Where Abbott’s emergency priorities stand as session end nears
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — As the House bill deadline passed, thousands of bills died without ever making it to the floor for consideration. However, none of Gov. Greg Abbott’s seven emergency items died.
While one — education savings accounts — has already passed, here’s where the other six stand.
Bail Reform
One of Abbott’s biggest goals this session is to make it harder for accused criminals to get out on bail. Abbott publicly spoke on the issue multiple times this month, looking to put pressure on Democratic Texas House members to help him get the legislation across the finish line.
On Monday, the Texas House is set to vote on Senate Joint Resolution 1, Senate Joint Resolution 5, Senate Bill 9, Senate Bill 40 and Senate Bill 664. These five bills are the Texas Senate’s bail reform package which — among other things — prevents undocumented defendants who are accused of a felony from receiving bail, allows judges to deny bail for certain violent accusations and allows the prosecution to challenge a bail decision for certain criminal accusations.
Teacher Pay Raises
The Texas Senate is currently working on House Bill 2, the public education funding bill, in committee. The bill covers all aspects of public school funding, including provisions to make sure new funding goes towards teachers.
Originally, the Texas Senate passed the standalone Senate Bill 26 for teacher pay raises. However, the bill has not made it out of committee.
Water Infrastructure Investments
In early April, the Texas Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 7 to holistically address water infrastructure.
On May 7, SB 7 made it out of the House Natural Resources committee unanimously, and is expected to be debated on the House floor next week.
Increasing Career and Technical Education
The Texas House passed House Bill 120 in March, with only State Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, voting against the bill. The bill takes a large swing at expanding career and technical education (CTE) in Texas’s public schools through grants and expansion of the rural pathway excellence partnership program. HB 120 also includes more funding for schools who implement a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program.
HB 120 was heard in the Texas Senate Committee on Education K-16 last week and remains pending.
Property Tax Relief
Last week, State Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas, announced the House and Senate had struck a deal on tax relief.
Meyer’s House Bill 9 initially proposed to increase the Business Personal Property (BBP) exemption to $250,000 from $2,500. An updated version was sent to the Senate floor with a 9-0 vote last Monday. The BPP exemption allows homeowners to write off parts of their property if used for their business.
The Senate unanimously voted to pass HB 9, however their amendments need to be agreed upon by the House — or hashed out in a conferencing committee — before being sent to Abbott’s desk.
In exchange, Meyer’s committee voted out Senate Bill 4 and Senate Joint Resolution 2 to increase the homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000. They also passed out Senate Bill 23 to increase the homestead exemption for seniors from $10,000 to $60,000. Both bills are scheduled to be heard on the House floor on Tuesday.
Cyber Command
In March, the Texas House Delivery of Government Efficiency (DOGE) committee sent House Bill 150 to the Texas House floor, where it was later approved. The bill establishes a cyber command within the University of Texas school system.
The bill has a hearing scheduled for the Texas Senate Committee on Business & Commerce on Tuesday.
Next Big Deadline
For the three bills still needing consideration in the House, the clock is ticking. All Senate bills have to be heard in the House by May 27. The 89th Legislative Session ends on June 2.
