HB 42 creates a new office of State Special Prosecutor in Texas, appointed by the Supreme Court for four-year terms. This office handles specific criminal cases including election law violations, human trafficking, certain abortion law violations (Chapters 170-171 Health and Safety Code), offenses under Sections 557.001 and 42.02 of the Penal Code, and other designated cases. The bill establishes procedures for appointing assistants, filling vacancies (with the governor stepping in if the Supreme Court delays), and maintaining staff support through agreements with the Attorney General's office. The State Special Prosecutor has concurrent jurisdiction to represent the state in district and inferior courts for these targeted cases.
HB 110 prohibits individuals or entities that contribute to political committees supporting bond issuances from receiving payments from bond proceeds. It directly affects contributors to committees backing specific bond projects, such as construction or service contracts funded by municipal or state bonds. The bill adds a new provision to Texas Election Code Section 253.008, blocking recipients of bond funds from also being contributors to committees that support those bonds. This applies only to contributions made on or after the bill's effective date. The law does not restrict contributions themselves but prevents a financial relationship between contributors and bond-funded contracts.
SB 25 allows indigent parents (those who cannot afford a lawyer) in specific family court cases - such as when the government seeks to terminate parental rights or appoint a child’s guardian - to choose their own lawyer instead of being assigned one by the court. The parent must select a Texas-licensed attorney meeting state bar requirements, then file a notice of appearance with the court. The court cannot interfere with this choice or require approval for the parent’s selected attorney. This change gives indigent parents greater control over their legal representation in critical child custody cases.
SB 32 modifies Texas law regarding local disaster declarations by expanding the Texas Division of Emergency Management's authority. It requires the Division to monitor for conditions needing a local disaster declaration and allows its administrative head to declare one for a political subdivision if local officials are unavailable and notification isn't responded to within a reasonable time. The bill also limits local disaster declarations to seven days without renewal by the governing body, unless consent is obtained. This directly affects local governments and the Division's emergency response procedures during declared disasters.
SB 38 allows unincorporated areas located within or within 1,000 feet of a federally designated special flood hazard area (land with at least a 1% annual flood risk) to incorporate as Type C general-law municipalities. To incorporate, residents and landowners must submit a signed petition meeting specific territorial requirements and including a proposed flood preparedness ordinance. The bill mandates that newly incorporated municipalities adopt a flood preparedness ordinance within 90 days of incorporation, requiring compliance with federal flood standards, establishing a flood mitigation administrator, and tying building permits for new structures to flood regulations. This bill directly affects residents and property owners in flood-prone rural areas seeking municipal services and flood preparedness planning.
HB 118 requires Texas public universities to report on their compliance with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) spending policies before using state funds. Institutions must submit annual reports to the legislature and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, testify about compliance at legislative hearings, and undergo state audits every four years. The bill explicitly permits universities to highlight support for first-generation, low-income, and underserved students in grant applications or accreditation reports without violating the law. It also clarifies that academic instruction, research, student organizations, and admissions practices are exempt from the reporting requirements. This bill directly affects all public universities in Texas that receive state appropriations.
HB 124 repeals the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation Act (specifically provisions added by H.B. 5 in 2023) from Texas law. It removes Subchapter T of Government Code Chapter 403, which previously allowed certain property value limitations for school funding calculations. The bill also amends Education Code sections to eliminate specific methods for calculating "taxable property value" (DPV) used by school districts to determine funding levels. This directly affects Texas school districts and property owners who previously benefited from the repealed tax value limitations.
HB 148 prohibits Texas public schools from using artificial intelligence to score open-ended written responses (like essays) on state-mandated student assessments. It directly affects public school students, school districts, and the Texas Education Agency by banning AI scoring for all assessments under Section 39.023 of the Education Code and related systems. The bill adds a specific legal requirement to the Education Code, explicitly stating that AI scoring of constructed responses is not permitted. It takes effect for the 2026-2027 school year, applying to all assessments administered during that period.
SB 35 amends Texas law to criminalize noncustodial parents who knowingly entice or persuade a child under 18 to leave the custody of the custodial parent or guardian. The offense is typically a Class C misdemeanor (with a $500 fine), but becomes a state jail felony if the parent has two prior convictions for this offense or if the child is enticed to leave the state. The law applies only to offenses committed after its effective date (91 days after the legislative session ends), not retroactively. This bill directly affects noncustodial parents involved in custody disputes who interfere with a child’s lawful custody arrangements.
HB 179 creates a statewide toxic chemical emergency alert system requiring immediate notification when manufacturing facilities release chemicals that endanger public health or the environment. The system mandates that state agencies notify residents within 30 minutes using reverse 9-1-1 calls, texts, emails, and social media in both English and Spanish, with options to customize alerts based on location and chemical movement. Residents near affected facilities will receive geographic threat maps, symptom information, and links to updated safety resources through the system. The bill also allows residents to opt out of receiving alerts and requires the alert system to align with existing emergency notification models. This directly affects communities surrounding manufacturing facilities in Texas.
HB 93 limits the rate at which state and local governments can increase spending by tying annual budget growth to population and inflation trends. It requires the Legislative Budget Board to calculate a spending growth cap each biennium using the prior three years' average population growth plus inflation (measured by the Consumer Price Index). If actual spending growth falls below this cap, the bill mandates reducing taxes to return over-collected revenue to taxpayers. This applies to all state/local government funding sources, including general revenue and dedicated accounts, and affects all Texas taxpayers through potential tax reductions.
HB 133 repeals the Texas Quantum Initiative by removing Subchapter HH from the Government Code, effective September 1, 2025. It redirects all funds previously allocated to this initiative to the Texas Education Agency for the 2025-2027 state fiscal biennium. The redirected funds will be used to reduce the state's compression percentage under Education Code Section 48.255, lowering the state's share of education funding costs. This bill directly affects the Texas Quantum Initiative program and Texas public school funding mechanisms, with no new program creation or policy changes beyond the fund reallocation. The bill takes effect 91 days after the legislative session concludes.
