Texas Bills

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 3050: Relating to the creation of the Fannin County Improvement District No. 1; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes.

SB 3050 creates Fannin County Improvement District No. 1, a special district authorized to issue bonds and impose assessments, fees, and taxes on properties within its boundaries. The district is designed to promote economic development - including employment, tourism, transportation, and commerce - while supplementing, not replacing, existing county services. Property owners in the district will be subject to these financial obligations to fund improvements like infrastructure or community projects. The bill establishes the district under Texas constitutional authority to support public welfare and economic growth in Fannin County.

Topics ✓ Transportation

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 1828: Relating to legislative leave for correctional officers employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

HB 1828 allows correctional officers employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to voluntarily donate up to eight hours of their accrued annual leave or compensatory time each year to a legislative leave pool. This donated time can be used by officers for legislative activities on behalf of a qualifying association that represents correctional officers, has at least 5,000 members, and is governed by a board of directors. The bill limits usage to 80 hours in a 160-hour work cycle and 480 hours per fiscal year, requiring the officer to obtain the association's consent before accessing the time. The program takes effect September 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 5624: Relating to the liability of a motorized off-road vehicle entity for injuries arising from certain activities.

This bill creates limited liability protection for businesses operating off-road vehicle areas (such as rental facilities or event organizers) for injuries sustained by participants during recreational activities, provided they display required safety warnings. Businesses are protected from lawsuits for participant injuries if the warnings specified in the law are properly posted. The protection does not apply if injuries result from the business's own negligence, and the law specifically covers activities on unpaved surfaces. The bill became effective September 1, 2025.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 1453: Relating to the current debt rate and tax rate of a taxing unit for ad valorem tax purposes.

SB 1453 requires Texas school districts to publish clearer, standardized notices about proposed property tax rates in newspapers. The notices must be at least a quarter-page with 18-point headlines and include specific comparisons: budget changes (maintenance, debt service, total) as percentages, appraised value data for current and prior years, outstanding bonded debt, and tax rate comparisons per $100 of property value. Districts must also include a link to Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes for public access to tax information. This bill directly affects school districts and property owners by improving transparency in how tax rate proposals are communicated. It takes effect January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 140: Relating to advisory bodies for the Department of Family and Protective Services, including the creation of the child protective investigations advisory committee and the abolition of the Family and Protective Services Council.

HB 140 abolishes the Family and Protective Services Council and creates a new Child Protective Investigations Advisory Committee to advise the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). The bill amends multiple state codes to remove references to the abolished council and add the new committee, including updating reporting requirements for the DFPS commissioner. This change directly affects DFPS's advisory structure and reporting processes, effective September 1, 2026. The bill does not alter DFPS's core functions but modifies its advisory body composition.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 2080: Relating to the review of the duties of a groundwater conservation district by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

HB 2080 prohibits groundwater conservation districts from restricting groundwater production from wells used for permitted purposes during permit renewal reviews or drought restrictions, unless the district conducts a hydrologic evaluation proving the restriction is necessary to protect other wells or groundwater resources. It requires districts to complete this evaluation before imposing such restrictions, preventing arbitrary limits during administrative processes. The bill also establishes a petition process allowing affected well owners or entities to request the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to review a district's failure to submit management plans, enforce rules, or update regulations. This law directly affects groundwater districts, well owners, and agricultural operations relying on groundwater permits in Texas.

Topics ✗ Environment

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 955: Relating to the punishment for the offense of trafficking of persons.

SB 955 increases penalties for human trafficking in Texas by elevating certain offenses to first-degree felony status. It specifically enhances punishments when trafficking occurs near schools, colleges, shelters for vulnerable populations (like runaway youth or trafficking survivors), or during school events, within 1,000 feet of these locations. The bill also raises penalties if the victim is a child or disabled person, if serious injury or death occurs, or if traffickers use deadly weapons or obstruct breathing. These changes apply only to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025. The law directly affects traffickers who commit offenses in these specified circumstances.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 546: Relating to seat belts on buses that transport children.

Texas Senate Bill 546 requires school buses transporting children to be equipped with three-point seat belts for all passengers, including the driver. School districts may request an exception if they determine it is not feasible due to budget constraints (after a public vote), or if using buses purchased before 2017 or newer buses where budget limitations prevent compliance. The bill also allows school districts to accept gifts, grants, or donations to cover the costs of implementing these seat belt requirements. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, directly affecting school districts and bus operators in Texas.

Topics ✓ Transportation

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 1401: Relating to the creation of the Texas Mental Health Profession Pipeline Program by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

SB 1401 creates the Texas Mental Health Profession Pipeline Program, managed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, to help students transfer from public junior colleges to four-year institutions for mental health careers. It directly affects public junior college students and participating universities by guaranteeing they won’t lose credits when transferring, can earn a bachelor’s degree in under two years, and get automatic admission to advanced programs if they meet academic requirements. The program covers pathways to licensure for psychologists, counselors, social workers, and other mental health professionals. It requires universities to partner with junior colleges to design clear transfer pathways, ensuring seamless credit transfers and faster degree completion.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 2139: Relating to the authority of the Texas Military Department to negotiate the release of a reversionary interest and certain other interests of the state in certain property in Palo Pinto County owned by the Palo Pinto County Livestock Association.

SB 2139 authorizes the Texas Military Department to negotiate with the Palo Pinto County Livestock Association for the release of the state's reversionary interest and other retained interests in a specific property in Palo Pinto County. The bill requires the department to determine the fair market value of the property (transferred to Mineral Wells in 1953) and assess whether the state received equivalent value through the property's use for public livestock shows and rodeos since transfer. If the state received fair value via this public use, it will release the interests without payment; otherwise, it will seek monetary compensation. This bill directly affects the Livestock Association, which uses the property for public events, and the state, which holds retained interests in buildings on the land.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 3745: Relating to crime victims' compensation.

HB 3745 expands emergency compensation eligibility for crime victims in Texas. It allows the attorney general to issue immediate financial relief for victims or their families affected by crimes that caused a state of emergency under Government Code Section 433.001, specifically removing prior restrictions that blocked such awards for deceased victims' families during declared emergencies. The bill applies only to crimes occurring on or after its September 1, 2025 effective date. This change directly affects family members of homicide victims and others harmed during state emergencies who previously faced barriers to urgent financial assistance.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 5057: Relating to exclusive contracts for municipal solid waste management services.

HB 5057 requires cities and towns in Texas to provide public notice before granting exclusive contracts for garbage collection or transportation services to private companies. The law mandates that public agencies publish a summary of the contract's purpose and changes in a local newspaper and on their website, with the contract not taking effect until after this notice is published. Existing non-exclusive waste providers can continue operating for up to one year or until their current contract expires, whichever comes first. This law, effective June 20, 2025, aims to increase transparency in municipal waste service contracts.

Bill results