Texas Bills

in committee · Texas · House May 1, 2025

HB 1079: Relating to the inclusion of Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps and Leadership Officer Training Corps programs as public school career and technology education programs and the indicator of achievement for military readiness under the public school accountability system.

HB 1079 would designate Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) and Leadership Officer Training Corps (LOTC) programs as official public school career and technology education programs. This change would directly affect public schools offering these military-focused training programs, requiring them to be counted toward the state's career and technology education metrics. The bill also specifies that participation in these programs would serve as an indicator of military readiness within the public school accountability system. This legislation aims to formally integrate these programs into existing educational frameworks without altering their structure or curriculum. The bill is currently pending in committee after a public hearing.

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · Texas · Senate May 1, 2025

SB 1935: Relating to the composition and operation of a property owners' association board.

SB 1935 requires property owners' associations in Texas to transition board control from developers (declarants) to homeowners by specific deadlines. It mandates that at least one-third of board members must be elected by homeowners within 120 days after 50% of lots are sold, and a majority within 120 days after 75% of lots are sold. If the declaration doesn't specify total lots, this transition must occur by the 10th anniversary of the declaration. The bill also requires developers to notify owners via website and email when the 50% sales threshold is met, ensuring transparency about the upcoming election requirements. This directly affects homeowners' associations and their boards during the shift from developer control to owner governance.

in committee · Texas · House May 1, 2025

HB 1971: Relating to an exemption for drillers or operators of closed-loop geothermal injection wells from certain requirements applicable to persons involved in activities under the jurisdiction of the Railroad Commission of Texas.

HB 1971 exempts drillers and operators of closed-loop geothermal injection wells from specific requirements in the Natural Resources Code. It removes the applicability of sections 85.2021 and 91.142 (which typically govern certain well activities) for these operators when they obtain authorization through the Railroad Commission of Texas. The exemption applies to permit applications filed on or after September 1, 2025, streamlining regulatory compliance for this type of geothermal project. This change directly affects geothermal operators seeking to develop closed-loop systems under Railroad Commission oversight.

Topics ✗ Environment

in committee · Texas · House May 1, 2025

HB 2865: Relating to conducting an ex parte renewal of a recipient's Medicaid eligibility.

HB 2865 prohibits Texas Medicaid agencies from automatically renewing a recipient's eligibility using electronic data without requiring the recipient to provide updated information. The bill bans "ex parte renewals" (automatic renewals without recipient input) and requires the state to seek a federal waiver to implement this change, with possible delay until the waiver is approved. This directly affects Medicaid recipients, who will now need to proactively submit updated information to maintain coverage, and state agencies managing Medicaid. The prohibition does not apply if federal law requires automatic renewals.

Topics ✗ Healthcare

in committee · Texas · House May 1, 2025

HB 3565: Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of interference with public duties.

HB 3565 amends Texas law to upgrade the penalty for interfering with public duties from a Class B misdemeanor to a state jail felony. This change directly affects individuals who obstruct or interfere with public officials (such as police, emergency responders, or elected representatives) while they are performing their duties. The bill increases criminal penalties for such actions but applies only to offenses committed on or after its effective date of September 1, 2025. Offenses occurring before that date remain subject to the previous misdemeanor penalties. The bill does not create new offenses but raises the severity of punishment for existing conduct.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

in committee · Texas · House May 1, 2025

HB 1809: Relating to prohibited insurance discrimination on the basis of an insured's marital status following the death of the insured's spouse.

HB 1809 prohibits insurance companies in Texas from discriminating against widowed individuals when offering or renewing coverage. The bill specifically bans insurers from refusing coverage, limiting benefits, or charging higher rates solely because someone is widowed - compared to other policyholders in similar situations. It applies to new policies delivered, issued, or renewed on or after September 1, 2025, but does not affect existing policies in place before that date. This bill directly affects widowed Texans seeking life, health, or other insurance coverage.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Texas · Senate May 1, 2025

SB 2327: Relating to the generation of electric power for sale by a water supply or sewer service corporation.

This bill allows water supply and sewer service corporations operating within ERCOT (Texas' electric grid) to register as power generators and sell electricity. It directly affects these public utility corporations by enabling them to generate revenue from electricity sales. The key provision requires that all revenue from power sales must be used exclusively to cover the costs of power generation (like equipment, fuel, and maintenance) or for purposes specified under existing water service laws. The bill does not change how these corporations operate their core water or sewer services.

in committee · Texas · House May 1, 2025

HB 2556: Relating to certain health care transaction fees and payment claims; providing an administrative penalty.

HB 2556 prohibits health care providers from charging facility fees for telehealth services or preventative health services (Section 328.002). It requires health care providers to obtain and include a national provider identifier (NPI) on all payment claims for themselves and each provider-based facility they own or manage (Sections 328.003-328.004). The bill directly affects hospitals, provider-based facilities, and insurers processing health care claims. Violations may result in administrative penalties as specified in the legislation.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

in committee · Texas · Senate May 1, 2025

SB 306: Relating to the protection of expressive activities at public institutions of higher education.

SB 306 prohibits Texas public universities from denying student organizations benefits or taking disciplinary action against them based on political, religious, philosophical, or ideological viewpoints. It allows students or groups to sue universities for violations within one year, with each day of ongoing violation counting as a separate claim. The law waives universities' legal immunity for these cases and applies only to violations occurring after September 1, 2025. This directly affects student organizations at public colleges across Texas by protecting their expressive activities from viewpoint-based retaliation.

Topics ✓ Education

in committee · Texas · Senate May 1, 2025

SB 2113: Relating to a special right of access under the public information law for a member of a governing board.

SB 2113 grants members of local governing boards (such as city council members or county commissioners) a new right to access public records maintained by their own government bodies or affiliated non-governmental entities, provided they act in their official capacity. The bill requires these records to be provided promptly and without charge, with confidential information redacted before disclosure. Officials requesting sensitive materials must sign a confidentiality agreement to protect the information, and the Attorney General can verify if records truly qualify as confidential under existing law. This procedural bill does not change disclosure requirements but clarifies access rights for specific local officials.

in committee · Texas · House May 1, 2025

HB 544: Relating to the imposition of consecutive sentences for more than one criminal offense of injury to a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual arising out of the same criminal episode.

HB 544 would require courts to impose consecutive sentences (one after another) for multiple criminal offenses involving injury to a child, elderly individual, or disabled person that occur during the same criminal incident. This means if a person is convicted of, for example, injuring two different children in a single event, they would serve each sentence sequentially instead of simultaneously. The bill directly affects individuals convicted of such multiple offenses, potentially leading to longer total prison terms. The key provision mandates consecutive sentencing specifically for these vulnerable-victim offenses within a single episode.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

in committee · Texas · House May 1, 2025

HB 5467: Relating to creating the criminal offense of continuous manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance.

HB 5467 creates a new third-degree felony offense for individuals who commit two or more separate drug-related violations (such as manufacturing or delivering controlled substances) within a 12-month period. It allows prosecutors to charge this single pattern of behavior as one felony instead of multiple individual offenses, streamlining legal proceedings. The law clarifies that juries need only agree the repeated conduct occurred within the 12-month window - not specific dates, locations, or exact offenses - to convict. This directly affects people repeatedly engaging in drug trafficking or production, shifting penalties from multiple misdemeanor or lower felony charges to a single felony conviction.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

Bill results