SENATE FLOOR ACTION

Thursday

March 13, 2025

The Senate suspended the necessary rules to consider and finally pass:

Relating to the computation of the cost of goods sold by television and radio broadcasters for purposes of the franchise tax.

Relating to the issuance of a driver's license to certain persons that includes an alternative to the license holder's residence address.

Relating to the provision of virtual education in public schools and to certain waivers and modifications by the commissioner of education to the method of calculating average daily attendance in an emergency or crisis for purposes of preserving school district funding entitlements under the Foundation School Program during that emergency or crisis; authorizing a fee.

Relating to the date of the meeting of presidential electors of this state.

Relating to the correction of references to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.

Relating to authorizing certain cities to change the date on which their general election for officers is held.

Relating to the definition of a rural political subdivision for purposes of the Texas Water Assistance Program.

Relating to the requirement for performance and payment bonds from certain contractors of the Parks and Wildlife Department.

The Senate adopted the following resolutions:

Recognizing the American Society of Landscape Architects on the occasion of its 125th anniversary.

Congratulating Joe E. Ramirez Jr. on his retirement as vice president for student affairs at Texas A&M University.

Recognizing March 13, 2025, as Collin College Day.

In memory of U.S. Congressman Sylvester Turner of Houston.

Urging Congress to propose and submit to the states for ratification the "Keep Nine" amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Committee referral on the following:

Proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the child care protection and enhancement fund.

Finance

Proposing a constitutional amendment regarding the terminology used in the Texas Constitution to refer to the partially landlocked body of water on the southeastern periphery of the North American continent.

State Affairs

Proposing a constitutional amendment regarding the disciplinary powers of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

State Affairs

Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the Veterans' Land Board to issue general obligation bonds in an aggregate principal amount that is greater than amounts previously authorized.

Veteran Affairs

Proposing a constitutional amendment to make gender neutral the constitutional provisions governing the qualifications of a person to be a senator or member of the house of representatives.

State Affairs

Proposing a constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of a carbon tax.

Finance

Designating Matagorda County as the official Birding Capital of Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035.

Administration

Designating Mineola as the official Sweets Capital of Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035, replacing the city's previous designation as the City of Festivals.

Administration

Directing the Texas Facilities Commission to name the new transit amenity center at 207 W. 14th Street in the Capitol Complex the "Lead On! Transit Amenity" in honor of Justin Dart.

Administration

Urging Congress to preserve Sections 45U, 45Y, and 48E of the Internal Revenue Code.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the health care professional education fund.

Education K-16

Relating to a parent's right to receive notice each time the parent's child obtains a school library material.

Education K-16

Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to receive certain tax revenue derived from a hotel and convention center project and to pledge certain tax revenue for the payment of obligations related to the project.

Economic Development

Relating to certain rights of crime victims and witnesses and associated persons and to victim impact statements.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the regulation of virtual currency kiosks.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the authority of the governing board of a state governmental body to conduct a closed meeting to deliberate an issue involving certain defense, military, or aerospace issues.

Business & Commerce

Relating to a study by the Texas Education Agency regarding standardizing building designs for public schools.

Education K-16

Relating to the effect of the model subdivision rules on an exception to county platting requirements applicable to the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality.

Local Government

Relating to the designation of a portion of Farm to Market Road 70 in Nueces County as the Los Robles Trail.

Transportation

Relating to the creation of the School Violence Victims' Compensation Fund

State Affairs

Relating to prohibiting 3D-printed firearms; creating an offense.

State Affairs

Relating to gun storage; creating an offense.

State Affairs

Relating to the authority of a county to dispose of surplus and salvage property to a civic or charitable organization.

Local Government

Relating to the provision of solid waste disposal services by certain counties; authorizing a fee; creating a criminal offense.

Local Government

Relating to an exemption from the franchise tax for certain qualified space companies.

Finance

Relating to measures to support the enrollment of students with a nontraditional secondary education at public institutions of higher education, including eligibility for certain student financial assistance programs.

Education K-16

Relating to the terminology used in statute to refer to the partially landlocked body of water on the southeastern periphery of the North American continent.

State Affairs

Relating to the eligibility of the National Rifle Association's Annual Meetings and Exhibits or another annual event of the National Rifle Association for funding under the major events reimbursement program.

Economic Development

Relating to the rulemaking power of the Texas Supreme Court.

State Affairs

Relating to production fees imposed by the Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District; authorizing an increase in the rate of the fee.

Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Relating to the transfer of the licensing and regulation of charitable bingo to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation.

State Affairs

Relating to parental leave policies for certain public school classroom teachers.

Education K-16

Relating to the establishment of a rapid DNA analysis pilot program in certain counties.

Criminal Justice

Relating to certain statutory changes to reflect and address same-sex marriages and parenting relationships and to the removal of provisions regarding the criminality or unacceptability of homosexual conduct.

State Affairs

Relating to the establishment of the office of community violence intervention and prevention within the Department of State Health Services and a grant program for violence intervention and prevention services.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the Social Work Licensure Compact; authorizing fees.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the protection and detention of a juvenile who engages in delinquent conduct or commits a felony offense while committed to the custody of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; changing the eligibility for community supervision; redefining habitual felony conduct.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the participation of certain juvenile justice entities in the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program.

Economic Development

Relating to the registration and inspection of vehicles.

Transportation

Relating to the recovery of damages for injuries arising out of certain uses of force or deadly force.

Criminal Justice

Relating to a franchise tax exemption for corporations operating a spaceport for certain national defense purposes.

Finance

Relating to the prescribing and ordering of Schedule II controlled substances in a narcotic drug treatment program by certain advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the composition of the board of the Calhoun Port Authority.

Transportation

Relating to status of certain documents or instruments purporting to convey title to or an interest in real property.

Jurisprudence

Relating to the regulation of real estate appraisers and appraisal management companies.

Business & Commerce

Relating to a convenience fee for processing electronic payments for motor vehicles.

Business & Commerce

Relating to service retirement benefits payable by the Employees Retirement System of Texas to certain law enforcement officers and custodial officers.

Finance

Relating to the resumption of service by certain judicial officers under the Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan Two.

Finance

Relating to use and operation of the childcare protection and enhancement fund.

Finance

Relating to the protection of critical components of the electric grid from damage from electromagnetic threats.

Business & Commerce

Relating to measures to prevent espionage and intellectual property theft at public institutions of higher education.

Education K-16

Relating to required instruction in the Success Sequence for students in public schools.

Education K-16

Relating to the creation of the office of inspector general for education at the Texas Education Agency to investigate the administration of public education and required reporting on misconduct by employees of certain educational entities; creating a criminal offense; increasing an administrative penalty; authorizing an administrative penalty.

Education K-16

Relating to the designation of Farm-to-Market Road 3535 in Camp County as the Camp County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway.

Transportation

Relating to the name, rights, powers, and privileges of the Cedar Port Navigation and Improvement District.

Transportation

Relating to the relocation or removal of dredged spoils or materials by a navigation district.

Transportation

Relating to coverage for screening mammograms, diagnostic imaging, and supplemental breast examinations under certain health benefit plans.

Health & Human Services

Relating to notice for certain defendants regarding the unlawful possession or acquisition of a firearm or ammunition and a related affidavit of firearm dispossession.

State Affairs

Relating to the confidentiality of certain information for employees of a county, a court, or the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System and the employees' family members.

Business & Commerce

Relating to instructional facilities funding for certain open-enrollment charter schools.

Education K-16

Relating to the definition of licensing authority as it relates to the collection of certain licensing information about certain day-care employees.

Health & Human Services

Relating to status offenses committed by a child, including the repeal of the status offense of a child voluntarily running away from home.

Criminal Justice

Relating to requiring contracts with Medicaid managed care organizations to permit the organizations to offer certain mental health or substance use services or food and nutrition assistance services in lieu of other state Medicaid plan services.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the authority of a taxing unit to enter into an agreement to exempt from ad valorem taxation a portion of the value of property on which a renewable energy facility is located or is planned to be located.

Economic Development

Relating to the facility or location at which public school prekindergarten classes may be provided in partnership with a private entity.

Education K-16

Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to use certain tax revenue for hotel and convention center projects and other qualified projects.

Economic Development

Relating to the operation of rock crushing facilities.

Natural Resources

Relating to the operation of a cement kiln and the production of aggregates near a semiconductor wafer manufacturing facility.

Natural Resources

Relating to the declaration of an oil or gas emergency by the Railroad Commission of Texas and the liability of a person for assistance, advice, or resources provided in relation to an oil or gas emergency.

Natural Resources

Relating to guardianships for persons who are incapacitated; changing a fee.

Jurisprudence

Relating to the collection of certain incident-based data reported to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

Criminal Justice

Relating to geothermal energy conservation wells.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the production and ownership of brine.

Natural Resources

Relating to accountability interventions for certain school districts with low-performing campuses.

Education K-16

Relating to the creation of a task force to evaluate the housing needs of senior citizens who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning.

Health & Human Services

Relating to a study by the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies nursing advisory committee on school nurse staffing.

Education K-16

Relating to the employment of full-time registered nurses at public schools.

Education K-16

Relating to a health impact assessment for certain transportation projects of the Texas Department of Transportation.

Transportation

Relating to the use of state money for high-speed rail operated by a private entity and to the construction of certain high-speed rail.

Finance

Relating to the accommodation of pedestrians, bicyclists, persons with disabilities, children, senior citizens, users of public transportation, movers of commercial goods, and motorists on streets and highways.

Transportation

Relating to compliance of certain aeronautics structures with federal law.

Transportation

Relating to the designation of a portion of Farm-to-Market Road 2360 in Starr County as the Jose Maria Longoria Sr. Memorial Highway.

Transportation

Relating to the enforcement of municipal rules, ordinances, or police regulations prohibiting illegal dumping; increasing a penalty.

Local Government

Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for certain acts of official oppression.

Criminal Justice

Relating to processes to ensure continuity of care and services for certain offenders.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the payment of certain fines and costs by a defendant.

Criminal Justice

Relating to a prohibition on payments for certain group home referrals; creating a criminal offense.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the use of telemedicine services in the juvenile justice system.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the issuance of a transcript by a public institution of higher education to a student who fails to pay certain student fees.

Education K-16

Relating to a franchise tax credit for taxable entities that provide child care.

Finance

Relating to the maintenance of criminal history record information for group home applicants and employees; creating a criminal offense.

Health & Human Services

Relating to a prohibition on the crushing of contaminated concrete by certain concrete crushing facilities.

Natural Resources

Relating to notice provided by a health care provider before initiating debt collection against a patient.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the confinement in a county jail of certain defendants who are incompetent to stand trial and to the compensation to the county for the costs of that confinement and of the provision of jail-based competency restoration services.

Finance

Relating to public higher education.

Education K-16

Relating to the licensing of certain military veterans as health care providers.

Health & Human Services

Relating to establishing a grant program to equip motor vehicles used by peace officers with certain bullet-resistant components.

Criminal Justice

Relating to electric service quality and reliability.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the composition of the Comal County Juvenile Board.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the effects of unresponsive insureds for a personal automobile insurance policy.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the emergency possession of certain abandoned children by designated emergency infant care providers and the termination of parental rights to those children.

Health & Human Services

Relating to an annual report by the comptroller of public accounts on certain issues regarding the employment of veterans in this state.

Veteran Affairs

Relating to interlocutory appeal from certain orders by a political subdivision or an officer or employee of a political subdivision.

Jurisprudence

Relating to the process for filling a vacancy on the board of trustees of an independent school district.

Education K-16

Relating to statutory construction.

Business & Commerce

Relating to a prohibition against the consideration of race or ethnicity as a factor when appointing the members of a state board, commission, or other state agency with statewide jurisdiction.

State Affairs

Relating to the resident status, tuition rates, and certain financial support for students enrolled at public institutions of higher education, including students not lawfully present in the United States.

Education K-16

Relating to revision or elimination of the motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program.

Natural Resources

Relating to creating the criminal offense of abandoning a resident of an assisted living facility during a declared state of disaster or local state of disaster.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the composition, duties, and personnel of the Moore County Juvenile Board.

Criminal Justice

Relating to a landlord's duty to repair or remedy certain conditions.

Business & Commerce

Relating to a franchise tax credit for taxable entities that subsidize child-care costs of the entities' employees.

Finance

Relating to restitution and compensation paid to victims of certain offenses for tattoo removal related to the offense.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the administration of and procedures relating to early voting by personal appearance.

State Affairs

Relating to the inspection, purchase, sale, possession, storage, transportation, and disposal of petroleum products, oil and gas equipment, and oil and gas waste; creating criminal offenses and increasing the punishment for an existing criminal offense.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the confidentiality of certain personal information of an applicant for or a person protected by a protective order.

State Affairs

Relating to the dissolution of the Rose City Municipal Utility District.

Local Government

Relating to the creation of the offense of fraudulent use or possession of a gift card or gift card redemption information.

Criminal Justice

Relating to annual statistical reports for fixing title insurance premium rates.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the use of extrapolation by a health maintenance organization or an insurer to audit claims.

Health & Human Services

Relating to prior authorization for prescription drug benefits related to the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the delegation of certain authority of a county judge in certain counties.

Local Government

Relating to creation and maintenance of an electronic database to provide information to certain members of the United States armed forces regarding the resources and benefits provided to veterans.

Veteran Affairs

Relating to the transition of the nurse aide certification program from the Health and Human Services Commission to the Texas Board of Nursing and the creation of a workgroup on nursing career pathways.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the titling, registration, and operation of a miniature vehicle.

Transportation

Relating to the compensation and professional representation of prospective student athletes and student athletes participating in intercollegiate athletic programs at certain institutions of higher education.

Education K-16

Relating to the issuance of a provisional license to certain military service members, military veterans, and military spouses to engage in a business or occupation in this state.

Veteran Affairs

Relating to the assessment of public school students in social studies in grade five.

Education K-16

Relating to certain disclosures and other requirements and prohibited conduct relating to the sale of tickets for concerts and other events.

Business & Commerce

Relating to notice of the health of children attending a child-care facility.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the use of artificial intelligence-based algorithms in utilization review conducted for certain health benefit plans.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the replacement transactions of certain life insurance and annuity contracts from an insurer to a replacing insurer.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the removal of battery energy storage facilities.

Business & Commerce

Relating to fire safety standards and emergency operations plans for the operation of battery energy storage.

Business & Commerce

Relating to career and technology education programs in public schools and the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) program, including funding for those programs under the Foundation School Program, and to the new instructional facility allotment and the permissible uses of funding under the Foundation School Program.

Education K-16

Relating to investigational stem cell treatment.

Health & Human Services

Relating to human trafficking prevention, including training for medical assistants, disclosure of human trafficking information by certain health care facilities, and protection for facility employees who report human trafficking.

Health & Human Services

Relating to human trafficking prevention, including training for first responders, disclosure of human trafficking information by certain health care facilities, and protection for facility employees who report human trafficking.

Health & Human Services

Relating to regulating parental reunification therapy in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship.

State Affairs

Relating to the duties of the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee and the collection, maintenance, and disclosure of maternal health records regarding voluntary termination of pregnancy.

Health & Human Services

Relating to providing for an election by the parent of a student who was victimized by a public school employee to transfer the student to another public school campus or receive funding for the student to attend private school.

Education K-16

Relating to the use of a social media platform in furtherance of an offense involving the delivery of a controlled substance; increasing criminal penalties.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the adoption of the revised Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children by the State of Texas; making conforming changes.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the maximum number of nonresident scholarship students permitted to pay resident tuition and fees at certain public institutions of higher education.

Education K-16

Relating to the evaluation of applications for certain financial assistance administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

Local Government

Relating to interim rates charged by electric utilities during a rate suspension period.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the appointment of attorneys ad litem and the compensation of certain attorneys ad litem in suits affecting the parent-child relationship filed by a governmental entity.

Jurisprudence

Relating to the delivery of a will in probate proceedings transferred to other courts.

Jurisprudence

Relating to the disciplinary and investigatory powers of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

State Affairs

Relating to the confidentiality of certain information collected by certain local governments and airport governing boards.

Transportation

Relating to authorizing a credit union to act as a school district depository.

Education K-16

Relating to the audiology and speech-language pathology interstate compact; authorizing fees.

Business & Commerce

Relating to disannexation of certain areas of a municipality for failure to provide services.

Local Government

Relating to the registration as a lobbyist of persons who engage in certain lobbying activities on behalf of a foreign adversary and to prohibitions on the receipt of compensation related to those lobbying activities; providing a civil penalty.

State Affairs

Relating to money awarded to providers of women's health services and family planning services, including the repeal of prohibitions on the provision of those services.

Health & Human Services

Relating to prohibiting contracts or other agreements with certain foreign-owned companies in connection with critical infrastructure in this state and the use of certain technology purchased or leased from those companies.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the disclosure of confidential juvenile records to a managed assigned counsel program.

Criminal Justice

Relating to repayment of certain mental health professional education loans.

Education K-16

Relating to data collection of truancy case outcomes.

Criminal Justice

Relating to space flight activities.

Natural Resources

Relating to the closure of beaches for space flight activities; creating a criminal offense.

Natural Resources

Relating to the establishment and powers and duties of the Texas Advisory Committee on Geopolitical Conflict.

State Affairs

Relating to the administration of, contributions to, and benefits under retirement systems for firefighters in certain municipalities.

Finance