Senate finance panel reviews General Land Office budget, Alamo requests and Gulf Coast protection funding

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…