Texas Bills

passed · Texas · Senate May 12, 2025

SB 2959: Relating to designating August as Firearm Safety Awareness Month.

SB 2959 designates August as "Firearm Safety Awareness Month" in Texas, aiming to increase public awareness about responsible firearm ownership, storage, and use for recreational and defensive purposes. The bill encourages communities to hold voluntary activities and programs, such as animated videos, activity books, and instructional materials for all ages, to promote safe firearm practices. It does not mandate specific actions but supports collaborative, community-driven safety education. The law takes effect on September 1, 2025.

passed · Texas · House May 12, 2025

HB 565: Relating to a requirement that the ballot for an election to amend the state constitution include an estimate of the fiscal impact to the state of the proposed amendment.

HB 565 requires that ballots for state constitutional amendment elections include a cost estimate of the proposed change. The secretary of state must prepare this estimate, showing the anticipated financial impact on the state during the fiscal biennium when the amendment would take effect, and may seek help from the Legislative Budget Board. This estimate must appear on the ballot alongside the amendment's wording and ballot number. The law applies only to amendments on ballots for elections held on or after September 1, 2025.

passed · Texas · House May 12, 2025

HB 4023: Relating to the exemption of certain reserve peace officers from regulation as private security personnel.

HB 4023 exempts certain reserve peace officers from Texas's private security licensing requirements when performing guard, patrol, or watch duties for local agencies or counties. It specifically applies to reserve officers in counties with populations between 250,000-650,000 located on an international border, provided their agency approves and they are compensated solely by that agency. The bill removes the need for these officers to hold a private security license for these duties, streamlining their ability to work in security roles while maintaining their reserve law enforcement status. This change takes effect September 1, 2025.

passed · Texas · Senate May 12, 2025

SB 2340: Relating to examination of the records of filing entities and foreign filing entities by the attorney general; creating a criminal offense.

SB 2340 gives Texas' Attorney General authority to investigate the records of businesses registered in Texas (including out-of-state companies operating here) to check compliance with state laws and their own governing documents. Businesses that refuse to allow record examinations risk losing their right to operate in Texas, though they may avoid penalties by filing a court petition showing good faith reasons for refusal. The bill also creates a misdemeanor crime for intentionally destroying, altering, or falsifying records to evade these requirements, punishable by fines up to $5,000.

passed · Texas · House May 12, 2025

HB 2239: Relating to the locations in which certain knives are prohibited.

HB 2239 amends Texas Penal Code Section 46.03 to create a new exception for "location-restricted knives," meaning these knives would not be considered illegal weapons under specific subsections (a)(7) or (13) when carried in certain locations. The bill does not change where knives are prohibited but modifies how certain knives are treated under existing law for offenses involving restricted locations. It takes effect September 1, 2025, applying only to offenses committed on or after that date. This is a procedural change to the Penal Code, not a new prohibition.

passed · Texas · Senate May 12, 2025

SB 715: Relating to reliability requirements for certain electric generation facilities.

This bill (SB 715) modifies reliability requirements for electric power plants in Texas' ERCOT grid that have operated for at least one year and aren't self-generators. It creates specific exemptions from financial penalties for these plants during planned maintenance, transmission outages, or when they already meet other performance rules. The bill also requires Texas' Public Utility Commission to consider using collected penalty funds to rebate money directly to consumers or fund reliability improvements, prioritizing maximum consumer benefit while maintaining grid reliability. These changes apply to facilities meeting the bill's criteria starting September 1, 2025.

passed · Texas · Senate May 12, 2025

SB 1454: Relating to the area of operations of and certain tax exemptions available to housing authorities.

SB 1454 modifies rules for municipal housing authorities in Texas. It requires housing authorities to have a written agreement with water/sewer districts to pay fees instead of receiving tax exemptions for multifamily developments served by those districts. The bill also restricts housing authorities to operate only within their municipality's boundaries (or within five miles, excluding other municipalities), and mandates joint approval from local governments for projects outside their primary area. These changes apply only to new housing contracts entered after the law takes effect, while existing projects remain under prior rules. The bill directly affects municipal housing authorities and service districts providing water, sewer, or drainage.

Topics ✗ Housing

passed · Texas · House May 12, 2025

HB 4802: Relating to certain benefits payable by the Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan One and the Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan Two.

This bill increases retirement payments for Texas judicial retirees whose benefits are based on retirement or death dates before September 1, 2024. Starting September 1, 2025, the Judicial Retirement System will increase each monthly payment by 7.5%, with a second 7.5% increase applied on September 1, 2026. These adjustments apply only to payments beginning after the bill's effective date (September 1, 2025), affecting current retirees under Plan One or Plan Two of the Judicial Retirement System. The changes are automatic and require no action from beneficiaries.

passed · Texas · Senate May 12, 2025

SCR 48: Urging the Gulf Coast Protection District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to not compromise navigation safety or two-way traffic vessel movement when implementing a project.

This is a non-binding Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR 48), not a bill with legal force. It formally urges the Gulf Coast Protection District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintain navigation safety and two-way vessel traffic during projects authorized under Texas law (Section 9502.0301(a)). The resolution specifically references projects managed by the Gulf Coast Protection District in Chambers, Galveston, Harris, Jefferson, and Orange Counties. It has no legal effect but serves as a formal expression of legislative concern for coastal navigation.

Topics ✓ Transportation

passed · Texas · Senate May 12, 2025

SJR 57: Proposing a constitutional amendment prohibiting the use of state funds to pay for the obligations of a local public retirement system.

SJR 57 proposes a constitutional amendment to prohibit Texas state funds from being used to pay debts or obligations of local public retirement systems (like city or county pension plans). It would amend the Texas Constitution to state that the state is not liable for these systems' debts and that the legislature cannot appropriate state money to cover them. This change would directly affect local retirement systems by shifting financial responsibility entirely to those systems, rather than allowing state funding to cover shortfalls. The amendment requires voter approval in the November 2025 election.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes

passed · Texas · House May 12, 2025

HB 3032: Relating to a study by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in coordination with other state agencies on the feasibility of developing clinical sites for nursing students.

HB 3032 requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to study the feasibility of creating clinical training sites for nursing students at correctional facilities, state juvenile facilities, hospitals, and federally qualified health centers. The study must be conducted in collaboration with the Health and Human Services Commission, Texas Board of Nursing, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and Texas Juvenile Justice Department. The board must submit a report with findings and recommendations to state leaders by December 1, 2026, and the bill expires September 1, 2027. This bill directly affects nursing students seeking clinical training opportunities and aims to identify potential new locations for their education.

passed · Texas · House May 12, 2025

HB 464: Relating to the establishment of a grant program to support the elimination of illegally disposed of scrap tires.

HB 464 establishes a grant program to help counties address illegally dumped scrap tires. The bill creates a dedicated fund (using state appropriations, federal grants, and interest) to award grants to counties for three specific purposes: prosecuting violations of existing scrap tire disposal laws, educating the public about illegal dumping, and removing existing illegally dumped tires from waterways, public rights-of-way, and public land. Counties would use these grants to directly tackle tire litter that harms the environment and public spaces. The program becomes effective September 1, 2025, following its passage on May 10, 2025.

Topics ✓ Environment

Bill results