Texas Bills

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 3048: Relating to the creation of the Bluebonnet Hills Municipal Management District No. 1; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes; granting a limited power of eminent domain.

SB 3048 creates the Bluebonnet Hills Municipal Management District No. 1, a special district in the Bluebonnet Hills area near Midlothian, Texas. The bill grants the district authority to issue bonds for infrastructure, collect property assessments and fees, and use limited eminent domain powers to acquire land for development. It directly affects property owners within the district boundaries by subjecting them to these financial obligations. The district’s purpose is to promote economic development, employment, housing, and public services - supplementing but not replacing city services in the area. The bill establishes a governing board and defines the district’s public purpose under Texas constitutional provisions.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 3642: Relating to the designation of portions of the state highway system as memorial highways, to certain memorial markers on certain highways, and to the installation of highway signs for certain cultural attractions.

HB 3642 designates three specific highway segments as memorial highways in Texas: U.S. Highway 183 in Eastland County as the Deputy Sheriff David Bosecker Memorial Highway, U.S. Highway 79 in Freestone and Leon Counties as the Cecil and Dorothy Bell Memorial Highway, and State Highway 315 in Panola County as the Hamby-Webb Memorial Highway. The bill requires the Texas Department of Transportation to install markers at both ends and key intermediate points along each designated highway segment. These markers will display the memorial name, the phrase "In Memory Of," and the names of the honorees. The legislation, signed into law on June 20, 2025, and effective September 1, 2025, is a commemorative measure honoring specific individuals through highway naming.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 1547: Relating to fees charged by county clerks for certain property records.

SB 1547 amends Texas Local Government Code Section 118.011 to update fees county clerks charge for property record services. It specifies exact fees for services like filing personal/real property records ($5 first page, $4 additional), certified papers ($5 certificate fee), and electronic copies (e.g., $1 for up to 10 pages, $0.10 per page over 10). The bill directly affects property owners, real estate professionals, and anyone requesting county property records who must pay these fees. It also requires clerks to follow Government Code sections 552.231 and 552.262 for non-paper copies, standardizing electronic copy pricing.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 1948: Relating to the regulation of fire prevention standards for certain agricultural facilities.

SB 1948 prohibits governmental entities from requiring fire sprinkler systems in specific agricultural facilities, including pole barns, livestock markets, cotton gins, grain storage, and commercial feed mills. It directly affects farmers, ranchers, and agricultural businesses operating these facilities by preventing new fire safety regulations that would mandate sprinkler installations. The law creates Chapter 3001 in the Government Code, explicitly restricting ordinances, rules, or measures that would impose such requirements. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, and applies statewide to all covered facilities.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 1458: Relating to the armed security officers required to be present at public schools and the appointment of reserve police officers by a school district police department.

HB 1458 clarifies that school district police officers and reserve police officers who hold a valid peace officer license (as defined under Texas law) are officially recognized as peace officers. This affects Texas public school districts that employ security personnel or reserve officers under Education Code Sections 37.081 or 37.0816. The bill amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to explicitly include these school-affiliated officers in the definition of peace officers, ensuring their legal authority aligns with existing licensing requirements. It does not create new security mandates but formalizes the status of qualified school security personnel. The law took effect September 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor on June 20, 2025.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 2697: Relating to certain procedures in connection with a bond forfeiture.

HB 2697 modifies Texas criminal procedure to require bail bond companies (sureties) to notify the state prosecutor *before* filing paperwork to surrender a defendant, but only when the defendant faces felony charges. Specifically, the bill adds a new requirement (Section 1(a-1)) that sureties must inform the state attorney handling the case of their intent to surrender the defendant, in addition to existing notification rules. This change directly affects bail bond companies and state prosecutors in felony cases, streamlining communication during bond surrender processes. The policy change takes effect September 1, 2025, with no impact on misdemeanor cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 1019: Relating to the admissibility of certain hearsay statements in the adjudication of certain sexual or assaultive offenses committed against a child or a person with a disability.

SB 1019 updates victim definitions in juvenile court cases involving sexual or assaultive offenses against children or people with disabilities. It lowers the age threshold for children covered from 18 to 12 years old and expands protections to include "persons with a disability" as defined by Penal Code Section 22.04 (those 13+ unable to protect themselves due to age or disability). The bill amends Family Code Section 54.031 to apply these definitions to cases under specific Penal Code sections (e.g., sexual offenses, trafficking, or assault). This change applies only to juvenile court cases beginning on or after September 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 857: Relating to the authorized removal of certain motor vehicles.

SB 857 amends Texas law to clarify when police officers or transportation inspectors can remove certain vehicles from highways. It authorizes removal if a vehicle is unattended on bridges/tunnels blocking traffic, unlawfully parked blocking driveways, reported stolen, abandoned over 48 hours, disabled with no owner present, or posing a hazard during emergencies. The bill directly affects vehicle owners (especially those with abandoned or disabled vehicles), law enforcement, and towing/storage companies by expanding existing removal authority. It takes effect September 1, 2025, with no new penalties or fees added.

Topics ✓ Transportation

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 1851: Relating to the disposition of certain surplus motor vehicles and other law enforcement equipment by the Texas Facilities Commission to certain school districts.

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.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 204: Relating to a handbook on parental rights in education and training requirements on parental rights in education for a member of the board of trustees of a school district.

SB 204 requires school board trustees in Texas to complete mandatory training on parental rights in education by April 2026. It also mandates the Texas Education Agency to create and maintain a publicly accessible, plain-language handbook explaining all parental rights regarding their child’s education, including rights parents can enforce for their children. The handbook must be updated annually and available online. This bill directly affects school board members (who must complete the training) and parents (who gain a clear reference for their educational rights). The requirements take effect September 1, 2025, with the handbook and training materials due by January 1, 2026.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 3070: Relating to the abolishment of the Texas Lottery Commission and the transfer of the administration of the state lottery and the licensing and regulation of charitable bingo to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation; creating criminal offenses.

SB 3070 abolishes the Texas Lottery Commission and transfers responsibility for administering the state lottery and regulating charitable bingo to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). This bill directly affects the TDLR, which will now oversee lottery operations and charitable bingo licensing previously managed by the Lottery Commission. Key provisions include amending state code to replace "Texas Lottery Commission" with "Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation" in all relevant sections and adding a limited-scope sunset review for the lottery program. The bill also creates criminal offenses related to lottery activities, though specific details of these offenses are not detailed in the provided text.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 2655: Relating to operation by certain nonprofit organizations of certain regional health care programs for employees of small employers.

HB 2655 allows certain nonprofit organizations to operate regional health care programs for employees of small employers without requiring approval from county commissioners courts. These programs must be premium assistance initiatives (not direct health care providers) and aim to reduce uninsured rates, lower health care costs for small businesses, and promote preventive care like managing diabetes or heart disease. The bill amends Texas Health and Safety Code to permit nonprofits to directly govern such programs, replacing the previous requirement for county commissioner court oversight in eligible regions. It directly affects small employers (typically those with fewer than 50 employees) and their workers in participating counties who gain access to these alternative health coverage options starting September 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Bill results