Texas Bills

passed · Texas · House May 27, 2025

HB 146: Relating to the required approval by the State Preservation Board of certain traffic changes near the State Capitol.

HB 146 requires the State Preservation Board to approve certain traffic changes near the Texas State Capitol. It directly affects municipalities (like Austin) managing traffic on Congress Avenue between the Congress Avenue Bridge and 11th Street (the "covered segment"). The bill prohibits permanent lane reductions or lane closures exceeding 14 consecutive days without approval from four State Preservation Board members, with exceptions for special events (50+ attendees), adjacent construction, or pedestrian safety plans. This amendment to the Government Code aims to preserve traffic flow and safety in the Capitol area.

passed · Texas · House May 27, 2025

HB 123: Relating to measures to support kindergarten readiness and early literacy and numeracy skills for public school students and to funding to support those measures.

HB 123 amends Texas Education Code Section 12.104(b) to require open-enrollment charter schools to comply with existing state standards for early literacy, numeracy, and kindergarten readiness. Specifically, it mandates that charter schools follow established requirements related to reading/math assessments (Sections 28.006, 28.0063, 28.0064), accelerated instruction (Section 28.0211), and prekindergarten programs (Chapter 29). The bill directly affects charter schools by extending these K-3 educational standards to their operations, ensuring alignment with public school accountability measures. It does not create new funding but clarifies that charter schools must implement existing state-mandated early learning frameworks.

Topics ✓ Education

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 961: Relating to fraud prevention and verifying eligibility for benefits under Medicaid.

SB 961 requires the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to conduct regular electronic data matches to verify Medicaid recipients' eligibility, directly affecting Medicaid beneficiaries. Key provisions mandate monthly checks for lottery winnings, death records, and out-of-state benefit transactions, plus quarterly reviews of voter registration cancellations to detect potential residency changes. The bill prohibits waiving these verification requirements and bans accepting self-attested income, residency, or citizenship details for Medicaid eligibility. These measures aim to prevent fraud by ensuring ongoing accuracy in benefit eligibility.

Topics ✗ Healthcare

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 505: Relating to processes to address election irregularities; providing a civil penalty.

SB 505 creates a formal process for certain election participants - such as candidates, party chairs, election judges, and political committee heads - to request explanations from county clerks about election irregularities. Under Section 280.001, these individuals can seek written explanations for issues like voting discrepancies or documentation gaps within 20 days, with a follow-up request allowed if unsatisfied (requiring a 10-day response). If unresolved, they may escalate to the Secretary of State for an audit within 30 days (Section 280.002), requiring submission of prior requests and responses. The bill directly affects those actively involved in elections as defined in the text, focusing on transparency in addressing irregularities rather than imposing penalties.

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 3073: Relating to the duty of a magistrate to make written findings in certain criminal proceedings.

SB 3073 requires magistrates in Texas to provide written findings within 24 hours when determining no probable cause exists for a criminal arrest. This affects individuals arrested for crimes and the magistrates reviewing their cases. The bill mandates that magistrates document their reasons for finding no probable cause in the official record. It applies only to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025, with prior cases governed by existing law. The change aims to increase transparency in early criminal proceedings.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

passed · Texas · House May 27, 2025

HB 1939: Relating to a credit for prepayment of the amount required to be paid by a school district for the purchase of attendance credit under the public school finance system.

HB 1939 creates a 4% credit for Texas school districts that prepay attendance credit costs under the public school finance system. Specifically, districts that elect to pay for attendance credit using a specified payment method and pay the full amount by February 15 each school year receive this credit. The bill directly affects all Texas public school districts required to purchase attendance credit under Chapter 49 of the Education Code. The credit applies after other applicable reductions and takes effect September 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 2460: Relating to rapid DNA analysis performed by certain law enforcement agencies and the content of certain DNA databases.

SB 2460 sets new standards for rapid DNA analysis by Texas law enforcement agencies and governs what information can be stored in DNA databases. The bill requires all DNA analyses - including rapid tests performed by police - to meet or exceed FBI quality assurance standards, and databases may only include records from such compliant analyses. It also specifies permitted uses for the database, such as identifying human remains after disasters, aiding in missing persons cases, and supporting forensic research when personal information is removed. The legislation defines key terms like "rapid DNA analysis" (completed in under 24 hours) and "DNA record" to clarify how data is collected and stored.

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 781: Relating to certain files maintained by a law enforcement agency regarding certain employees of the agency.

SB 781 creates confidential "department files" for law enforcement employees who hold licenses. These files must include internal documents about alleged misconduct where there's insufficient evidence to prove wrongdoing, excluding standard personnel records. The bill restricts access: agencies can share files only with the licensing commission during investigations or when hiring new license holders, and prohibits disclosure to the public or other agencies under Texas' public information law. It directly affects Texas law enforcement agencies and their licensed employees by making these records private, not subject to public disclosure. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 2920: Relating to the regulation of steroid use by students participating in athletic competitions sponsored or sanctioned by the University Interscholastic League.

SB 2920 amends Texas education law to clarify eligibility rules for student-athletes in University Interscholastic League (UIL) competitions. It removes ineligibility penalties for students using steroids prescribed by a medical professional for a valid medical purpose, such as treating a health condition. However, it explicitly states that using steroids for gender transition purposes does not qualify as a "valid medical purpose" and would still result in ineligibility. This bill directly affects high school athletes participating in UIL-sanctioned sports who use prescription steroids.

passed · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 2595: Relating to the creation of the criminal offense of harassing, intimidating, or threatening another person while concealing identity with a mask or other headgear.

SB 2595 would create a new criminal offense in Texas for intentionally harassing, intimidating, or threatening someone in a public place while wearing a mask or headgear to conceal your identity. This offense would be classified as a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $2,000 fine. The bill includes seven specific exceptions where mask-wearing is permitted, such as for holidays (e.g., Halloween), occupational safety, weather protection, theatrical events, emergencies, health reasons, or religious practices. These exceptions mean the law does not apply when masks are worn for these permitted purposes.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

passed · Texas · House May 27, 2025

HB 186: Relating to prohibiting use of social media platforms by children.

HB 186 prohibits children under 18 from using social media platforms in Texas, subject to federal law. The bill defines "social media platform" to exclude email, internet service providers, news websites, and interactive gaming platforms. Social media platforms must verify users are 18 or older before account creation using a reasonable method relying on public or private data, then delete all verification information immediately. This law directly affects children under 18 and social media companies operating in Texas.

Topics ✗ Technology

passed both · Texas · Senate May 27, 2025

SJR 84: Proposing a constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to provide for a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation of the appraised value of an improvement to a residence homestead that is completely destroyed by a fire.

SJR 84 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow the Texas legislature to create a temporary property tax exemption for homeowners whose residence improvements (like additions or renovations) are completely destroyed by fire. If approved by voters in November 2025, this amendment would authorize future laws to exempt the appraised value of those destroyed improvements from annual property taxes for a specified period. The exemption duration and eligibility rules would be determined by the legislature through separate bills. This directly affects homeowners in Texas who suffer fire damage to their home improvements, providing potential tax relief during rebuilding.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

Bill results