Grapevine - Colleyville - Southlake | December 2024

Government

BY HANNAH NORTON

Texas lawmakers file first bills of 2025 legislative session voucher plan, which would give families public funds to pay for private education, Patrick said Nov. 8. Neither bill had been filed as of Nov. 25. The first 150 House bills will be reserved for “critical legislation that commands broad support of the majority of the Texas House and reflects the priorities uniting lawmakers,” House Speaker Dade Phelan said in a statement. What else? Bills filed vs. bills that became law In 2023, most bills never came across the governor’s desk or received hearings. 13,090 bills were filed during the 140-day session.

Nov. 12 marked the unofficial start of Texas’ 89th legislative session as lawmakers began filing bills they hope to turn into law next year. Members of the Texas House and Senate had filed over 1,500 bills by 7 p.m. on education, abortion, immigra- tion, and more. Many bills will not make it to the governor’s desk or even receive hearings - just 9.9% of bills filed in 2023 became law, according to Texas Legislature Online. The Legislature reconvenes Jan. 14. The dead- line to file most legislation is March 14, the 60th day of the session. What you need to know The speaker of the House and Lt. Gov. Dan Pat- rick, who oversees the Senate, will each designate priority bills for the 2025 session. Patrick’s office said he would announce 40 legislative priorities. Senate Bill 1 is reserved for Texas’ 2025-26 budget. SB 2 will be the upper chamber’s school

1,296 of those bills became law.

Phelan did not reveal a list of topics. He said the 150 bills would include Senate priorities and possible emergency items. Rep. Terri Leo Wilson, R-Galveston, filed the first bill of the 89th session. House Bill 160 would prohibit undocumented immigrants from receiving in-state tuition and require colleges to notify law enforcement if they learn a student is undocumented. State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (R-98) already has filed seven bills as of Nov. 25, including three

SOURCE: TEXAS LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE LIBRARY/COMMUNITY IMPACT

on Nov. 12, according to LegiScan. His first bill filed, HB 166, would criminalize people with endangering a child, elderly person or disabled person if they ingest, manufacture or possess a controlled substance listed in Penalty Group 1-B of the Texas Controlled Substances Act in proximity to a child, elderly or disabled person.

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GRAPEVINE - COLLEYVILLE - SOUTHLAKE EDITION

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