Ensuring Grade-Level Curriculum in Public Schools (House Bill 1605)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
House Author: Representative Brad Buckley (R-Salado)
Senate Sponsor: Senator Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe)
Today, many Texas schoolchildren are being taught lessons that are below their grade level. Notably, only 19% of Houston
Independent School District (HISD) students receive classroom materials on grade level. This often results in children earning
good grades for regular coursework but failing STAAR and other standardized tests.
House Bill 1605 aims to address this problem by providing school districts with optional “high-quality instructional material
(HQIM)” that has been vetted by the State Board of Education and Texas Education Agency and guaranteed to be on grade
level. Districts opting into the HQIM will receive additional funding for implementation and support.
The HQIM will also be available online for parent access. This way, parents can see exactly what their children are being taught
in class at any time.
House Bill 1605 also aims to lighten teachers’ workloads by providing ready-to-use lesson plans. During this bill’s committee hearings, several witnesses testified that teachers are often overburdened with non-teaching activities, including finding and developing instructional materials.
Produced Water Consortium (Senate Bill 1047)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Senate Author: Senator Charles Perry (R-Lubbock)
House Sponsor: Representative Carl Tepper (R-Lubbock)
Water is Texas' most precious resource, and this session, the Legislature advanced a bill that would authorize two pilot projects
under the consortium. The first utilizes technology to clean water at existing produced water collection sites, treating at least
500 barrels a day from the Midland and Delaware basins. The second will test more novel technologies and field testing of
treated water on rangeland, non-food and food crops.
Senate Bill 1047 garnered support from both chambers and Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill into law, effective immediately.
A report on the results of the pilot program is due to the legislature in October 2024.
Advanced Recycling (House Bill 3060)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
House Author: Representative Ed Thompson (R-Pearland)
Senate Sponsor: Senator Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills)
House Bill 3060 modernized and updated the current advanced recycling statutes to include two new technologies and remove barriers to widespread adoption. The law would also legislatively recognize advanced recycling as a necessary technology to increase the number of recycled materials and authorizes the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to identify third-party verification systems to validate the quantity of certified-circular plastics generated.
SUMMARY OF BILLS: This session, lawmakers passed a series of bills aimed at “preventing a patchwork” of rules and ordinances relating to climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and local control. The Partnership and its member companies worked closely with the City of Houston on its Climate Action Plan in 2020. Under the newly enacted law, both the City of Houston and Harris County will need to verify if they will need legislative approval to continue working on their climate plans prior to September 1, 2025.
Preemption of Local Greenhouse Gases (Senate Bill 784)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Senate Author: Senator Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury)
House Sponsor: Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa)
Legislative Oversight of Local Climate Action Plans (Senate Bill 1860)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Senate Author: Senator Bryan Hughes (R- Mineola)
House Sponsor: Representative Tom Craddick (R-Midland)
Prohibits Local Mandates Based on Fuel Sources (Senate Bill 1017)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Senate Author: Senator Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury)
House Sponsor: Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa)
SUMMARY: As of 2020, it was estimated carbon capture use and storage (CCUS) can cost between $50 and $100 per metric ton, leading many other state governments and the federal government to enact plans that would reduce financial roadblocks to scaling this technology and provide a signal to encourage more capital investments. In Texas, the Partnership supported a similar effort spearheaded by the Carbon Neutral Coalition. The slate of bills put before the legislature was intended to reduce the hefty price tag associated with CCUS. Unfortunately, with both key conservative-leaning and key democrat-leaning groups opposed to the measures, these bills ultimately failed to reach Governor Abbott’s desk.
Franchise Tax Credit (House Bill 4983/Senate Bill 2203)
FAILED TO PASS
House Author: Representative Stephanie Klick (R-Fort Worth)
Senate Author: Senator Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills)
Tax Exemption (House Bill 3355)
FAILED TO PASS
House Author: Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa)
Texas Emissions Reduction Plan Qualification (House Bill 1158/Senate Bill 2243)
FAILED TO PASS
House Author: Representative Drew Darby (R-San Angelo)
Senate Author: Senator Nathan Johnson (R-Odessa)
Encouraging CCUS Development (House Bill 4557)
FAILED TO PASS
House Author: Representative Drew Darby (R-San Angelo)
SUMMARY: Currently, Texas is home to more than 60 percent of U.S. hydrogen pipelines and 30 percent of the world’s hydrogen pipelines. This session, the State took a significant leap forward to build upon its progress and kickstart the diversified use of hydrogen. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) made it clear that hydrogen will be a transformative fuel of the future, and the Partnership applauds the Texas Legislature for setting Texas up for success. Together, these bills provide the investment, regulatory certainty, and pathway needed to boost Texas’ three regional hydrogen hub applications vying for $7 billion from the DOE, including two from the Houston area.
Texas Hydrogen Infrastructure, Vehicle, and Equipment Grant Program (HB 4885)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
House Author: Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa)
Senate Sponsor: Senator Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury)
Texas Hydrogen Production Policy Council (House Bill 2847)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
House Author: Representative Drew Darby (R-San Angelo)
Senate Sponsor: Senator Kevin Sparks (R-Midland)
SUMMARY: Texas is ideal for geothermal energy development due to its vast geothermal resources, favorable geological conditions, and strong energy infrastructure. This session, lawmakers advanced a series of bills that will improve regulatory certainty and signal to the investment community that Texas is open for geothermal business. These measures sailed through both the House and Senate chambers with nearly unanimous support. Geothermal will play an important role in accomplishing the energy-abundant, lower carbon goals of the energy transition.
Geothermal Property Rights (Senate Bill 785)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Senate Author: Senator Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury)
House Sponsor: Representative Drew Darby (R-San Angelo)
Streamlining Geothermal Permitting (Senate Bill 786)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Senate Author: Senator Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury)
House Sponsor: Representative Drew Darby (R-San Angelo)
Repurposing Orphaned Wells for Geothermal (Senate Bill 1210)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Senate Author: Senator Cesar Blanco (D-El Paso)
House Sponsor: Representative Bobby Guerra (D-McAllen)
Transfers to State Highway Fund (Senate Bill 1232/ Senate Concurrent Resolution 2)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Senate Author: Senator Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville)
House Sponsor: Representative Terry Canales (D-Edinburg)
Proposition 7 from 2015.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 2 allows for the extension of Proposition 7, a constitutional amendment supported by the Partnership in 2015, which provided funds from certain state revenue streams to the SHF. This provision diverts portions of tax revenue which would have gone to the Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF), also known as the Rainy Day Fund, to be moved to the SHF. This prospective move comes as the ESF Fund is expected to reach its cap.
Texas Water Fund (Senate Bill 28)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Senate Author: Senator Charles Perry (R-Lubbock)
House Sponsor: Representative Tracy King (D-Uvalde)
build new water systems.
Texas faces concerns about the expected water demands due to its rapid population growth, decline in existing water supplies, and its aging water system. Senate Bill 28 establishes the New Water Supply for Texas Fund, the Texas Water Fund, and the Statewide Water Public Awareness Account, all to be administered by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to address these concerns. Senate Bill 30, by Senator Joan Huffman (R-Houston), provides $1 billion for Senate Bill 30 to replace, repair, or build new water infrastructure across the state. The funding is contingent upon voter approval of the Funds per the Texas Constitution.
Lone Star Workforce of the Future Fund (House Bill 1755)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
House Author: Representative Angie Chen Button (R-Richardson)
Senate Sponsor: Senator Carol Alvarado (D-Houston)
The skilled talent of Texas will be the foundation for the state’s success and more importantly, the foundation for the state’s future ability to attract business and industry. House Bill 1755 will create the Lone Star Workforce of the Future Fund (LSWFF) and a grant program to fund workforce training programs. The legislation seeks to fill the demand for a skilled workforce in Texas by providing the job training necessary to obtain sustaining, full-time employment.
The LSWFF will support educational institutions and nonprofit organizations that offer performance-based workforce training programs and derive at least 40 percent of funding from non-state sources. The supported entities must also coordinate with the Texas Workforce Commission and employer partners to ensure that the programs are tailored to the state’s workforce needs.
Texas CHIPS (House Bill 5174)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
House Author: Representative Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood)
Senate Sponsor: Senator Joan Huffman (R-Houston)
Recently, the U.S. Congress made a significant investment in research and development of the U.S. semiconductor industry. For Texas to maximize the opportunities presented in this federal CHIPS Act, the state needs a strategic long-term plan to take advantage of the competitive federal funding opportunities available for semiconductor innovation projects.
House Bill 5174 creates the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium and the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund. The consortium will serve as an advisory panel to the governor and the legislature and is charged with the development of a comprehensive strategic plan for semiconductor innovation. It will also look to sustain the leadership of the state in advanced semiconductor research, design, and manufacturing; attract investment in the state related to semiconductors; identify opportunities for workforce training; and establish a forum for stakeholders in the semiconductor industry. The fund will enable state entities and public institutions of higher education to access the funding needed as matching funds for the federal appropriations.
Texas Space Commission (House Bill 3447)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
House Author: Representative Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood)
Senate Sponsor: Senate Joan Huffman (R-Houston)
Texas has been a leader in the U.S. space program for generations. However, Texas is facing strong competition as the country enters a new phase in space exploration and commercialization. House Bill 3447 is designed to provide the needed resources to maintain Texas’ leadership role in aerospace and space operations. The bill establishes the Texas Space Commission. The commission, consisting of higher education institutions, will identify research opportunities for entities within Texas to strengthen the state's proven leadership in civil, commercial, and military aerospace activity, enhance its position in aeronautics research and development, space commercialization, and space flight infrastructure, and enhance the integration of the space, aeronautics, astronautics, and aviation industries into Texas’ economy. The legislation provided $350 million in funding to administer the commission and provide research funding and grants.
New Harris County Criminal Courts (House Bill 3474)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
House Author: Representative Jeff Leach (R-Plano)
Senate Sponsor: Senator Bryan Hughes (R-Tyler)
Public safety is critical to the strength of the business community and the ability to do business, retain employees, and recruit new businesses to the region. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, all major cities saw a rise in crime and a criminal court case backlog; however, Harris County was also struggling with the compounding impacts of Hurricane Harvey damage. Additionally, Harris County has seen dramatic population growth over the decades, yet its court system has not kept pace with that growth. Harris County has only added one court since 1984, back when the county’s population was 2.7 million. Today, the county boasts more than 4.7 million people.
While the Harris County Commissioners Court has taken steps to mitigate the felony case backlog, including adding visiting judges, associate judges, and infusing funding into the system, it has not been enough to address the structural deficits of the county’s court system. Harris County needs a significant number of new courtrooms.
Business Courts (House Bill 19)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
House Author: Representative Andrew Murr (R-Junction)
Senate Sponsor: Senator Bryan Hughes (R-Tyler)
Business cases, especially those valued in the millions, are often complex, take years to complete, and require a specific expertise in business law, however, these cases currently are addressed by either general law district courts or civil law district courts. Large business cases can delay a court’s docket and cause a severe backlog. House Bill 19 works to address these complexities and issues by creating a specialized business court.
This specialized court would have seven judges appointed by the Governor for two-year terms, and appeals would go before a newly created specialized appeals court. Establishing a new business court system would transform the state’s judicial process and help the district court system manage its caseload. Specialized business courts reserved for complex cases would have judges with expertise in business law to help provide consistent rulings on complex cases. Under the current system, these complex cases often overwhelm the general jurisdiction courts and can take multiple years to resolve. Texas joins 26 other states in having created a specialized business court system.
Convention Center Funding (Senate Bill 1057)
PASSED
Senate Author: Senator John Whitmire (D-Houston)
House Sponsor: Representative Sam Harless (R-Spring)
The George R. Brown Convention Center first opened its doors in the fall of 1987, and despite some notable renovations over the years, it has become clear that the convention center needs a significant modernization effort to remain competitive to attract large conventions. Senate Bill 1057 allows the City of Houston and Houston First to access portions of certain downtown hotel taxes. Other large cities in Texas, like Dallas and Fort Worth, have enjoyed the same opportunity through similar legislative action.
Creation of Broadband Infrastructure Fund (House Joint Resolution 125/House Bill 9)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
House Author: Representative Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin)
Senate Sponsor: Senator Joan Huffman (R-Houston)
House Joint Resolution 125 and its enabling legislation, House Bill 9, create the broadband infrastructure fund to assist in the financing of connectivity projects in the state. The legislation allocates $1.5 billion to the newly created fund, providing transformational funding to close the digital divide in Texas. Voters will go to the polls this November to vote on creating the broadband infrastructure fund and making this significant investment in broadband for all Texans.
The Texas Broadband Infrastructure Fund along with the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding will provide an unprecedented amount of funding that the Houston region could compete for to bring funding to the local communities.
Expansion of Broadband Definitions and Services (Senate Bill 1238)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Senate Author: Senator Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville)
House Sponsor: Representative Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin)
Senate Bill 1238 ensures state statutes better align with federal guidelines so Texas can draw down funding from the federal Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The legislation also enables the state’s Broadband Development Office to award grants, loans, and other financial incentives for broadband, while also providing critical definitions for “unserved” and “underserved” locations.
Inventory Tax Exemption for Medical and Biomedical Industries (Senate Bill 2289/Senate Joint Resolution 87)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Senate Author: Senator Joan Huffman (R-Houston)
House Sponsor: Representative Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood)
Texas is home to the world's most innovative centers for health care and health research. However, the state struggles to
compete with medical and biomedical manufacturing centers in North Carolina, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and
Illinois due to Texas’ burdensome inventory tax structure in relation to the equipment-intensive environment of the industry.
Senate Bill 2289 exempts tangible personal property used or produced by medical or biomedical manufacturers from property
taxation with the goal of encouraging increases in capital investments and expansion of those industries in Texas.
Mental Health and Brain Research Institute of Texas (House Bill 15/ House Joint Resolution 135)
FAILED TO PASS
House Author: Representative Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston)
Senate Sponsor: N/A
During the 80th state legislative session, leaders in Texas recognized the unique challenges in treating and curing various forms of cancer and in response created the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), which supports innovation and attracts talent to Texas through grant funding.
In a similar way, elected officials in Austin over the last few years have turned their focus on addressing the diseases and disorders of the mind and brain with multiple attempts to create the Mental Health and Brain Research Institute of Texas (MBRIT). This session, House Bill 15 would have created MBRIT to propel Texas forward as the leader in various areas of cerebral research as well as expand the resources available to Texans to receive innovative treatment and care. The institute would receive $3 billion over 10 years to provide scientists with the necessary tools and funding to learn more about brain ailments and treat their root causes.
Unfortunately, after a successful run in the House, MBRIT failed to move in the Senate.
Expanding Postpartum Care (House Bill 12)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
House Author: Representative Toni Rose (D-Dallas)
Senate Sponsor: Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham)
In December 2022, the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee and the Department of State Health Services submitted a joint report that found 44 percent of maternal death cases in Texas occur within one year of pregnancy. Additionally, the report found 90 percent of those deaths could have been prevented.
To reduce the number of maternal deaths, House Bill 12 would extend state Medicaid coverage for postpartum women from two months to 12 months. Increasing the amount of time Texas mothers have access to state care will ensure women aren’t dying from patient, provider, facility, system, or community factors; often, these factors are preventable. Additionally, extending coverage will help address many of the racial disparities that currently exist during and following a pregnancy.
In the waning days of the 88th regular session, both chambers successfully passed House Bill 12, pushing the state to seek approval for an extension of postpartum Medicaid coverage again; however, now this effort will be aligned with research-based, stakeholder-advocated, and federally supported recommendations of providing 12 months of coverage to women.
Nursing Education Grants (Senate Bill 25)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Senate Author: Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham)
House Sponsor: Representative Stephanie Klick (R-Fort Worth)
According to data gathered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas has a shortage of roughly 30,000 nurses; however, this number is not believed to reflect the true shortage post-pandemic. Additionally, Texas’ nursing shortage is expected to balloon to approximately 57,000 nurses by 2032.
The nursing workforce pipeline has endured many challenges, both in attracting talent and retaining it, over the last several years. The COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated these issues. Senate Bill 25 relieves many of the bottlenecks in the nursing education pipeline to increase the number of graduates going into the workforce. The legislation would achieve this by awarding scholarships, offering loan repayment assistance to nurses acting as part-time faculty, and extending the Nursing Innovation Grant Program to 2027.
Workforce Safety
Preventing Workplace Violence at Health Care Facilities (Senate Bill 240)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
Senate Author: Senator Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels)
House Sponsor: Representative Donna Howard (D-Austin)
Recently, there has been a steady rise in the number of reported violent acts targeting healthcare workers. These violations can range from verbal abuse to physical harm and have come from patients, their family members, and even coworkers. Senate Bill 240 requires all health facilities in the state to adopt, implement, and enforce a written workplace violence prevention policy as well as a written workplace violence prevention plan to protect health care providers and employees from violent behavior and threats of violent behavior occurring at the facility. Critically, the mandated violence prevention plan must come from an internal committee composed of a diverse cross section of the facility.
Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (House Bill 4)
SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR
House Author: Representative Giovanni Capriglione (R-Southlake)
Senate Sponsor: Senator Bryan Hughes (R-Tyler)
House Bill 4, the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, is a comprehensive data privacy bill meant to establish a framework for how certain businesses process the personal data of Texas residents. The bill is intended to be a compromise weighing consumer privacy rights and minimizing compliance costs for Texas businesses. The legislation provides individuals with certain new online rights, including the ability to limit how companies collect - and in some instances, profit from - personal data.
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