Table of Contents
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.
Bill Filing Deadline Passes
Friday, March 14, was the 60th day of the legislative session. With some limited exceptions, this milestone marked the deadline for lawmakers to file bills. On March 14 alone, lawmakers filed 849 bills and joint resolutions, bringing the total number of filings for the session to nearly 8,900. This appears to be the most bills ever introduced in a regular session of the Texas Legislature, and over 550 more than the previous session in 2023. Due to the limited amount of time in a session, it’s unclear whether having more bills filed will result in more bills being passed into law.
Private School Vouchers
On Tuesday, March 11, the House Committee on Public Education considered House Bill (HB) 3 by Rep. Brad Buckley, which would establish a system to provide families with public dollars to pay for education in private schools. Historically, disability advocates have voiced strong concerns over such a system due to issues such as discrimination, segregation, accountability, and the loss of legal rights. Testimony on the bill went well into the early morning, with representatives from the Arc of Texas and Texas Advocates providing remarks after 3:30 a.m. Central time (CT).
Lawmakers on the House committee left HB 3 pending following testimony on the bill. But HB 3 is widely expected to be voted out of the committee in the near future and advance to debate on the House floor. The Senate has already passed similar legislation, Senate Bill (SB) 2 by Sen. Brandon Creighton, which now awaits consideration in the House.
We’ve created a one-pager, “Private School Vouchers and Students with Disabilities” (PDF), that details potential impacts of private school vouchers on students with disabilities and shares recommendations on addressing the disability community’s concerns. You can share this resource with your elected representatives and your personal network.
Texas Legislative Halftime Update
As we near the halfway point of the legislative session, please join us from 1-2 p.m. CT on Monday, March 24, for an informational session titled “The Texas Legislative Halftime Update.” The event will feature TCDD staff and will be moderated by TCDD Public Policy Director Scott Daigle.
During the event, TCDD staff will:
- provide an overview of disability-related bills lawmakers are considering during the legislative session;
- highlight the top legislative priorities for the Texas disability community;
- suggest opportunities and resources on how to get involved in advocating on those disability priorities; and
- answer questions about the legislative session.
The event will take place on Zoom. Please register ahead of time to attend.
Five Hearings To Watch
The following section includes a sample of the 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. Visit the Capitol website for a full list of upcoming hearings.
The House Committee on Human Services held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday morning, March 18. The committee discussed a variety of bills, including:
- HB 645 by Rep. Mary González, relating to the provision of certain co-navigation services to people who are deaf-blind. This was a recent TCDD Bill of the Week.
- HB 1041 by Rep. Chris Turner, relating to the insurable interest of certain people providing care to individuals with disabilities in the lives of those individuals.
- House Concurrent Resolution 12 by Rep. Terri Leo Wilson, designating September as Deaf Awareness Month for a 10-year period ending in 2035.
The House Committee on Public Education held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday morning, March 18. The committee heard testimony on a variety of bills, including:
- HB 6 by Rep. Jeff Leach, relating to discipline in public schools.
The House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence will hold a hearing (PDF) on Wednesday morning, March 19. The committee will hear public testimony on a variety of bills, including:
- House Joint Resolution 112 by Rep. James Frank, proposing a constitutional amendment to protect parents’ rights in raising their children.
The House Committee on Transportation will hold a hearing (PDF) on Thursday morning, March 20. The committee will hear testimony on a variety of bills, including:
- HB 1136 by Rep. Erin Gámez, relating to a study by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles regarding parking for people with disabilities.
The House Committee on Elections will hold a hearing (PDF) on Thursday morning, March 20. The committee will hear testimony on a variety of bills, including:
- HB 521 by Rep. Ryan Guillen, relating to accommodating voters with disabilities.
Recent Bill Filings
The final week leading up to the session’s filing deadline saw the introduction of nearly 3,000 additional bills. We’re still working through all of them! Recently filed proposals involving disability issues include:
- HB 4345 by Rep. Aicha Davis, relating to an exemption from certain requirements regarding diversity, equity, or inclusion initiatives for certain activities for veterans or people with disabilities provided by public institutions of higher education as well as the reporting regarding those activities.
- HB 4383 by Rep. Lacey Hull, relating to assessment instruments and information regarding assessment-instrument accommodations for students with disabilities.
- HB 4509 by Rep. Harold Dutton, relating to court-ordered financial support by parents of an adult with a medically determinable disability.
- HB 4563 by Rep. Lulu Flores, relating to allowing a therapy dog or facility dog to accompany a child or a person with a disability during testimony in certain criminal cases.
- HB 4754 by Rep. Ray Lopez, relating to access to universal changing facilities in places of public accommodation and public buildings.
- HB 4758 by Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, relating to a public school policy to allow a student with a disability to be accompanied by a handler of the student’s service animal.
- HB 4886 by Rep. Mike Olcott, relating to reporting on students not lawfully present in the U.S. and enrolled in a public school.
- HB 4947 by Rep. Chris Turner, relating to the banned provision of certain residential caregiver services by people with certain criminal convictions.
- SB 2213 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, relating to procedures regarding certain people with mental health diagnoses or developmental disabilities.
- SB 2264 by Sen. Molly Cook, relating to the collection and reporting of information regarding mental health jail diversion.
- SB 2326 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, relating to access to universal changing facilities in places of public accommodation and public buildings.
- SB 2397 by Sen. Charles Perry, relating to the establishment of the task force on disability policy.
- SB 2526 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, relating to the eligibility of children enrolled in a special education program for free pre-kindergarten programs in public schools.
- SB 2612 by Sen. Royce West, relating to the revision of the essential knowledge and skills of the public school social studies curricula to include instruction relating to the history of people with disabilities.
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.
