Texas Bills

passed · Texas · House May 16, 2025

HB 4035: Relating to requirements for certain orders and judgments rendered in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship.

HB 4035 modifies Texas family court procedures for cases involving parent-child relationships. It requires courts to obtain a party's email address for electronic delivery of legal notices (like motions or orders) when a protective order prohibits disclosing personal information. The bill also mandates that courts issue separate judgments for attorney fees and unpaid child support arrears. These changes apply to all pending or future cases in the family court system, effective September 1, 2025.

passed · Texas · House May 16, 2025

HB 4614: Relating to the licensing and regulation of state correctional officers and the employment of those officers; requiring an occupational license.

HB 4614 requires an occupational license for Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) state correctional officers, who supervise inmates in correctional facilities. The bill amends the Occupations Code to define "state correctional officer" and mandates that the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement establish minimum standards for competence, training, and reliability for these officers. It also requires the Commission to develop training programs and reporting procedures for TDCJ employment practices. This legislation directly affects TDCJ correctional officers by creating a new licensing requirement for their positions.

passed · Texas · House May 16, 2025

HB 3540: Relating to the regulation of pharmacists and the practice of pharmacy, including the administration of a medication and the ordering and administration of an immunization or vaccination by a pharmacist.

HB 3540 expands pharmacists' authority in Texas to order and administer immunizations or vaccinations. It allows pharmacists to provide these services to patients aged three and older without a physician referral, and to administer them to younger patients under a physician's written protocol. The bill requires pharmacists to meet board-specified certification, education, and skill standards for immunization administration, and mandates notification to the prescribing healthcare provider after vaccination. This change directly affects pharmacists and patients seeking convenient vaccination access within pharmacy settings.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed · Texas · House May 16, 2025

HB 3641: Relating to the authority of counties to regulate noise levels in residential areas; creating a criminal offense.

HB 3641 allows Texas counties to regulate noise levels from residences in unincorporated areas through commissioners court orders, aiming to protect public health and safety. It directly affects residents in unincorporated county areas by enabling local noise rules, though it explicitly excludes fireworks regulation. Violating such orders twice or more would be a Class C misdemeanor (a minor criminal offense with a fine). The bill takes effect on September 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

passed · Texas · House May 16, 2025

HB 4621: Relating to the return of a completed marriage license to a county clerk after the marriage ceremony.

HB 4621 allows federal and state judges who conduct marriage ceremonies to return completed marriage licenses electronically by scanning and submitting the image to the county clerk who issued the license. This replaces the current requirement for physical return of the license. County clerks receiving licenses electronically must mail a certified copy to the applicants' address instead of the original document. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, and applies specifically to judges defined under Texas Family Code Section 2.202.

passed · Texas · House May 16, 2025

HB 5383: Relating to the requirements for appointment as a medical examiner or employment as an assistant or deputy medical examiner.

HB 5383 sets new certification and licensing requirements for medical examiners and deputy medical examiners in Texas. It requires medical examiners to hold certification in forensic pathology from the American Board of Pathology and be either a Texas-licensed physician or meet specific criteria for a provisional license. Deputy medical examiners must also hold this certification. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, but full compliance is required only starting January 1, 2026. This directly affects individuals appointed to or employed in these forensic pathology roles within Texas county medical examiner offices.

passed · Texas · House May 16, 2025

HB 4539: Relating to the dispensing of certain drugs by physicians specializing in ophthalmology.

HB 4539 allows physicians specializing in ophthalmology (eye care) to dispense certain eye medications (like drops or ointments) directly to their patients without needing a separate pharmacy license. The bill permits these doctors to charge for stocking, storing, and labeling the medications while requiring them to follow standard labeling, packaging, and recordkeeping rules for those drugs. It specifically applies to "nonsystemic dangerous drugs" used in ophthalmic care, meaning medications applied locally to the eye rather than affecting the whole body. The law aims to streamline access to common eye treatments for patients while maintaining safety compliance.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed · Texas · House May 16, 2025

HB 2868: Relating to the consideration of the proportion of long-term debt and equity capitalization in establishing the rates of certain electric utilities.

This bill requires Texas utility regulators to use an electric utility's actual debt and equity mix (as reported in its most recent financial statement) when calculating rates for utilities operating solely within the ERCOT grid. If regulators determine this actual ratio is unreasonable, they must instead use the national average equity ratio for similar electric utilities. The law applies only to new rate cases initiated after the bill's effective date (September 1, 2025, unless passed with a two-thirds vote). It does not change how rates are calculated, but establishes a new presumption about what constitutes a reasonable capital structure for rate-setting.

passed · Texas · House May 16, 2025

HB 3514: Relating to the operation of a program by the Texas Department of Transportation to allow a real property owner to plant or replace vegetation in a right-of-way.

HB 3514 allows property owners adjacent to Texas state highways to plant or replace vegetation in the road right-of-way, subject to specific rules. The bill requires owners to cover all costs, use locally adapted plants, and avoid interfering with utility infrastructure within 500 feet of their property. It explicitly states the program does not relinquish the state’s right to use the right-of-way for road construction or maintenance. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, and directly affects property owners along state highway corridors.

passed · Texas · House May 16, 2025

HB 2040: Relating to the required number of minutes of instructional time to be provided by a juvenile justice alternative education program.

HB 2040 requires juvenile justice alternative education programs in Texas to provide at least 43,200 minutes (equivalent to seven hours daily over 180 days) of instructional time each school year. This policy directly affects programs serving youth in the juvenile justice system, replacing prior requirements for daily and annual hour counts. Programs may apply to the Texas Juvenile Justice Department for a waiver of the minute requirement, but waivers cannot exceed the highest number granted to any school district served by the program. The law takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Education

passed · Texas · House May 16, 2025

HJR 218: Proposing a constitutional amendment to authorize the use of money from the Texas energy fund for energy efficiency projects conducted to benefit retail electric customers.

HJR 218 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow the Texas Energy Fund to finance energy efficiency projects directly benefiting retail electric customers. The amendment would permit the Public Utility Commission to use these funds for grants or loans to support such projects, with allocations prioritizing backup power sources and distributing funds proportionally across grid regions based on electricity demand. This measure requires voter approval in the November 2025 election and does not change current fund usage for grid reliability projects.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

passed · Texas · House May 16, 2025

HB 4766: Relating to the regulation of sanitarians and sanitarians in training.

HB 4766 establishes certification requirements for sanitarians and sanitarians in training in Texas. It defines "sanitarian" as someone trained in environmental sanitation and creates a new category for "sanitarian in training" (those learning while working). The bill requires individuals using the title "sanitarian" to hold a state-issued certificate, which mandates a bachelor's degree with 30 science credits, additional training if needed, two years of sanitation experience, and passing an exam. This affects sanitation professionals seeking to use the title in their work. The legislation aims to standardize qualifications for these roles through the Texas Department of Health.

Bill results