Economic Development

HB 3800 creates an advisory board under the Texas Workforce Commission to develop a resource guide helping health care providers and colleges collaborate on local workforce issues like shortages and training needs. The board, composed of members from urban/rural colleges, workforce boards, hospitals, health professionals, and community health centers, must deliver the guide to the legislature by November 1, 2026. It expires September 1, 2027, and directly affects health care institutions, educational institutions, and local workforce development efforts across Texas. The bill focuses on facilitating coordination rather than mandating specific solutions.

HB 3260 creates a Texas grant program to support industry-recognized apprenticeship programs. It provides partial reimbursement to participants for on-the-job training milestones as they complete training and secure employment. The law requires the Texas Workforce Commission to establish rules defining eligible occupations, certification standards for programs, and performance metrics like completion rates. Grant recipients must report this data annually, with aggregated results made publicly available. The program directly affects apprenticeship providers and trainees in Texas occupations requiring structured on-the-job training.

HB 1851 allows the Texas Facilities Commission to transfer surplus motor vehicles and law enforcement equipment from the Texas Department of Public Safety to school districts located in economically disadvantaged areas. The bill requires that school districts receiving this equipment cannot sell it for two years and must use it solely for law enforcement duties by school resource officers or security personnel, as defined in the Education Code. This policy change directly affects school districts in economically disadvantaged communities by providing them with additional law enforcement resources. The bill took effect on September 1, 2025.

HB 2765 creates a new financial assistance program for rural economic development in Texas, targeting counties with populations under 200,000 and municipalities with under 50,000 residents. It allows these entities to receive funds for land development, attracting private businesses (like manufacturing, warehouses, and mineral extraction), and improving water, waste, or transportation infrastructure. The bill also specifies that the Texas Economic Development Fund must be dedicated exclusively to administering economic development programs focused on rural manufacturing, agricultural exports, and small business initiatives. The program became effective September 1, 2025, after passing both legislative chambers and the governor's desk.

HB 3146 amends Texas law to clarify that the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) directly conducts certain state agency hearings, replacing previous language requiring "cooperation with" SOAH. The bill updates sections in the Agriculture, Human Resources, Labor, and Transportation Codes to specify that SOAH administrative law judges will either enter final decisions or propose decisions to agency commissioners for final action. This affects state agencies that use SOAH for hearings and the individuals or businesses participating in those proceedings. The bill was signed into law on June 20, 2025, and takes effect September 1, 2025.