Texas Bills

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 4219: Relating to a governmental body's response to a request for public information.

HB 4219 amends Texas' Government Code to clarify how governmental bodies must respond to public information requests. It requires officials to notify requesters in writing within 10 business days if no responsive information exists (Section 1(f)) or if information is withheld based on a prior determination (Section 1(g)), specifying the exact prior decision used. The bill also creates a process for requesters to file complaints with the attorney general if a body fails to respond properly (Section 552.328), which could lead to mandatory open records training for the body and prohibit charging requesters for non-compliant responses. This directly affects all Texas governmental bodies handling public records requests and requesters seeking transparency.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 5093: Relating to disclosure under the public information law of certain contact information of a notary public that is maintained by the secretary of state.

HB 5093 modifies Texas public information law to require the secretary of state to disclose a notary public's home address, home phone number, and email address - previously protected under confidentiality rules. This change directly affects notaries appointed under Chapter 406 of the Texas Government Code, making this contact information publicly accessible through the secretary of state's records. The bill amends Section 552.11765 of the Government Code to remove these details from the list of exempt information, overriding prior protections for license holders. The law took effect September 1, 2025, after receiving final approval from the governor on June 20, 2025.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 4630: Relating to the regulation of artesian water wells by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

HB 4630 amends Texas Water Code sections to clarify regulations for artesian water wells. It removes specific provisions (Sections 11.202(d)(e), 11.203, 11.204, and 11.207) and adds Section 11.2011 to define that the new rules apply only to artesian wells drilled outside groundwater conservation districts or similar regulatory areas. This change simplifies oversight for landowners with such wells in unregulated regions by eliminating overlapping rules. The bill took effect immediately upon the Governor’s signature on June 20, 2025.

Topics ✗ Environment

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 40: Relating to the business court.

HB 40 is a procedural bill that clarifies and streamlines operations for Texas' business court. It requires all business court prefiling orders to apply statewide (Section 1), mandates that appeals from business court cases go directly to the 15th Court of Appeals with a 120-day resolution deadline (Section 2), and specifies how to replace lost business court records (Section 3). The bill also adds business court clerks to authorized personnel for taking depositions (Section 4) and requires specific information in initial pleadings for all business court cases (Section 5). These changes directly affect parties involved in business court litigation and court staff handling business court cases. The bill became effective September 1, 2025, after being signed by the Governor.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 401: Relating to participation by non-enrolled students in University Interscholastic League-sponsored activities.

SB 401 allows Texas public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to adopt policies denying participation in University Interscholastic League (UIL) activities to non-enrolled students (e.g., homeschoolers or students attending private schools) who meet eligibility standards. Currently, schools must offer such students the same participation opportunities as enrolled students, but this bill adds that school boards may now choose to decline this participation. It also clarifies that non-enrolled students must prove residency matching their district address for eligibility, and if their eligible district has a "no participation" policy, they may instead join the nearest district without such a policy. The law takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year.

Topics ✗ Education

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 5646: Relating to admission of and resident tuition rates and fees at public institutions of higher education for certain students in military-related programs.

HB 5646 allows students enrolled in specific military-related programs - such as ROTC, senior military college cadet corps, or midshipmen programs - to pay Texas resident tuition rates at public colleges, regardless of their actual residence. This applies to tuition and fees for the 2025 fall semester and beyond. However, these students cannot use this residency status to qualify for state financial aid programs. The bill became effective immediately on June 20, 2025, after passing both chambers.

Topics ✓ Education

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 3062: Relating to fentanyl prevention and drug poisoning awareness education for students enrolled in public institutions of higher education.

HB 3062 requires public Texas institutions of higher education to provide research-based fentanyl prevention and drug poisoning awareness education to all entering undergraduate students during their first semester. The curriculum must cover suicide prevention, fentanyl abuse prevention, local resource access, and substance use education for young adults. Institutions may deliver this instruction online or through approved partners like libraries, health agencies, or mental health organizations. The requirement applies to students enrolling for the 2026 fall semester and became effective immediately after the governor signed it on June 20, 2025.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HCR 148: Designating Bridge City as the official Corn Dog Capital of Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035.

HCR 148 designates Bridge City as Texas' official "Corn Dog Capital" for a 10-year period ending in 2035. This symbolic resolution recognizes Bridge City's local corn dog culture, including its food vendors, festivals, and community events centered around the snack. The designation, established under Texas Government Code Section 391.003(e), has no regulatory or financial impact but formally honors the city's culinary identity. As a procedural resolution (not a law), it does not create new policies or affect state funding.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 5247: Relating to an alternative capital recovery process for certain utilities.

HB 5247 creates an alternative process for specific Texas electric utilities (those operating solely within ERCOT and identified for Permian Basin transmission construction) to adjust rates for capital investments. It allows these utilities to file a single annual rate adjustment instead of multiple adjustments when their capital spending exceeds 300% of annual depreciation in a year. The bill requires 60 days' notice to the commission, evidence of ongoing eligibility, and permits deferring costs (including depreciation) at the utility’s weighted average cost of capital. This directly affects utilities building Permian Basin transmission infrastructure, changing how they recover capital costs through rate filings.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 263: Relating to the computation of the cost of goods sold by television and radio broadcasters for purposes of the franchise tax.

This bill clarifies how television and radio broadcasters calculate costs they can deduct from franchise tax. It specifies that broadcasters may include expenses like broadcast rights, depreciation, production costs, and other direct costs related to their programming. The change applies specifically to entities operating under FCC licenses for TV/radio broadcasting, as defined in federal regulations. (This is a clarification of existing tax law, not a new policy change.)

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 1021: Relating to changing the eligibility for community supervision of a person convicted of stalking and to the offense of improper contact with the person's victim.

This bill bars community supervision for individuals convicted of stalking by adding it to a list of offenses where such supervision is unavailable. It specifically targets convictions under Penal Code Section 42.072 (stalking) and explicitly excludes it from eligibility under Article 42A.053 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. As a result, judges must impose prison sentences instead of community supervision for stalking convictions, aligning it with other serious offenses like aggravated sexual assault. The law became effective September 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 2137: Relating to the allocation of low income housing tax credits.

SB 2137 prohibits Texas housing authorities from requiring or considering public school quality ratings (like test scores or ratings) when allocating low-income housing tax credits. This directly affects developers applying for these credits, as it stops them from being penalized or favored based on the quality of nearby public schools. The law requires the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs to study the policy's impact and report findings by November 1, 2027, and expires September 1, 2027. It applies only to applications submitted under the 2026 or 2027 allocation cycles and takes effect September 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Housing

Bill results