Proposition 5 establishes the Texas University Fund, creating a permanent endowment to significantly boost the research capabilities of four Texas universities, including the University of Houston.

APPROVED: Proposition 5 creates the Texas University Fund (TUF), a $3.4 billion research endowment for four Texas public universities.

• A strong college-educated talent pipeline is becoming increasingly more important to attract companies and investments to our state. 
• Currently, only two national top 50 public universities are located in Texas: The University of Texas at Austin (ranked 9th) and Texas A&M (ranked 20th).
• The TUF will allocate up to $100 million annually to the University of Houston, Houston's flagship public university. 
• The TUF will help the state attract top talent by providing the necessary funding to improve the national rankings of Texas universities. 
• The TUF will help Texas schools compete for federal research grants, secure private research funding, drive increased alumni support, and position Texas as a top destination for premier higher education.  
• The TUF will expand educational opportunities for all Texas students and strengthen the state’s economy.

For more information, please feel free to reach out to Glen Austin at gaustin@houston.org. 

Proposition 6 creates the New Water Supply for Texas Fund, the Statewide Water Public Awareness Account, and the Texas Water Fund to address critical water challenges across the state. 

APPROVED: Proposition 6 assists in the financing of water projects to address the diminishing water supply of Texas. 

• Access to water is vital to society, and ensuring sufficient supply is becoming more paramount by the day, particularly for communities with rapid population growth, a decline in existing water supplies, and an aging water infrastructure system. 
• According to the most recent State Water Plan, the population in Texas is expected to grow by 73 percent from 2020 to 2070, while water demand is projected to rise by approximately nine percent.
• Existing water supply is expected to decline by nearly eighteen percent, resulting in a crisis-level water shortage of 6.9 million acre-feet per year by 2070.
• Proposition 6 will allow Texas to invest $1 billion to fix crumbling water infrastructure across the state. 

For more information, please feel free to reach out to Coalter Baker at cbaker@houston.org. 

Proposition 8 creates the Broadband Infrastructure Fund to facilitate equitable access to reliable, high-speed internet statewide, enabling local communities to thrive through expanding broadband investment. 

APPROVED:  Proposition 8 creates the Broadband Infrastructure Fund (BIF) to expand equitable access to reliable, high-speed broadband across Texas. 

• The U.S. Census Bureau data indicates almost 2.8 million households and 7 million people lack broadband access in Texas. 
• Proposition 8 will help to close the digital divide by bringing rural and underserved Texans online while also increasing access to the internet in economically distressed communities. 
• The BIF will provide an unprecedented $1.5 billion in funding for the expansion of broadband infrastructure around the state. 
• The BIF will provide financing for projects that ensure all Texans have access to the economic and social benefits of broadband.

For more information, please feel free to reach out to Laura Alexander at lalexander@houston.org. 

Proposition 10 exempts medical or biomedical product manufacturers' equipment or inventory from ad valorem taxation to protect our health care network and strengthen the Texas medical supply chain. 

APPROVED:  Proposition 10 establishes Texas as a competitive state in the biomedical manufacturing industry. 

• Texas currently has one of the highest effective tax rates for the medical and biomedical manufacturing sectors, taxing companies more than 28%, compared to other states, which tax the same industry less than 13.5%.
• Since 2020, Texas has lost more than 4,000 new biomanufacturing jobs to other states and missed out on more than $3 billion in medical manufacturing investments.
• Reducing the effective tax rate for these manufacturers will bolster the manufacturing capabilities of Texas' medical and biomedical businesses while also drawing new innovators to Texas. 
• The medical and biomedical manufacturing sector is expected to add 100,000 new jobs over the next decade with an average salary of $75 thousand to $150 thousand, and every new Texas medical or biomedical job will create four additional jobs.

For more information, please feel free to reach out to Stephen Reynolds at sreynolds@houston.org. 

Harris County Proposition A seeks voter approval of a $2.5 billion bond authorization to finance the rebuilding and upgrading of the hospital district’s facilities. 

APPROVED: Harris County Proposition A ensures the Harris County hospital district can continue serving our residents.

• Harris Health is the hospital district serving the nearly five million residents of Harris County and often many of the residents in surrounding areas.
• Harris County Proposition A will finance the replacement of the LBJ hospital and the creation of a third Level I Trauma center on its current campus, additional capacity for the existing Level 1 Trauma Center at the Ben Taub Hospital, and invest in clinics and population health services across the county. 
• Harris County's population has more than doubled in the past 30 years, while the facilities run by Harris Health have decreased in capacity.
• The LBJ hospital is often over capacity and has reached the end of its life span.
• Our population dictates we should have at least four Level 1 Trauma centers; Harris County currently has only two—both of which reside in the Texas Medical Center, not easily accessible to many on the outer areas of our county—particularly the north and northeast. 

For more information, please feel free to reach out to Stephen Reynolds at sreynolds@houston.org.