Texas Bills

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 4396: Relating to the eligibility of the American Performance Horseman and the American Rodeo for funding under the major events reimbursement program.

HB 4396 amends Texas Government Code sections 478.0001(3) and (7) to explicitly include "the American Performance Horseman" and "the American Rodeo" as eligible events under the state's major events reimbursement program. This change directly affects these two organizations by allowing them to seek state funding for qualifying events, such as competitions or exhibitions they host. The bill adds these entities to an existing list of major events - including sports championships and music awards - that qualify for reimbursement of certain costs. The legislation, signed into law on June 20, 2025, becomes effective September 1, 2025.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 4187: Relating to the authority and responsibilities of the Texas Historical Commission; authorizing fees.

HB 4187 streamlines contracting for the Texas Historical Commission by allowing its executive director to bypass full competitive bidding when necessary. Specifically, it permits direct contracts with qualified vendors if initial bidding fails to produce competitive offers, increases costs, delays urgent work, or misses critical needs - after documented justification. The bill also clarifies that the Commission may use funds from the Historic Infrastructure Sustainability Trust Fund exclusively for maintaining, preserving, rehabilitating, and restoring state historic sites under its control. These changes aim to improve efficiency in managing historical properties without creating new funding.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 647: Relating to the filing or recording of documents or instruments conveying or purporting to convey an interest in real or personal property.

SB 647 requires county clerks and other filing officers to send written notices to affected parties if they reasonably suspect a document about property ownership or claims (like fake court judgments or unauthorized liens) is fraudulent. It specifies that notices must go to the person named as the grantor/debtor, anyone claiming an interest in the property, and the last known property owner if different. The bill creates a presumption of fraud for documents from unrecognized courts or those not authorized by Texas or federal law. This law, effective September 1, 2025, directly affects property owners and individuals involved in real or personal property transactions by adding a verification step for questionable filings.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 681: Relating to the term and renewal of an engineering or land surveying license or registration.

SB 681 changes Texas engineering and land surveying license renewal rules from annual to a minimum two-year term. It amends the Occupations Code to require licenses to be valid for "not less than two years" instead of annually. This directly affects licensed engineers and land surveyors in Texas, who will now renew their credentials less frequently. The Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors must adopt new rules by September 1, 2025, to implement this change. The bill does not alter fees, continuing education requirements, or other license conditions.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 718: Relating to prohibiting a public institution of higher education from partnering with certain private entities for the construction of a student housing facility.

HB 718 prohibits public universities in Texas from partnering with private companies to build student housing if those companies have unresolved unpaid bills from contractors, subcontractors, or vendors. This applies to contracts entered into on or after September 1, 2025, directly affecting public institutions of higher education when selecting housing development partners. Exceptions allow partnerships if the private entity has a payment bond or is contesting the claim in good faith. The law aims to prevent universities from working with entities facing financial disputes over construction payments.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 2615: Relating to restricting telework for employees of public institutions of higher education.

SB 2615 restricts remote work for employees of Texas public institutions of higher education, requiring most staff to work on-site unless specific exceptions apply. The bill allows remote work only for employees with temporary illness, medical conditions requiring accommodations under law, or certain non-teaching roles that meet strict criteria (e.g., proven self-management, no need for physical presence or student interaction). It takes effect for the 2025-2026 academic year, applying to all public universities in Texas. The law directly affects thousands of employees across these institutions by limiting telework options unless exceptions are met.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 3233: Relating to patient data maintained by pharmacy benefit managers.

HB 3233 requires pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to store and process patient data for Texas residents only within the United States or its territories, prohibiting offshore data handling. This law directly affects PBMs contracted with Texas health plans or providers serving state residents. The key provision mandates that all patient data maintained by PBMs must remain physically or digitally within U.S. borders, with no exceptions for existing contracts. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, applying only to new or renewed contracts after that date.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Technology

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 4804: Relating to the revocation of a driver's license or personal identification certificate and to disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle.

HB 4804 automatically revokes a person's driver's license or personal identification certificate if they are subject to sex offender or terrorist registration under Texas law (Chapters 62/65 of the Criminal Procedure Code) and fail to apply for renewal as required. The bill affects individuals under these registration requirements who do not complete the renewal process. Key provisions include amending Transportation Code sections to mandate this automatic revocation and repealing two existing sections (521.297(b) and 522.087(b)). The law takes effect September 1, 2025.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 5560: Relating to penalties in certain suits involving a groundwater conservation district; increasing a penalty.

HB 5560 increases maximum daily fines for violations of groundwater conservation district rules from $10,000 to $25,000 per violation. It requires courts to consider specific factors when setting penalties, including environmental harm, the violator's history, and whether they gained economic benefits from the violation. The bill also allows courts to impose fines exceeding $25,000 if a violator's economic gain from the violation was greater than the standard penalty. This directly affects groundwater conservation districts, individuals or entities violating district rules, and courts handling enforcement cases under Texas Water Code Section 36.102.

Topics ✓ Environment

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 502: Relating to peace officers commissioned by the Health and Human Services Commission's office of inspector general.

SB 502 adds a new category to Texas law defining who qualifies as a peace officer: employees commissioned by the Health and Human Services Commission’s office of inspector general. This change grants these specific HHS inspectors authority to perform standard peace officer duties, such as making arrests, within their scope of work. The bill also requires these officers to be paid according to Schedule C of the state’s position classification salary schedule. Additionally, it updates the definition of "state employee" to include these HHS inspector general officers.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 2014: Relating to the election of the board of directors of the Somervell County Hospital District.

HB 2014 establishes new election rules for the Somervell County Hospital District board. It requires seven elected directors serving staggered four-year terms, with elections held every May. The bill specifies that the 2026 election will use a lottery to assign two directors to two-year terms and three to three-year terms, while the 2027 election will follow standard four-year terms for all directors. This legislation directly affects how Somervell County residents elect their hospital district board members.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 3788: Relating to the operations of municipal hospital authorities.

HB 3788 modifies rules for municipal hospital authorities in Texas. It requires that city councils cannot shorten the terms of current directors when reducing the board size, and limits how often the method for selecting directors or their terms can be changed. The bill also allows authorities without a hospital to use assets for public health initiatives like free clinics, medical training facilities, or financial aid to nonprofit health providers. These changes directly affect municipal hospital authorities and their governing city councils.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Bill results