Texas Bills

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 4386: Relating to the exchange or surrender of an annuity contract.

HB 4386 standardizes the process for exchanging or surrendering annuity contracts in Texas, directly affecting annuity owners and insurance companies. The bill requires replacing insurers to submit detailed exchange requests to existing insurers, including proof that the transaction qualifies as a tax-free exchange under federal law (Section 1035). It sets strict deadlines: existing insurers must notify owners within 5 business days and transfer funds within 30 business days, unless exceptions apply (like fraud concerns or contractual terms). This creates a clearer, faster process for annuity holders moving contracts between insurers without triggering tax penalties.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 2011: Relating to the right to repurchase from a condemning entity certain real property for which ad valorem taxes are delinquent.

HB 2011 allows property owners (or their heirs) to repurchase land taken through eminent domain if the government entity that acquired it fails to pay property taxes or abandons the intended public use. The bill specifies four conditions triggering this right: the public use is canceled, no progress was made toward the use within 10 years, the property becomes unnecessary for the use, or the entity fails to pay delinquent property taxes after the second anniversary of their due date. It requires the government entity to send certified notice to the former owner within 180 days of determining eligibility, detailing the property, the reason for the repurchase right, and how to exercise it. This law directly affects property owners whose land was acquired via eminent domain but remains unused or tax-delinquent. The bill amends Texas Property Code sections 21.101 and 21.102 to establish these procedures.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 912: Relating to the verification of health care practitioner continuing education compliance through the establishment of continuing education tracking systems.

SB 912 requires Texas health care licensing entities (such as those for doctors, nurses, and other licensed practitioners) to establish electronic continuing education (CE) tracking systems. These systems must verify that practitioners complete required CE courses before license renewal and be accessible to practitioners, licensing staff, and CE providers. The bill mandates that license renewal cannot proceed without verification through this system, which also becomes the standard for agency audits. This applies to practitioners licensed under specific Occupations Code chapters (401, 453, 454, and related subchapters), effective September 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 3680: Relating to subdivision plat requirements in certain counties; authorizing a fee; authorizing a civil penalty; creating a criminal offense.

HB 3680 modifies subdivision plat requirements in specific Texas counties (defined under Section 232.022) by creating exceptions for certain pre-existing land developments. It allows utility providers to connect land to water, sewer, or other services without a municipal plat certificate if the land meets strict criteria, such as having a completed foundation built before specified dates (1995, 1999, or 2005) and adequate sewer services installed. The bill authorizes counties to charge a fee for processing these exceptions and imposes civil penalties for non-compliance, while creating a criminal offense for willful violations. This directly affects landowners, utility providers, and municipal authorities in the designated counties, streamlining connections for older developments that predate current plat requirements.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 1504: Relating to meetings of the board of directors of the Gulf Coast Authority.

SB 1504 allows the Gulf Coast Authority's board of directors to hold meetings via telephone, videoconference, or other remote methods. The bill requires that public notice for such meetings include a toll-free number for participation, free access to audiovisual feeds, and instructions for remote speaking. It also mandates that meeting materials be available electronically and that all remote meetings be recorded and made publicly accessible for at least one year. This directly affects the Gulf Coast Authority's board operations and ensures public transparency in remote meetings.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 2781: Relating to the imposition of civil penalties for certain violations with respect to political contributions and expenditures made by certain persons who engage in lobbying activities.

SB 2781 restricts registered lobbyists (those required to register under Chapter 305, Government Code) from using political contributions they received to fund other political activities. Specifically, it prohibits lobbyists from making political contributions or expenditures to other candidates, officeholders, or committees using funds they received as candidates, from specific-purpose committees supporting them, or from committees that received funds from those sources within the previous two years. Violators face civil penalties of up to twice the amount of the prohibited contribution or expenditure. The law applies only to violations occurring on or after its effective date of September 1, 2025.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 3050: Relating to the creation of the Fannin County Improvement District No. 1; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes.

SB 3050 creates Fannin County Improvement District No. 1, a special district authorized to issue bonds and impose assessments, fees, and taxes on properties within its boundaries. The district is designed to promote economic development - including employment, tourism, transportation, and commerce - while supplementing, not replacing, existing county services. Property owners in the district will be subject to these financial obligations to fund improvements like infrastructure or community projects. The bill establishes the district under Texas constitutional authority to support public welfare and economic growth in Fannin County.

Topics ✓ Transportation

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 1828: Relating to legislative leave for correctional officers employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

HB 1828 allows correctional officers employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to voluntarily donate up to eight hours of their accrued annual leave or compensatory time each year to a legislative leave pool. This donated time can be used by officers for legislative activities on behalf of a qualifying association that represents correctional officers, has at least 5,000 members, and is governed by a board of directors. The bill limits usage to 80 hours in a 160-hour work cycle and 480 hours per fiscal year, requiring the officer to obtain the association's consent before accessing the time. The program takes effect September 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 5624: Relating to the liability of a motorized off-road vehicle entity for injuries arising from certain activities.

This bill creates limited liability protection for businesses operating off-road vehicle areas (such as rental facilities or event organizers) for injuries sustained by participants during recreational activities, provided they display required safety warnings. Businesses are protected from lawsuits for participant injuries if the warnings specified in the law are properly posted. The protection does not apply if injuries result from the business's own negligence, and the law specifically covers activities on unpaved surfaces. The bill became effective September 1, 2025.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 1453: Relating to the current debt rate and tax rate of a taxing unit for ad valorem tax purposes.

SB 1453 requires Texas school districts to publish clearer, standardized notices about proposed property tax rates in newspapers. The notices must be at least a quarter-page with 18-point headlines and include specific comparisons: budget changes (maintenance, debt service, total) as percentages, appraised value data for current and prior years, outstanding bonded debt, and tax rate comparisons per $100 of property value. Districts must also include a link to Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes for public access to tax information. This bill directly affects school districts and property owners by improving transparency in how tax rate proposals are communicated. It takes effect January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 140: Relating to advisory bodies for the Department of Family and Protective Services, including the creation of the child protective investigations advisory committee and the abolition of the Family and Protective Services Council.

HB 140 abolishes the Family and Protective Services Council and creates a new Child Protective Investigations Advisory Committee to advise the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). The bill amends multiple state codes to remove references to the abolished council and add the new committee, including updating reporting requirements for the DFPS commissioner. This change directly affects DFPS's advisory structure and reporting processes, effective September 1, 2026. The bill does not alter DFPS's core functions but modifies its advisory body composition.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 2080: Relating to the review of the duties of a groundwater conservation district by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

HB 2080 prohibits groundwater conservation districts from restricting groundwater production from wells used for permitted purposes during permit renewal reviews or drought restrictions, unless the district conducts a hydrologic evaluation proving the restriction is necessary to protect other wells or groundwater resources. It requires districts to complete this evaluation before imposing such restrictions, preventing arbitrary limits during administrative processes. The bill also establishes a petition process allowing affected well owners or entities to request the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to review a district's failure to submit management plans, enforce rules, or update regulations. This law directly affects groundwater districts, well owners, and agricultural operations relying on groundwater permits in Texas.

Topics ✗ Environment

Bill results