State
BY BEN THOMPSON & CHLOE YOUNG
5 legislative updates from Central Texas lawmakers
State lawmakers have nished ling all bills three months into the 2025 legislative session. Hundreds of bills have been assigned to committees, where lawmakers are reviewing legislation and hearing public testimony. The Texas Senate has passed bills that are headed to the Texas House for consideration. These legislative proposals—many of which are authored by Central Texas lawmakers—could become law if passed by both chambers and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott. 1 Guaranteed income ban advancing Several Texas counties and cities, including Austin, have launched programs o ering unrestricted payments to select residents. House Bill 530 from Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Lakeway—one of three bills led to ban such programs—was heard during a March 18 House committee session. Troxclair stressed her opposition to the “misguided” initiatives. She said her ban would discourage government dependency and prevent the redistribution of taxpayer dollars. Past guaranteed income recipients and policy advocates argued for the programs, saying nancial support can improve lower-income Texans’ quality of life and career prospects. Bill supporters said no-strings-attached funding can stop recipients from seeking work and shouldn’t be a local government priority.
3 Bills aim to promote healthy school meals
2 State cryptocurrency reserve passes Senate
House Bill 1290 by Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, R-Round Rock, would ban school districts from using seven food additives in free or reduced- price meals for students. On March 12, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 314, an identical bill to HB 1290 that would ban 14 food additives.
In early March, the Texas Senate passed SB 21 by Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, to create the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. The reserve would allow the Texas Comptroller to acquire, sell and manage state investments in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency with a market capitalization of at least $500 billion. The reserve would operate as a special fund outside of the state treasury where lawmakers could allocate money through legislation. With the Legislature’s approval, the comptroller could transfer money from the reserve to the state treasury. “The bill allows Texas to diversify our investment approach, participate competitively in the digital nancial economy, and leverage the bene ts of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies,” Schwertner said at a Feb. 18 committee hearing.
4 E orts to fund behavioral training for teachers underway Rep. James Talarico’s, D-Austin, HB 222 would allow school districts to use funding from the school safety allotment to train educators on behavioral management in the classroom. School safety allotment uses A district’s school safety allotment can currently go toward:
“I think the state of Texas should have the option of evaluating the best performing asset
Securing school facilities
Employing school police or security o cers Mental and behavioral health support
over the last 10 years.” SEN. CHARLES SCHWERTNER, R GEORGETOWN
Active shooter and emergency response training
SOURCE: TEXAS LEGISLATURE COMMUNITY IMPACT
“Having any person without air conditioning in Texas is wild. ... That this is not just housing, but government housing, that makes it 10 times worse.” REP. DIEGO BERNAL, D SAN ANTONIO
5 New AC standards oated for a ordable housing
A airs’ reviews of funding applications for income- restricted housing; those whose projects aren’t equipped with air conditioning would score lower. Bernal said the update is needed as Texas’ most vulnerable can live in public housing with “inhumane” conditions in high temperatures, and as thousands of government-subsidized housing units statewide currently aren’t cooled.
Rep. Diego Bernal’s, D-San Antonio, HB 211 would encourage air conditioning in state-supported a ordable housing. Bernal’s bill would make cooling a key consideration in the Texas Department of Housing and Community
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