Texas governor signs flood bills into law, as laws passed earlier this year take effect

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AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed bills to address camp safety and flood relief on Friday morning, two months after Independence Day weekend flooding in Central Texas killed more than 130 people. Those bills were Senate Bills 1 and 3, and House Bill 1.

Callie and Michael McCown, whose daughter Linnie died during the flooding while attending Camp Mystic, attended the ceremony alongside other impacted families. They spoke with KXAN afterwards.

“If that was a private policy by the camp, these kids would still be alive,” said Michael McCown about flood warning evacuations. “When something is 100% preventable, it’s just awful and it’s very sad … I have a very hard time calling this a tragedy. Because, in my mind, it was 100% preventable.”

HB 1 changed the requirements to get a youth camp license to operate and requires camps to renew their license after certain periods. SB 1 put new limits on where cabins can be built near floodplain and floodways, while SB 3 requires flood warning sirens to be placed in flood-prone areas throughout the state.

HB 1 and SB 1 were two of the final items passed by the Texas Legislature Wednesday before their final adjournment of the special session.

Read more from Nexstar Reporter Adam Schwager about the bills.

“I don’t like that my daughter had to die for this to take place,” Callie McCown said. “But I don’t ever want any other innocent child to die while they’re at summer camp because it should be the safest place they are. And, I don’t want any other parent to have to suffer the way that we have suffered these past two months and will suffer for the rest of our lives.”

New Texas law promises to help families by cutting down on child support delays

 “Why am I at $80,000 behind?” asked Ian Evilsizor, a frustrated single father. He explained that’s how much he’s owed in child support for his daughter.

Single mom Jennifer Banford quickly chimed in regarding her two daughters: “The balance now, I think, is $21,000.” She added that doesn’t include medical bills that have not been paid and reached $6,000.

Christie Schultz, another single mom, said she was waiting on $600 earlier this summer which has now increased to nearly $2,500 — money meant to go towards raising her four kids.

The three parents didn’t know each other until recently, but now share a common challenge after not receiving child support payments. Lawmakers have heard similar concerns, which led them to make changes going into effect this year.

The Office of the Texas Attorney General enforces child support. Banford said the agency can’t even track down the father of her two daughters, who has only made one payment since January 2024.

“How am I supposed to find him if a government agency can’t find him? Like, I don’t have the resources of a government agency, so how am I supposed to locate him?” Banford asked.

Since last November, KXAN investigators have emailed and called the AG’s office multiple times to learn more about the work of the Child Support Division, but no one has responded.

Schultz told KXAN investigators that she can’t even get help when calling the agency about missed payments. 

“I am almost begging for information,” Schultz explained. “‘Will you contact the other parent and find out what the plan is.’ Can I have a case worker? Can I file some sort of a dispute?”

Read more of this report from KXAN Investigator Arezow Doost.

TDLR takes over Texas Lottery operations amidst third-highest Powerball jackpot

As the Powerball jackpot approached almost $2 billion, the third-highest jackpot in the game’s history, the Texas Lottery entered a new era under a different agency.

Employees of the old Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) have transitioned into the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) as of Sept. 1, according to Glenn Neal, the transition director for TDLR.

“We have had no notable problems with the with the transition to this point,” Neal said.

He added there was no interruption to lottery services as Powerball fever grows hotter with a cash value estimated to be more than $770 million for the next Saturday drawing.

TDLR held its first public commissioner’s meeting since the transition on Thursday morning. Courtney Arbour, the executive director of TDLR, mentioned the jackpot passing the $1 billion threshold has started to create more interest in not only Powerball tickets, but also other games the Texas lottery provides.

“What serendipitous timing for us as the new agency,” Arbour said with a laugh. TDLR was tapped by the Texas legislature to take over the operation of lottery and charitable bingo after a contentious session regarding the TLC.

Read more about the transition from Nexstar Reporter Dylan McKim.

Texas House sends bill to replace STAAR test to Gov. Abbott

Texas House lawmakers gave final approval to a plan to eliminate the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) and replace it with a series of shorter exams. House members concurred with amendments made in the Senate, clearing the way for the bill to move to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.

The bill passed 79-47 along party lines. Republicans say the shift to shorter, more-frequent exams with faster results will provide a better way to measure student progress. Democrats raised concerns that more testing adds stress on students.

“We are about to pass a bill that more than triples, in fact it quadruples the amount of tests no required by the state for our kids in public schools,” State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, said. Hinojosa, a former school board president, has been an outspoken opponent of HB 8.

Supporters of the bill argue it will reduce the amount of stress students feel when taking a test on one day. “This bill provides meaningful change,” State Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, said. Most school districts already do some type of similar testing using private vendors. This new system would allow them the option to use a test made by the state.

Read more about how House Bill 8 will change testing for Texas’ students.

Fixes to Texas’ Crime Victims’ Fund take effect following KXAN investigations

New laws aimed at improving Texas’ troubled Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund — sparked by a series of KXAN investigations — are now officially in effect.

For nearly three years, KXAN has uncovered turnover, backlogs and months-long delays for victims of violent crimes trying to get help. The new changes, victims say, are a long-awaited improvement to a system that for many can be a lifeline.

The CVC Fund, managed by the Texas Attorney General’s Office, is a last resort for crime victims to be reimbursed for things like medical expenses and therapy. The money mostly comes from federal grants and court fees.

After KXAN investigations uncovered lengthy delays, a benchmark average goal of 90 days for victims to start receiving payments was set, according to the general appropriations bill that takes effect Sept. 1. A separate goal set one week for hospitals to be reimbursed for forensic sexual assault exams.

Other changes include the ability to issue emergency payments under HB 3745 if it “appears likely” the application will be approved and a victim “will suffer undue hardship if immediate economic relief is not obtained.”

Another fix is directly related to a transparency problem KXAN first revealed in 2023. The state had previously combined data on the timeline for reimbursements to victims — which averaged nearly eight months to process in 2024 — with rape kit exam reimbursements paid directly to hospitals — which often happened within days.

Read more about the changes spurred by KXAN Investigators Matt Grant and David Barer.

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