Texas Bills

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 2611: Relating to the status of certain documents or instruments concerning real or personal property; creating the criminal offenses of real property theft and real property fraud and establishing a statute of limitations for those offenses; harmonizing other statute of limitations provisions; increasing a criminal penalty.

SB 2611 creates two new criminal offenses: "real property theft" (stealing homes, land, or buildings) and "real property fraud" (deceiving others to obtain property through false documents). It establishes a 10-year statute of limitations for prosecuting these crimes, meaning prosecutors must file charges within a decade of the offense. The bill also harmonizes existing statute of limitations for other property-related crimes and increases penalties for certain offenses. These changes directly affect individuals who commit real estate theft or fraud and law enforcement agencies handling such cases.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 1365: Relating to vehicle registration, license plates, and inspection reports.

SB 1365 creates a new 24-month vehicle registration period for new passenger cars and light trucks meeting specific criteria. It directly affects owners purchasing new vehicles sold in Texas that have never been registered elsewhere and are from the current or previous model year. The bill requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to base registration periods on the vehicle's sale date, replacing the standard annual registration for these new vehicles. This change aims to simplify registration for new vehicle owners while maintaining existing requirements for vehicle safety inspections.

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 1626: Relating to censorship of or certain other interference with digital expression, including expression on social media platforms or through electronic mail messages.

Texas Senate Bill 1626 clarifies that social media platforms operating in Texas must act as common carriers for digital expression, prohibiting discrimination in content moderation. It directly affects major social media platforms by requiring them to facilitate public debate without restricting content based on viewpoint. The bill amends the Business & Commerce Code to define "social media platform" and aims to prevent federal censorship through platforms, building on prior law H.B. 20. Its key provision mandates that platforms cannot unreasonably remove or restrict user content, ensuring equal access to digital public forums.

Topics ✓ Technology

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 2690: Relating to solicitations for the retrieval of certain documents from the secretary of state; providing a civil penalty.

SB 2690 requires private companies or individuals soliciting business certification documents (like entity filings with the Texas Secretary of State) to clearly disclose they are not government entities. It mandates specific disclaimers in 18-point bold text for mail solicitations and verbal disclaimers for phone/in-person requests, stating: "THIS NOTICE IS NOT FROM A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY. BUSINESS CERTIFICATION DOCUMENTS CAN BE OBTAINED DIRECTLY FROM THE TEXAS SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE." Violators face a $500 civil penalty per solicitation, with each separate request counted as a violation. The bill directly affects private document retrieval services and aims to prevent deceptive practices targeting businesses seeking official documents.

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 3058: Relating to certain improvements made and programs developed by the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District.

SB 3058 authorizes the Post Oak Savannah Groundwater Conservation District to use fees collected from water exports to improve county roads needed for inspecting district wells and develop environmental programs related to groundwater. The bill adds Section 8865.1025 to the Local Laws Code, requiring the district to enter annual agreements with counties for these projects, approved by the district board. It also clarifies that fees under Section 8865.151(d) can fund these specific road and environmental programs, in addition to operating costs. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, directly affecting the district, counties with wells in its area, and groundwater management programs.

Topics ✓ Environment ✓ Transportation

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 2497: Relating to the installation of a treatment system by certain public drinking water supply systems.

SB 2497 requires small public drinking water systems (serving fewer than 100 connections) that get water from underground sources to install filtration systems under specific conditions. It applies when a system repeatedly exceeds health-related contaminant limits, has multiple verified water quality complaints in a year, or needs to manage non-health-related water quality standards. The requirement only applies if the filtration system can be installed at a reasonable cost. This bill targets small rural or community water systems, not large municipal providers. It takes effect September 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Environment

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 315: Relating to a property right in DNA; providing injunctive relief and a civil penalty; creating a criminal offense.

SB 315 establishes that individuals have an exclusive property right in their unique DNA, meaning no one can collect, test, keep, alter, sell, or share another person’s DNA without their informed, written consent (except for emergency medical care, paternity testing, or law enforcement needs). The bill creates civil penalties for violations, calculated based on profits gained or harm caused, and allows the attorney general to seek court orders to stop violations. It also makes unauthorized DNA use a Class A misdemeanor if done with criminal negligence. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, and does not apply to DNA collected before that date.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 2245: Relating to procedures for the issuance of a bonded title for a motor vehicle.

This bill amends Texas law to clarify procedures for obtaining a bonded title when a motor vehicle lacks a clear title. It directly affects vehicle owners who lost title documents but need to register or sell their vehicles. Key changes include: (1) allowing bonded titles if liens are 10+ years old, lienholders are out of business, or lien releases are provided; (2) requiring the Department of Motor Vehicles to notify recorded owners/lienholders of bond filings; and (3) delaying title issuance for 30 days if no existing license number exists, unless no one objects. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, and does not change bond amounts or liability limits.

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 1361: Relating to a disaster recovery loan program for small and micro-businesses.

SB 1361 establishes a state-funded disaster recovery loan program for Texas small businesses (21-99 employees) and micro-businesses. It creates a dedicated "small- and micro-business recovery fund" in the general revenue fund and requires the state bank to provide zero-interest loans to community development financial institutions (CDFIs). These CDFIs would then make interest-bearing loans to qualifying businesses that struggle to access capital after disasters. The program aims to help create jobs by expanding capital access for eligible businesses across Texas.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 2692: Relating to the filing of an appeal regarding certain water, drainage, or sewer rates with the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

This bill (SB 2692) amends Texas Water Code Section 13.043(c) to clarify the process for customers to appeal water, drainage, or sewer rate changes with the Public Utility Commission of Texas. It requires appeals to be initiated by filing a petition within 90 days of a rate change or a governing body’s final decision, signed by either 10% of affected ratepayers (or 10,000 customers, whichever is fewer) or 10% of customers in a specific rate class. The change directly affects residential and business customers whose utility rates are modified, providing a clearer threshold for group appeals. The bill does not alter rate-setting authority but streamlines the eligibility criteria for filing appeals.

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 1864: Relating to egg grading and the selling of ungraded eggs; requiring an occupational license.

SB 1864 allows small egg producers to sell ungraded eggs directly to consumers and up to 500 dozen per week wholesale within Texas. It requires producers selling wholesale to register with the state for an annual fee of up to $50, label cartons with "ungraded" plus their name, address, packing date, and registration number, and follow specific food safety rules (refrigeration within 36 hours, storage at 45°F or below, and sanitation standards). The bill directly affects backyard or small-scale egg producers who do not grade their eggs but wish to sell them commercially. Key provisions include limiting wholesale sales to 500 dozen weekly, mandating clear labeling, and establishing registration and safety requirements. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, if not passed with a two-thirds vote.

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 35: Relating to the selection, prioritization, construction, and funding of transportation projects.

SB 35 amends the Texas Transportation Code to limit the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to no more than two design-build contracts per state fiscal biennium, down from a previous cap of six. This change directly affects TxDOT's ability to award these types of construction contracts for transportation projects. The bill specifies that TxDOT cannot enter into more than two such contracts in each two-year budget cycle. The legislation does not alter project selection, funding mechanisms, or broader transportation policies - only the numerical limit on contracts. It takes effect on September 1, 2025, unless approved for immediate effect by a two-thirds vote.

Topics ✗ Transportation

Bill results