Texas Bills

introduced · Texas · House Jul 21, 2025

HB 146: Relating to the creation of the Climate Change Impact Assessment Council.

HB 146 creates the Climate Change Impact Assessment Council to study climate change effects on Texas residents. The council, composed of legislative appointees and seven public members with expertise in climatology, the economy, land management, and tourism, will assess climate impacts on health, natural resources, and the economy. It must research solutions for flooding, drought, and wildfires worsened by climate change, estimate state costs, and recommend policies by January 1, 2027. The council will hold public hearings statewide and dissolve on September 1, 2027, after submitting its final report. This bill directly affects Texas residents by establishing a state-led process to evaluate climate risks and inform future policy decisions.

Topics ✓ Environment

introduced · Texas · House Jul 21, 2025

HB 139: Relating to the repeal of the Moving Image Incentive Program.

HB 139 repeals Texas' Moving Image Incentive Program, which provided financial incentives to film and video production companies. The bill directs the state comptroller to transfer any remaining funds from this program to the Texas Education Agency. These funds will be used to reduce the state compression percentage in education funding - the factor determining how much state money is added to school district budgets - to its lowest possible level. The repeal would take effect on September 1, 2025, unless passed with a two-thirds vote in both legislative chambers, in which case it would take effect immediately.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes ✗ Education

introduced · Texas · House Jul 21, 2025

HB 142: Relating to required disclosures on certain political advertising that contains altered media; creating a criminal offense.

HB 142 requires political advertisers (including candidates, officeholders, and committees) who spend over $100 on political ads containing altered media - such as AI-generated images, videos, or audio - to include a clear disclosure stating the content did not occur in reality. The bill exempts superficial edits (like brightness or color changes) but mandates disclosures for all other alterations, with the Texas Election Commission setting the required disclosure format. Violating this law is a Class A misdemeanor, though platforms like social media, internet services, and broadcasters are exempt from liability under Section 230. The bill applies to ads intended to influence elections and takes effect 91 days after the legislative session ends.

Topics ✗ Technology

introduced · Texas · House Jul 21, 2025

HB 143: Relating to political advertising distributed or broadcast as part of a mass text message campaign and civil penalties for required disclosures on certain political advertising.

HB 143 regulates political advertising sent via mass text message campaigns in Texas. It defines a "mass text message campaign" as an organized effort sending texts to multiple recipients for political purposes (supporting/opposing candidates, parties, or measures) where costs exceed basic tech expenses. The bill requires clear disclosures in such ads and specifies that all texts in one campaign count as a single violation for civil penalties. This directly affects political campaigns, candidates, and organizations using text messaging for political outreach. The law applies only to ads distributed after its effective date.

introduced · Texas · House Jul 21, 2025

HR 22: In memory of Kent Monroe Wattinger of Marble Falls.

This is a commemorative resolution, not a legislative bill with policy provisions. HR 22 honors Kent Monroe Wattinger of Marble Falls, who died in a flood while saving his wife, Samantha, on July 8, 2025. The resolution extends condolences to his family, including his three children (Violet, Hunter, Zoey), wife, and parents, and directs the Texas House of Representatives to adjourn in his memory. It has no binding policy effects or direct impact on constituents.

introduced · Texas · House Jul 21, 2025

HB 162: Relating to the review and approval of certain proposed municipal initiatives and referenda.

HB 162 requires home-rule municipalities in Texas to submit proposed local initiatives or referenda (such as new ordinances or changes to existing ones) to the Attorney General within five days of receiving the petition. The Attorney General must review the measure within 30 days (with a possible two-week extension) to determine if any part violates state law and notify the municipality. If the Attorney General finds a violation, the municipality cannot hold an election on that measure; however, if the Attorney General misses the deadline, the municipality must proceed with the election. The bill also mandates that such elections occur on uniform statewide dates and supersedes conflicting municipal charter provisions.

introduced · Texas · House Jul 21, 2025

HB 150: Relating to requiring certain alert messages to be in English and Spanish.

HB 150 requires specific emergency and alert systems in Texas to provide content in both English and Spanish. The bill amends multiple sections of the Government Code to mandate that power outage alerts, AMBER alerts for missing children or persons with disabilities, active shooter alerts, Silver alerts for missing seniors or Alzheimer's patients, and missing adult alerts must include information in both languages. Key provisions specify that all text-based alerts and their content must be bilingual, without changing the factual information or instructions provided. This affects state agencies, law enforcement, and emergency response systems that issue these alerts to the public. The requirement applies to all alert content delivered via text messages or other public notifications.

introduced · Texas · House Jul 21, 2025

HB 148: Relating to designating certain substances as Schedule IV controlled substances under the Texas Controlled Substances Act.

HB 148 reclassifies carisoprodol (a muscle relaxant), mifepristone, and misoprostol as Schedule IV controlled substances under Texas law. This change would affect law enforcement and courts handling drug offenses involving these substances after January 1, 2026. The bill amends the Texas Health and Safety Code to add these specific medications to Schedule IV, which generally applies to substances with lower abuse potential than higher schedules. The law applies only to offenses committed on or after the effective date, not to past actions.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✗ Healthcare

introduced · Texas · House Jul 21, 2025

HB 155: Relating to the authority of a political subdivision to use public money for an environmental project.

HB 155 prohibits Texas local governments (like counties, cities, school districts, and special districts) from using public funds - such as taxes, fees, or grants - to plan, create, or operate most environmental projects. The bill allows exceptions only for specific cases, including flood control, renewable energy infrastructure for their own facilities, school energy efficiency programs, waste management, and projects required by state or federal law. It does not ban environmental work but restricts how local governments fund it, excluding projects like electric vehicle charging stations or general emissions reduction efforts. The law would take effect 91 days after the legislative session ends.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes ✗ Environment

introduced · Texas · Senate Jul 21, 2025

SJR 1: Proposing a constitutional amendment to limit the time in which the legislature may enact or modify districts for the Texas Legislature or the United States House of Representatives.

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would restrict when the Texas legislature can redraw election districts for both the Texas state legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives. It would require redistricting to occur only during specific, defined timeframes: when the legislature is constitutionally required to act, or within a 120-day window after the federal census is released. Exceptions allow redistricting within one year if courts invalidate districts, but not during periods when the Legislative Redistricting Board has exclusive authority. The amendment must be approved by voters in the November 2026 election to take effect.

introduced · Texas · Senate Jul 21, 2025

SB 34: Relating to exceptions to and the repeal of certain laws prohibiting abortion.

SB 34 creates a new exception to Texas abortion restrictions for pregnancies resulting from sexual assault, as defined in specific Penal Code sections (including aggravated sexual assault and offenses under Section 25.02). It specifies that patients do not need to file police reports, provide forensic evidence, or have the alleged assault prosecuted to access this exception. The bill also repeals Chapter 6-1/2, a law regulating abortion in Texas. These changes directly affect individuals seeking abortion care in cases of sexual assault and clarify that the exception does not alter other abortion laws or allow lawsuits against patients.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

introduced · Texas · House Jul 21, 2025

HB 134: Relating to public school accountability, including reducing state required accountability exams to the minimum required by federal law and replacing current state required assessments with instructionally supportive assessments.

HB 134 would change Texas public school assessments by replacing current state-mandated tests with a new "instructionally supportive assessment" program. The bill requires the State Board of Education to create a nationally-normed system that meets federal testing minimums (without exceeding them), focuses on helping teachers improve instruction, and tracks student progress in reading, math, and science. It gives school districts more flexibility under federal rules and emphasizes using assessment data to guide learning rather than solely for accountability. The bill directly affects Texas public schools, students, teachers, and parents by altering how student achievement is measured.

Topics ✓ Education

Bill results