AUSTIN (KXAN) — The 88th legislative session has been a busy five months. The Texas Senate and House of Representatives filed more than 8,000 bills and 11,700 resolutions.
As the session ends, only 1,222 bills (15.2%) and 4,028 resolutions (34.3%) passed.
Final Steps of the Session
May 24 was the last day for both chambers to consider bills passed by their counterparts.
A bill passed in one chamber can change, whether through amendments or committee substitutions, as it moves through the other. In order for a bill to advance to the governor’s desk, the chamber that originally filed the bill has to approve those changes; if they don’t, a conference committee is formed for further debate on it.
Sunday was the last day for the chambers to vote on to concur with such changes or ones made by a conference committee.
Monday is the last day of the session (Sine Die), but only corrections to passed bills are permitted.
Now that time is up, which bills moved on to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for him to potentially sign into law?
Bills on the way
As of Sunday night, 866 bills have been sent from the Legislature to the governor:
HB 2127, approved by the Senate, strips Texas cities of the authority to establish local ordinances related to the State’s agriculture, finance, insurance, labor, natural resources and occupation codes. This would mean municipal governments would only have a chance every two years to submit desired changes through the state legislative process.
SB 14, a ban on transition-related health care for minors, advanced to the governor on May 19. Abbott said in a May 18 interview with Fox News that he will sign the bill.
Here are some of the other bills heading to the governor:
- Texas’ State Budget (HB 1)
- School security bill (HB 3)
- Murder charges can be brought for fentanyl poisoning (HB 6)
- Process for the state to remove “rogue” district attorneys (HB 17)
- Closing the “Dead Suspect Loophole” (HB 30)
- Paper Plate ban (HB 718)
- Regulation of “sexually explicit materials” in public schools (HB 900)
- Kennel Safety Bill (HB 2063)
- An end to mandatory vehicle inspection (HB 3297)
- Schools much teach students about fentanyl abuse and risks (HB 3908)
- Changes to Texas Retirement System contributions and benefits (SB 10)
- Bans “sexually oriented performances” while children on premises (SB 12)
- Ban on transgender athletes (SB 15)
- Ban on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion offices at public universities (SB 17)
- Changes to tenure in higher education (SB 18)
- Tax exemption for diapers, wound dressings and menstrual products (SB 379)
- Medical billing transparency (SB 490)
- Veterinarian Board reform (SB 1414)
Bills already signed
As of Sunday night, Abbott has signed 244 bills.
Abbott has vetoed two bills so far; SB 1615, which would have entered Texas into an interstate compact for cosmetology licensure, and HB 279, which he said was “largely duplicative” of a Senate bill that he signed.
Here are some of the bills signed into law:
- No discrimination based on racial hair textures or styles (HB 567)
- Extra fees for electric vehicles (SB 505)
- Regulation for labeling meat alternatives (SB 664)
- Crime to remove or disable court-mandated ankle monitors (SB 1004)
- Protections for domestic violence victims (SB 1325) (effective immediately)
A list of bills signed by the governor as of Sunday afternoon is below:
Most of the bills signed by Abbott will go into effect Sept. 1.
Did we miss a bill that you’d like an update on? Let us know at ReportIt@kxan.com.
