Texas Bills

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 3479: Relating to the Rio Grande vegetative management program.

HB 3479 creates a state program to manage harmful vegetation, primarily Carrizo cane, along the Rio Grande River. The bill requires the state board to develop and implement this program specifically to address vegetation that impedes border security operations. It directly affects border security efforts by establishing a formal process for managing these plants in the Rio Grande corridor. The key provision mandates the state board to oversee this vegetation management, focusing on removing or controlling plants that obstruct border security.

Briscoe Cain (R) Matt Morgan (R) Don McLaughlin (R) Judith Zaffirini (D) Richard Hayes (R) · 45 co-sponsors

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 667: Relating to prohibiting certain state governmental entities from investing in certain Chinese-affiliated entities.

SB 667 prohibits Texas state retirement systems (including the Teacher Retirement System, Employees Retirement System, and municipal/county systems) from holding direct or indirect investments in certain Chinese-affiliated entities. It defines "restricted entities" as companies incorporated in China, controlled by Chinese government bodies, or listed by federal agencies (like the Entity List or Chinese Military Companies list) due to national security concerns. The bill requires retirement systems to divest from these entities and exempts them from conflicting legal obligations when complying. This policy change directly affects how Texas public employee retirement funds manage their investment portfolios.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 2078: Relating to the joint planning of desired future conditions in groundwater management areas.

HB 2078 requires Texas groundwater districts to include specific, detailed data in their management plans, such as annual groundwater usage, recharge rates, aquifer discharge volumes, and projections from the state water plan. It mandates that districts identify performance standards, outline concrete actions to achieve "desired future conditions" for groundwater, and explain progress in plain language. The bill also requires annual joint planning meetings between districts in the same management area to review accomplishments and update future conditions. This directly affects all groundwater districts managing aquifers across Texas, aiming to standardize planning and improve accountability for sustainable water use.

Topics ✓ Environment

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 2468: Relating to the right of a purchaser to terminate a contract of purchase and sale of real property for failure to provide notice that the property is located in a public improvement district.

HB 2468 gives homebuyers the right to cancel a real estate purchase contract within seven days if the seller failed to provide notice that the property is in a public improvement district. This applies only to contracts signed on or after June 20, 2025, and requires the municipality or county to have previously filed the service plan with the county clerk. The law directly affects homebuyers and sellers in Texas real estate transactions involving properties located in such districts. It creates a specific, time-limited remedy for buyers when sellers omit this required disclosure.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 565: Relating to a compliance agreement for the suspension of an enforcement action against a regional water supply, sewer, wastewater treatment, or solid waste disposal service for certain violations.

SB 565 establishes a process allowing Texas regulatory commissions to temporarily suspend enforcement actions against regional water, sewer, wastewater, or solid waste services during integration with another provider. It directly affects municipalities, counties, regional service areas, and utilities that are merging or integrating their service operations. The key provision requires compliance agreements to include specific steps for bringing the integrated service into regulatory compliance while suspending enforcement for violations arising from the transition. This policy change modifies the Water Code to facilitate smoother service transitions without immediate penalties for integration-related issues. The bill became effective September 1, 2025, after being signed by the Governor.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 4076: Relating to prohibiting organ transplant recipient discrimination on the basis of vaccination status.

HB 4076 prohibits health care providers from denying organ transplants or related services (like evaluations, surgery, or waiting list placement) solely based on a patient's vaccination status. It allows providers to consider vaccination status only if medically significant to the transplant, following individualized assessment - such as if unvaccinated patients face higher infection risks. The law covers all transplant stages and protects providers who comply with it from penalties, while permitting alternatives like antibody testing instead of vaccination requirements. It takes effect September 1, 2025, and applies to all organ transplant candidates in Texas.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 2688: Relating to the public retirement systems of certain municipalities.

HB 2688 amends Texas law governing public retirement systems for firefighters in large municipalities. It lowers the population threshold for municipalities to establish such a fund from 2 million to 1.6 million residents. The bill clarifies "normal retirement age" as either 20 years of service (for pre-2017 hires) or age 50 with 10 years of service (for post-2017 hires). It also updates terminology related to actuarial cost methods used to calculate pension funding requirements. The bill became law on September 1, 2025, affecting firefighters in qualifying Texas cities.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HCR 142: Designating Fort Worth as the official Aviation and Defense Capital of Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035.

HCR 142 is a symbolic resolution designating Fort Worth as Texas' official "Aviation and Defense Capital" for a 10-year period ending in 2035. It recognizes the city's historical and current role in aerospace manufacturing (including F-35 production by Lockheed Martin) and defense infrastructure (like Bell Helicopter's legacy and Carswell Air Force Base). The resolution has no funding or regulatory impact - it simply grants Fort Worth this official title under Texas law, to be reviewed after the 10-year term. This designation does not alter existing laws or provide new resources.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 1584: Relating to the creation of a list of priority facilities by electric utilities.

HB 1584 requires Texas electric utilities to create and maintain a list of "priority facilities," including hospitals, police/fire stations, critical water/wastewater facilities, and certain correctional facilities. Utilities must provide an online tool for facilities to request inclusion (only if they qualify) and confirm within 14 days whether a facility is on the list. During declared emergencies, utilities must share this confidential list with Texas emergency management, and the list cannot be disclosed under public records laws. The law took effect September 1, 2025, directly impacting utilities and the named facilities.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 20: Relating to the creation of the criminal offense of possession, promotion, or production of certain obscene visual material appearing to depict a child.

SB 20 creates a new criminal offense for possessing, accessing with intent to view, or promoting obscene visual material that appears to depict a child under 18, including AI-generated images, animations, or digital representations. The law applies to any material seeming to show a child in sexual activity (per Section 43.21(a)(1)(B)), regardless of whether the depiction is real or computer-created. A first offense is classified as a state jail felony, with repeat offenses potentially increasing penalties to third-degree (for one prior conviction) or second-degree (for two or more prior convictions) felonies. This bill directly affects individuals who share or view such material, with no exceptions for digital or AI-generated content.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 1393: Relating to daylight saving time.

HB 1393 would amend Texas law to require the state to observe daylight saving time year-round, creating a new time zone called "Texas Time" for all areas currently using Central or Mountain Standard Time. This bill directly affects all Texans by changing the state's standard time practice, eliminating seasonal clock changes. The key provision states that Texas would permanently adopt daylight saving time, but the law's implementation is conditional: it only takes effect if the U.S. Congress passes federal legislation authorizing states to do so. The bill passed both chambers and was signed by the governor in June 2025, pending federal action.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 226: Relating to establishing residency for children who are the subject of parental child safety placement agreements for purposes of admission into public schools.

SB 226 allows parents or guardians of children in parental child safety placement agreements (where parents temporarily place children with others under Texas Family Code) to establish school residency using a Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) letter. This letter must confirm the child's residence address within a school district and include specific language stating it serves as proof for public school enrollment. The bill amends the Education Code (Section 25.001(c-3)) to create this new residency verification method, replacing older processes. It applies to agreements executed on or after the bill’s effective date (September 1, 2025, unless passed immediately), affecting school districts, children in these agreements, and their families.

Topics ✓ Education

Bill results