Bill of the Week: End-of-Session Wrap-Up

For this weekly feature, the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities (TCDD) profiles a noteworthy bill going through the legislative process. The bill may relate directly to TCDD’s Public Policy Priorities or another disability-related issue. 

The 89th regular session of the Texas Legislature adjourned Monday, June 2. Over the course of the session’s 20 weeks, the TCDD Bill of the Week featured 19 separate pieces of legislation. Here is a final update on the status of each bill now that lawmakers have completed their business.

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We’ve created a one-pager (PDF) summarizing the TCDD Bills of the Week that have been sent to the governor. This document, which also includes a link to a survey on our session resources, can be shared with your elected representative and personal network.

Bills Signed into Law

The following bills were passed by the Legislature and have been signed into law by the governor. They each took effect immediately, except where indicated.

• House Bill (HB) 1041, by Rep. Chris Turner, prohibits paid caregivers from serving as beneficiaries of life insurance policies for individuals under their care. Its Senate sponsor was Sen. Judith Zaffirini.
• HB 1188, by Rep. Christian Manuel, requires school districts to refer students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to their local IDD authority. Its Senate sponsor was Sen. Judith Zaffirini.
• HB 2081, by Rep. John Bucy III, establishes the Building Better Futures Program for students with IDD. Its Senate sponsor was Sen. José Menéndez.
• Senate Bill (SB) 769, by Sen. José Menéndez, requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to issue a report on the enrollment and success of students with disabilities in higher education. Its House sponsor was Rep. Mary González. SB 769 takes effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

Bills Sent to the Governor

The following bills have been passed by the Legislature and sent to Gov. Greg Abbott. He has until Sunday, June 22, to take action on each bill by signing them into law, letting them pass into law without his signature, or preventing them from taking effect by issuing a veto.

• HB 2310, by Rep. Claudia Ordaz, will require the development of a four-year strategic plan to improve access to child care and early childhood education for children with disabilities. Its Senate sponsor was Sen. Tan Parker.
• SB 57, by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, will ensure that public schools have safety plans and accommodations in place for students with disabilities during safety drills, disasters, or emergencies. Its House sponsor was Rep. Mary González.
• SB 66, by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, will require a study on authorizing supported decision-making agreements to include assistance in legal proceedings. Its House sponsor was Rep. Jeff Leach.
• SB 568, by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, will restructure funding for special education programs in public schools. Its House sponsor was Rep. Brad Buckley.
• SB 1952, by Sen. Angela Paxton, will designate the Health and Human Services Commission as the sole administrator of the School Health and Related Services (SHARS) program in Texas. Its House sponsor was Rep. Lacey Hull.

House Bills Held Up in the Senate

Not every Bill of the Week made it through the Legislature. The following bills passed out of the Texas House but were not considered by the full Texas Senate.

• HB 175, by Rep. Mary González, would have established optional certifications and a grant program for child care providers serving children with disabilities. It was not referred to committee in the Senate. 
• HB 645, by Rep. Mary González, would have required the implementation of a statewide program to provide certain co-navigation services to deaf-blind individuals. Neither HB 645 nor its Senate companion, SB 1653 by Sen. Bryan Hughes, were given a hearing by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
• HB 1936, by Rep. David Cook, would have strengthened the enforcement of accessible parking violations. It was not given a hearing by the Senate Transportation Committee.
• HB 2807, by Rep. Toni Rose, would have established a statewide coordinating council for IDD services. It was not given a hearing by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
• HB 3947, by Rep. Yvonne Davis, would have required metropolitan planning organizations to consider the transportation needs of people with disabilities when developing their 10-year plans. It was not referred to committee in the Senate.

Bills Held Up in the House

The following bills failed to pass out of the Texas House.

• HB 1063, by Rep. Salman Bhojani, would have authorized local governments to create tenant legal service offices to assist low-income and disabled tenants. After receiving a hearing before the House Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, it was left pending with no further action taken.
• HB 1941, by Rep. Liz Campos, would have established peer support services for individuals with IDD as a billable service under Medicaid. After receiving a hearing before the House Human Services Committee, it was left pending with no further action taken.
• HB 2292, by Rep. Alma Allen, would have prohibited the practice of school-initiated undocumented early pickups. It did not receive a hearing by the House Public Education Committee.
• HB 3834, by Rep. Joe Moody, would have strengthened support for the reentry and reintegration of offenders with intellectual disabilities. After receiving a hearing before the House Corrections Committee, it was left pending, and no further action was taken. Its Senate companion, SB 828 by Sen. Tan Parker, failed to receive a hearing by the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.
• SB 1447, by Sen. José Menéndez, would have directed the Texas Education Agency to adopt standards relating to the use of assistive technology for individualized special education programs and 504 plans. It was placed on the House calendar for consideration, but was not brought up before the deadline to hear bills. Its House sponsor was Rep. Diego Bernal.

Bill of the Week Tracker