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.
House and Senate Advance Disability-Related Bills
Last week, the Texas House passed a variety of notable bills, including the following legislation that now heads to the Senate for consideration:
- House Bill (HB) 1813 by Rep. John Bucy III, relating to parents’ rights to information about special education programs in public schools and requirements for special education representatives and hearing officers at impartial due process hearings.
- HB 2967 by Rep. Harold Dutton, relating to vision screenings for students in public or private schools, including the reporting of vision-screening information from public school students and the creation of a vision-care allotment under the Foundation School Program.
The House also passed three bills that have been featured as TCDD Bills of the Week:
- HB 1936 by Rep. David Cook, relating to citations for unauthorized parking in spaces designated for people with disabilities.
- HB 2310 by Rep. Claudia Ordaz, relating to the development of a strategic plan to improve and expand early learning and educational opportunities for young children with disabilities.
- HB 3947 by Rep. Yvonne Davis, relating to transportation planning by metropolitan planning organizations.
The Senate passed the following notable bills, which now head to the governor for signature into law:
- HB 2081 by Rep. John Bucy III, establishing the Building Better Futures Program to support educational and occupational training and support services for students with DD at public and private institutions of higher education. This bill was previously featured as a TCDD Bill of the Week.
- HB 3096 by Rep. Charles Cunningham, designating March 17 as Profound Autism Awareness Day.
Here are some bills of note on the House floor this week:
- HB 813 by Rep. Philip Cortez, relating to health benefit coverage for autism-related care.
- HB 2929 by Rep. Mano DeAyala, relating to training for law enforcement on interacting with people with autism.
- HB 5465 by Rep. Joe Moody, relating to procedures regarding people with developmental disabilities (DD) or mental health conditions.
For complete lists of bills being considered each day, go to the House and Senate calendars on the Capitol website.
Four 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 Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence held a hearing (PDF) on Monday morning, May 12. The committee heard testimony on a variety of bills, including:
- Senate Bill (SB) 53 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, relating to certain notice and filing requirements in court proceedings involving people with mental health conditions.
- SB 1164 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, relating to emergency detention of people who may have mental health needs and to court-ordered inpatient and extended mental health services.
- SB 1574 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, relating to a centers of excellence program developed by the Texas Judicial Council for certain justices and judges.
The House Committee on Public Education held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday morning, May 13. The committee heard testimony on a variety of bills, including:
- SB 12 by Sen. Brandon Creighton, relating to parental rights in public education; to certain public school requirements and bans regarding instruction and diversity, equity, and inclusion duties; and to student clubs at public schools.
The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday afternoon, May 13. The committee heard testimony on a variety of bills, including:
- HB 138 by Rep. Jay Dean, establishing the Health Impact, Cost, and Coverage Analysis Program.
- HB 2510 by Rep. Chris Turner, relating to assisted-living facility operations and services provided without a license to assisted-living facility residents.
- HB 3560 by Rep. Katrina Pierson, relating to the licensing of mental hospitals and mental health facilities and the definition of “facility” for the employee misconduct registry.
- HB 4643 by Rep. Mark Dorazio, relating to criminal-record access for providers and provider applicants under Medicaid and other public-benefit programs administered by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
The House Committee on Trade, Workforce, and Economic Development will hold a hearing (PDF) on Wednesday morning, May 14. The committee will hear testimony on a variety of bills, including:
- SB 1228 by Sen. Bryan Hughes, related to continuing the Task Force on Consolidation of Workforce and Social Services.
- SB 1802 by Sen. Carol Alvarado, relating to a landlords’ duties to repair or remedy certain conditions.
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.
