Texas Legislative News: April 29, 2025

Welcome to the latest edition of Texas Legislative News for the 89th Texas Legislature. In this regular feature, we provide information on disability-related issues and bills under consideration at the State Capitol. We also explain how lawmakers conduct business, and we share details on upcoming TCDD events.

Disability-Related Bills Advance

Last week, the Texas House passed a variety of notable bills, including House Bill (HB) 1188 by Rep. Christian Manuel, which passed on Thursday, April 24. This bill, previously featured as a TCDD Bill of the Week, would require school districts to provide information on local intellectual and developmental disability authorities to special education students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). HB 1188 awaits referral to a Senate committee.

The House also passed HB 1041 by Rep. Chris Turner, which was another previous TCDD Bill of the Week. The bill would ban paid caregivers from serving as beneficiaries of life insurance policies for people under their care. HB 1041 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, where it awaits a public hearing.

Additionally, the House passed House Joint Resolution (HJR) 72 by Rep. Candy Noble, which would provide a property tax exemption to a person who owns a home used as the primary residence for an adult with IDD. The resolution now heads to the Senate for consideration. If passed by the Senate, HJR 72 will be put on the November 2025 ballot as a constitutional amendment for Texas voters to decide.

Here are some bills of note on the House floor this week:

• HB 271 by Rep. Mary González, relating to a report by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on enrollment and success in higher education for students with disabilities. Its Senate companion, SB 769, was featured as a TCDD Bill of the Week.
• HB 1136 by Rep. Erin Gámez, relating to a study by the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities on parking for people with disabilities.
• HB 2081 by Rep. John Bucy III, creating the Building Better Futures Program to support educational and occupational skills training and support services for students with IDD at public and private institutions of higher education. HB 2081 was featured as a TCDD Bill of the Week.
• HB 2295 by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, relating to newborn screening tests for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
• HB 2542 by Rep. Stan Kitzman, creating a work group to make recommendations on services needed by people with IDD.
• HB 2756 by Rep. Senfronia Thompson, relating to training on de-escalation, crisis intervention, and behavioral health for correctional officers and employees of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
• HB 2807 by Rep. Toni Rose, relating to the statewide intellectual and developmental disability coordinating council. This was featured as a TCDD Bill of the Week.
• HB 3096 by Rep. Charles Cunningham, relating to designating March 17 as Profound Autism Awareness Day.
• House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 12 by Rep. Terri Leo Wilson, designating September as Deaf Awareness Month for a 10-year period ending in 2035.  
    

The following bill of note is scheduled for consideration on the Senate floor this week:

• SB 2693 by Sen. Charles Perry, relating to the role of advocacy and support groups in the juvenile justice system.  
    

For complete lists of bills under consideration, go to the House and Senate calendars on the Capitol website.

Legislative Deadlines Approach

With the regular session entering its final five weeks, lawmakers will soon face a number of bill deadlines. For instance, May 12 is the final date for House committees to report House bills out for referral to the Calendars Committee. May 15 is the last day for the full House to consider bills on second reading with the exception of local and consent bills that have separate cutoff dates. As these deadlines approach, the session’s focus tends to shift from committee hearings to debates on the House and Senate floors.

For more information, see the deadline calendar (PDF) prepared by the Texas Legislative Council.

Five Hearings To Watch

The following section includes a sample of legislative hearings we’re monitoring this week. During these hearings, legislative committees may consider important disability-related issues. You can find live and archived broadcasts of committee hearings on the House and Senate websites. A full list of upcoming hearings can be found on the Capitol website.

The House Committee on Public Health held a hearing (PDF) on Monday morning, April 28. The committee discussed a variety of bills, including:

• HB 1656 by Rep. Donna Howard, relating to emergency detention by a paramedic of certain people with mental health conditions for preliminary examinations at mental health facilities.
• HB 3554 by Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons, creating the Texas Rare Disease Advisory Council.
• HB 4420 by Rep. Toni Rose, relating to the collection of information on available beds at inpatient mental health facilities providing acute psychiatric treatment.  
    

The House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday morning, April 29. The committee heard testimony on a variety of bills, including:

• HB 5465 by Rep. Joe Moody, relating to procedures regarding certain people with IDD or mental health conditions.  
    

The Senate Committee on Education K-16 held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday morning, April 29. The committee heard testimony on a variety of bills, including:

• SB 111 by Sen. Bob Hall, relating to transparency in special education legal proceedings involving a school district and a limit on legal fees a school district can spend in special education legal proceedings.
• SB 2751 by Sen. Angela Paxton, relating to the inspection of residential and day placement facilities for special education students.  
    

The House Committee on Elections will hold a hearing (PDF) on Wednesday morning, April 30. The committee will hear testimony on a variety of bills, including:

• HB 2139 by Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons, relating to voting by voters unable to enter polling places.
• HB 4171 by Rep. Mark Dorazio, relating to accommodating voters with disabilities.
• SB 760 by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, relating to applications for mail-in ballots submitted by residents of assisted-living facilities, nursing facilities, or intermediate care facilities.  
    

The House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs will hold a hearing (PDF) on Wednesday morning, April 30. The committee will hear testimony on a variety of bills, including:

• HB 2929 by Rep. Mano DeAyala, relating to training for peace officers on interacting with people with autism spectrum disorder.

Stay Informed

Throughout the 89th Texas legislative session, you can stay up to date on how lawmakers address disability issues by following us on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You can also check out our Policy section to learn more about our legislative engagement and find resources to support your own advocacy.