SD 11 SREC: District 129 Session Newsletter

The past few weeks have been a flurry of activity at your Texas Capitol. This Thursday marked the deadline for the Texas House of Representatives to pass House Bills.

I’m proud to share that the House has passed a total of 11 of my bills. This week alone, the Texas House passed two more of my bills:

House Bill 3388, relating to group property and casualty insurance policies, and
House Bill 4413, which addresses the use of mass balance attribution for renewable biomass feedstocks in the production of renewable chemicals.

In the 89th session, I filed 42 bills on a wide range of issues that impact Texans. Below, you’ll find a list of the bills that have passed, along with a brief description of each.

Last Friday, your Texas House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 17, and on Tuesday, they advanced House Bill 4. More details on both measures are provided below.

Next week the following House committee hearings are scheduled:

House Committee on Transportation: Monday at 8:00 AM
House Committee on Insurance: Wednesday at 8:00 AM

Please click HERE to view committee notices and access links to watch the meetings online.

For more information about the legislative session, please continue reading or feel free to contact my staff with any questions.

It is an honor to serve you in the Texas House of Representatives.

All My House Bills Passed on the Floor:

House Bill 1089 establishes the Gulf Coast Protection Account, managed by the General Land Office, to fund the construction of the Coastal Barrier Project across Galveston Bay. This proactive investment in coastal protection could save Texas billions in the years to come.

House Bill 1552 updates Texas statute to remove the outdated term "child pornography" and replace it with "child sexual abuse material", or CSAM. CSAM calls this horrific material what it truly is, abusive videos or imagery that harm children. This important issue was brought to my attention by an engaged constituent of District 129.

House Bill 2067 will equip Texans with the reason why their applicant for a policy was denied, their coverage was canceled, and/or why their policy was non-renewed. The bill ensures that consumers receive clear, timely information to better address their insurance situations.

House Bill 2970 will protect safe, two-way shipping on the Houston ship channel.

House Bill 3041 will provide equal opportunity for home school students looking to apply for Texas universities, Texas grants, and dual credit courses. It will permit students from non-traditional backgrounds to utilize the '10% automatic admissions' process.

House Bill 3255 permits the authority of a development corporation created by the Gulf Coast Authority to finance certain projects.

House Bill 3388 relates to group property and casualty insurance policies. This bill will allow churches, homeowners associations, and other organizations to access group insurance coverage, helping them reduce overall insurance costs.

House Bill 3960 relates to effects of certain misrepresentations on life insurance policies.

House Bill 4413 relates to mass balance attribution of renewable biomass feedstocks used to produce renewable chemicals.

House Bill 4706 relates to the applicability of certain pedestrian laws to certain sidewalk users. It extends pedestrian protections to individuals using electric scooters, skateboards, and other similar small devices on sidewalks.

House Bill 4877 relates to the Texas Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association.

For further updates on the status of my legislation, please click HERE.

Updates on my Legislation in Committee:

Last week in the DOGE committee, I laid out House Concurrent Resolution 141. HCR 141 urges Congress to move NASA's headquarters to Houston! In 2028 NASA will have the opportunity to move its leadership to a new site, and Houston-area would be the perfect landing spot for the facility.

On Monday, I presented SB 2702 for consideration before the House Committee on Natural Resources. Senate Bill 2702 relates to the licensing and regulation of persons who may repair or test backflow prevention assemblies.

House Bill 4:

House Bill 4 replaces the high-stakes, end-of-year STAAR exam with three shorter tests spaced throughout the school year, allowing teachers and parents to better track student progress in real time. It also reduces overall testing time, increases transparency, and gives schools more predictability and time to plan for success.

I was proud to vote in favor of this impactful piece of legislation for our Texas kids.

Senate Bill 17:

Senate Bill 17 will prohibit companies, governments, and agents from foreign adversary nations like China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia from purchasing, owning, or controlling property in Texas.

This legislation safeguards Texas' critical infrastructure and strengthens our defense against national security threats.

I was proud to vote in favor of Senate Bill 17.

How to Track Legislation

Ever wonder how the laws that impact your everyday life originate? While this graphic provides you with a simplified overview, You can walk through the entire legislative process by reading this blog post from the Texas House Republican Caucus on how a bill becomes a law in Texas. From a bill being introduced to it becoming law or vetoed, there are many steps ahead for the many bills that have been filed.