Table of Contents
Welcome to the first 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.
Election Wrap-Up
Like the rest of the nation, Texas held its general election on Tuesday, Nov. 5. On the ballot were federal, local, and state offices, including all 150 seats in the Texas House and 15 seats in the 31-member Texas Senate. Despite sizeable shifts in the electorate, only three state legislative seats saw changes to their party affiliation after ballots were counted. Those seats included two House districts whose incumbent members chose not to run for reelection and one Senate district where the incumbent lost in the general election.
Going into the next session, Republicans maintain control of the Legislature. Compared to the last session, Republicans gained a single seat in the Texas Senate, bringing them to a 20-11 majority. They also bolstered their majority by two seats in the House, leaving that chamber with an 88-62 split.
An Abundance of New Members
While the next Legislature marks only a minor change in party breakdown, there is still a significant number of first-time members. Retirements and a larger-than-usual number of primary defeats have brought 34 brand new members to the Capitol. Additionally, one state senator took office after the last legislative session.
All new members need to be brought up to speed on numerous topics, so TCDD as well as other organizations and advocates will work hard to educate them on issues impacting the disability community. If you’re represented by one of these incoming members, we encourage you to join our efforts! Visit our Legislative Advocacy Resources page to find advocacy tools and tips.
Bill Filing Underway
Tuesday, Nov. 12, was the first day for lawmakers to file bills for the upcoming session — a process known as “pre-filing” — and the number of filings ran up quickly. Lawmakers filed nearly 1,500 pieces of legislation on the first day and an additional 400 bills after the first day. To put that into perspective, lawmakers filed just over 8,000 bills in the last legislative session. Only about 1,155 bills were pre-filed by this point in the last session.
Pre-filed bills are generally proposals filed last session that didn’t pass. Pre-filings also include “messaging” bills meant to capitalize on current hot topics as well as bills focused on lawmakers’ priorities. Pre-filing a bill can help a lawmaker demonstrate their goals for the session to voters and constituents; get early promotion of the bill to drum up support; and bid for an early hearing on the bill once the Legislature announces committees in January or February.
Several pre-filed bills involve disability issues, including the following:
- House Bill (HB) 174, by Rep. Mary González, relating to the regulation of child-care facilities and registered family homes, including services to children with disabilities.
- HB 412, by Rep. Ray Lopez, relating to health benefit plan coverage for early childhood intervention services.
- HB 836, by Rep. Suleman Lalani, relating to establishing a minimum base wage for personal attendants under Medicaid and other programs administered by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
- HB 1188, by Rep. Christian Manuel, relating to the referral of students receiving special education services to a local intellectual and developmental disability authority for services or public benefits.
- Senate Bill (SB) 57, by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, relating to provisions and plans by public schools to ensure the safety of students with disabilities during mandatory school drills, disasters, or emergency situations.
- SB 159 by Sen. José Menéndez, relating to an education and training program for public transportation vehicle operators on how to support and interact with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
TCDD staff will review all bills under consideration by lawmakers, and we’ll highlight some of them in future updates. Please stay tuned!
Policy Priority Roundtable
We’re conducting a series of online roundtable conversations on our Public Policy Priorities. Each conversation focuses on one TCDD policy priority. The events help us gather input to share during the upcoming session. Our final two roundtable conversations happen this week:
- Health and Safety: Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2-3 p.m. Central time (CT) | Register Online
- Attendant Wages and Training: Thursday, Dec. 5, 2-3 p.m. CT | Register Online
Stay Informed
Throughout the 89th Texas legislative session, you can stay up to date on how lawmakers address disability issues by signing up for our newsletter and 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.
