senate Finance Committee Article 6 hearing, Legislative Budget Board analysts and General Land Office leaders presented budget recommendations for the 2026–27 biennium and answered senators’ questions about the Alamo, Gulf Coast protection projects and veterans homes.

The Legislative Budget Board recommended about $2.0 billion in all funds for the General Land Office (GLO) and Veterans Land Board for 2026–27, a net decrease from 2024–25 that LBB staff said largely reflects the spending down of one-time and disaster-related federal Community Development Block Grant funds. Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and GLO staff described a leaner base request and several “exceptional” items the agency considers priorities, including funding to continue Alamo projects, a state match for coastal restoration projects, cybersecurity, fleet and museum/exhibit improvements.

LBB analyst Justin Dioso told the committee the recommended total for the GLO and Veterans Land Board is roughly $2 billion for 2026–27 and represents decreases in federal and one-time funds compared with the 2024–25 biennium. The LBB summary lists specific rider changes and items not included in the recommendation, including several of the agency’s exceptional items.

Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, the elected Texas land commissioner, outlined the GLO’s priorities. She said the agency’s introduced budget in the governor’s SB 1 would include about $2.222 billion for 2026–27, “of which 75 percent is federal funding,” and noted the agency reduced its request significantly compared with the previous biennium. Buckingham described three Alamo-related exceptional items: a $150 million general‑revenue request to continue construction and preservation work, a proposed amendment to Rider 15 to allow unexpended balance authority for a prior $400 million appropriation, and a request to formalize an interagency agreement with the Department of Public Safety for Alamo security operations. The LBB recommendation includes $29.7 million in all funds for operation, preservation and maintenance of the Alamo and changes to the Alamo rider to remove prior one-time appropriation language.

Committee members pressed GLO and LBB staff about the scope and timing of Alamo work and about whether the $150 million exceptional item is included in LBB recommendations; LBB staff said the $150 million was not included in the committee’s baseline recommendation and that exceptional items are left for members’ consideration.

Gulf Coast Protection District and Army Corps projects

Senators questioned GLO staff and representatives of the Gulf Coast Protection District (GCPD) about past appropriations and the district’s near‑term funding needs. GCPD representatives said the district has advanced most appropriated funds to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as federal cost‑share payments and for required real‑estate acquisitions and utility relocations. Ross Gordon of the GCPD told the committee the district’s administrative spending to date has been modest compared with program disbursements and that most funds appropriated to date were passed through to the Corps or local drainage districts.

David Repp, GLO chief financial officer, and GCPD representatives confirmed amounts appropriated in prior sessions. Repp told the committee that about $950 million had been appropriated to date and that approximately $325 million of appropriated funds have been expended so far. GCPD testimony and accompanying LBB analysis estimate that about $1.18 billion in nonfederal obligations will be needed to meet projected federal contract schedule demands, creating a funding gap LBB described as approximately $230 million. GCPD and LBB witnesses emphasized that Corps schedules control the timing of contract awards, and that delays or contract protests can shift expenditures between fiscal years.

Senators sought clarity about risk if the Legislature does not appropriate additional state match. LBB and GCPD witnesses said two principal consequences would follow if state cost share is not timely provided: construction contracts could be delayed while required real‑estate or utility relocations are completed, and accrued late‑payment interest could be charged on unpaid cost‑share obligations.

Veterans homes and other veteran services

Tony Dale, executive secretary of the Veterans Land Board, described the agency’s veterans‑home program and financing: construction typically uses a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs grant that pays 65% of an eligible project, with the VLB covering 35%. Dale said the VLB generally relies on donated land because state law does not authorize the VLB to purchase property for new homes. He told senators the state will open a new veterans home in Fort Worth soon and that the board is pursuing VA grants to refurbish several older homes.

Cybersecurity, fleet and museum items

Buckingham and GLO security staff (Arturo Montalvo, chief information security officer) described a request for roughly $1.8 million in general revenue to enhance detection, response and resiliency across the agency’s cloud and network environments; GLO witnesses said the agency has detected a large volume of attempted cyber activity and that additional, agency‑purchased cloud security services and penetration testing would improve protection. Buckingham also described requests to replace aging GLO vehicles and boats used in coastal response and oil‑spill work and to create a new exhibit space in the Stephen F. Austin building to display parts of the GLO’s archival collection.

Rollover Pass pier and Permanent School Fund questions

Senators asked why Permanent School Fund resources were identified as a proposed source for a rollover pier in Galveston County. LBB staff and GLO witnesses said the agency identified eligible funding sources for the project; GLO staff said the project historically used several fund sources, that the pier’s estimated cost has risen over time and that agencies would be available to answer technical permitting and construction questions when appropriate.

What’s next

No formal committee votes were recorded in this hearing excerpt. LBB staff and GLO witnesses said some items remain for committee consideration, including the agency’s exceptional items and rider amendments. Senators indicated they would continue to scrutinize the Alamo requests, the GCPD funding schedule and timing, and the veterans‑home priorities as Article 6 moved through the budget process.