AUSTIN (AP) - The Texas House and Senate Natural Resources Committees will be holding a joint hearing on the ongoing drought and the status of the state water plan.

Lawmakers are expected to hear expert testimony on Tuesday about the drought status and what to expect in the months to come.

They will also review the state water plan, which says the state needs to spend $53 billion over the next 50 years to meet the state’s water needs.

Gov. Rick Perry and top lawmakers have recommended taking $2 billion from the Rainy Day Fund to finance water projects.

Texas suffered its worst single-year drought in 2011, and most of the state has still not fully recovered. Long-term forecasts predict drier than normal weather for most of the state.

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