Texas Bills

passed · Texas · House May 21, 2025

HB 557: Relating to the enforcement of an order to pay child support by contempt and the accrual of interest on certain child support arrearages.

HB 557 modifies Texas law to prevent courts from finding parents in contempt for unpaid child support if they provide evidence of two specific circumstances. It requires parents to show either current payment records (via receipts or bank statements) or proof that payment delays resulted from third-party errors (like banking issues) or situations outside their control. The bill applies only to child support enforcement hearings starting on or after September 1, 2025, leaving past cases governed by prior law. This change directly affects parents facing contempt charges for missed child support payments.

passed · Texas · House May 21, 2025

HB 1650: Relating to a special bill of review to reform a final judgment of forfeiture of a bail bond.

HB 1650 extends the timeframe for insurance companies (sureties) to request relief after a bail bond is forfeited. It allows sureties to file a "special bill of review" within four years (instead of two) of a final forfeiture judgment, asking courts to reduce the bond amount after deducting court costs, county return costs, and accrued interest. The bill applies only to bonds forfeited on or after September 1, 2025, with older cases remaining under prior law. Courts retain discretion to grant or deny these requests in whole or part.

passed · Texas · House May 21, 2025

HB 1955: Relating to the establishment of an early childhood mental health home visiting grant program.

HB 1955 creates a state grant program to fund early childhood mental health home visiting services for families with high needs, particularly those with trauma histories or low-income backgrounds. The program requires grant recipients to use evidence-based service models and form teams of licensed mental health professionals and care coordinators to improve child mental health, school readiness, reduce abuse/neglect, and support family well-being. Eligible applicants must demonstrate experience providing mental health services to high-risk families and commit to a family-centered care approach. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission will administer the program and may accept external funding to support these services.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

passed · Texas · House May 21, 2025

HB 4683: Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to use certain tax revenue for hotel and convention center projects.

HB 4683 amends Texas tax law to allow specific qualifying municipalities to use certain existing tax revenue for hotel and convention center projects. The bill defines 17 distinct eligibility categories based on population size, geographic location (e.g., bordering specific lakes or rivers), or presence of designated landmarks like museums or parks. Only cities meeting these precise criteria - such as those with populations over 175,000 in certain counties or bordering Lake Lewisville - can utilize this authority for such developments. The bill does not create new taxes or funding but clarifies which existing municipal tax revenues may be directed toward these projects.

passed · Texas · House May 21, 2025

HB 5165: Relating to the use of municipal hotel occupancy tax revenue in certain municipalities.

HB 5165 defines specific municipalities eligible to use hotel occupancy tax revenue for certain purposes under Texas law. It applies only to cities meeting precise population, geographic, or landmark criteria (e.g., county seats bordering major rivers, cities with state parks or cultural museums). The bill modifies eligibility rules for these qualifying municipalities but does not change how the tax revenue must be spent. This is a procedural adjustment affecting only the listed cities, not a new policy.

passed · Texas · House May 21, 2025

HB 3715: Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to use certain tax revenue for hotel and convention center projects.

HB 3715 allows specific Texas municipalities meeting defined population or geographic criteria to use designated tax revenue for hotel and convention center projects. It applies only to 17 defined city types, such as cities with populations over 95,000 in counties with specific population thresholds or bordering locations like Lake Palestine. The bill amends the Tax Code to permit these qualifying cities to redirect certain tax funds toward tourism infrastructure development. This policy change affects only municipalities that meet all specified requirements under Section 351.152.

passed · Texas · House May 21, 2025

HB 3976: Relating to the waiver of license renewal fees for certain instructors in high-demand fields at public institutions of higher education.

HB 3976 waives license renewal fees for faculty members teaching in high-demand licensed professions at Texas public colleges and universities. It specifically applies to instructors in fields like nursing, pharmacy, engineering, plumbing, electrical work, and certain teaching roles (e.g., bilingual education), as defined in the bill. The waiver eliminates the standard renewal fee for these educators when they teach in their licensed field, reducing costs for public institutions. The policy takes effect September 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

passed · Texas · House May 21, 2025

HB 4222: Relating to authorizing certain counties to impose a hotel occupancy tax, the applicability and rates of that tax in certain counties, and the use of revenue from that tax.

HB 4222 authorizes specific Texas counties to impose a hotel occupancy tax on rooms costing $2 or more per night. It identifies 17 categories of qualifying counties, including those with large populations (over 3.3 million), bordering Mexico, lacking municipalities, containing Indian reservations, or located near specific water bodies or national parks. The bill does not set tax rates or specify how revenue must be used - only grants authority to certain counties to implement the tax. This is a procedural authorization bill focused on expanding local tax options for designated counties.

passed · Texas · House May 21, 2025

HB 1347: Relating to the prosecution of the offense of exploitation of a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual.

HB 1347 amends Texas Penal Code Section 32.53 to clarify and expand definitions related to exploiting vulnerable individuals. It defines "coercion" to include actions like destroying government records, threatening immigration proceedings, or financial control, and defines "deception" as false promises or misleading information. The bill specifies that exploiting a child, elderly person, or disabled individual through coercion, deception, isolation (preventing contact with support services), or other unfair means to take their resources for personal gain is now explicitly prohibited. This directly affects vulnerable populations and those who exploit them, updating existing law to cover modern tactics without creating new penalties. The changes apply only to offenses committed on or after the bill’s effective date.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

passed · Texas · House May 21, 2025

HB 3567: Relating to authorizing certain counties to impose a hotel occupancy tax.

HB 3567 authorizes specific Texas counties (with over 125,000 population, bordering the Red River, and a county seat over 100,000) to impose a 2% hotel occupancy tax on room prices. Revenue from this tax must be used exclusively for tourism-related purposes, including funding sporting events, public spaces like amphitheaters, cultural grants, museum expansions, and up to 10% for administrative costs. The bill expires on September 1, 2030, and applies only to qualifying counties meeting all three population criteria. It does not create new taxes but allows existing counties to adopt this specific tax with defined revenue uses.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

passed · Texas · House May 21, 2025

HB 3179: Relating to the authority of certain counties to impose a hotel occupancy tax.

HB 3179 allows counties where the Llano River and James River meet to impose a hotel occupancy tax. It specifically affects hotels located in those counties but exempts hotels in municipalities that already charge a tax under Chapter 351 (like cities with their own hotel taxes). The bill amends the Tax Code to create this limited tax authority for the designated area. This policy change directly impacts hotels in the specified counties and clarifies tax jurisdiction between counties and municipalities.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

passed · Texas · House May 21, 2025

HB 2070: Relating to individuals whose name may be added to the central child abuse or neglect registry.

HB 2070 amends Texas Family Code Section 261.002 to require a court finding of abuse or neglect before adding someone to the central child abuse registry. Currently, the Department of Family and Protective Services can add names based on their own findings, but this bill mandates a final court order in a civil, criminal, or juvenile case first. The change applies only to findings made on or after September 1, 2025, with prior cases governed by previous law. This directly affects individuals potentially added to the registry and the Department’s process for doing so.

Bill results