By Guest Author Tom Glass, Texas Constitutional Enforcement

This is my personal assessment / report on the successes and failures of the Republican Party of Texas Legislative Priorities in the 89^th Texas Legislature, chosen by the delegates to the RPT 2024 State Convention.

While I testified at the Legislative Priorities Committee meeting at the RPT State Convention and I served as a volunteer on two of the Priority Committees, this is not an official statement of the RPT. It is purely my own.

High Level Summary:

No Democrat Chairs – FAIL
Border Enforcement – FAIL
End Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying – FAIL
Secure Texas Elections – 10%
End Federal Overreach – 30%
Stop Sexualizing Texas Kids – 45%
Secure the Electric Grid – 67%
Texas is Not for Sale – SUCCESS

The Details:

No Democrat Chairs – FAIL

The Republican-controlled Texas Legislature shall end the practice of awarding committee chairmanships to Democrats and require all committees to be majority Republican.

Comments: I always considered this priority to be one aimed at reforming the Texas House rules and culture to be more decentralized member driven serving voters and the principles and priorities of the RPT rather than centralized speaker driven serving the special interests and beholden to the Democrats.

The implementation of this priority centered around the commitment of the speaker candidates to this reform and a broader set of decentralizing reforms and the House Rules implementing them.

The speaker candidate that refused to pledge to reform or even the RPT platform call for choosing a speaker within the Republican Caucus won with a minority of Republicans and a larger number of Democrats.

Then the Rules package that was introduced created Rule-created subcommittees which allowed Democrat chairs and resulted in half being chaired by Democrats. The Rules also allowed Chairs to create their own subcommittees and notably Appropriations Chair Greg Bonnen made half of his subcommittee chairs Democrat.

Because the Rules package provided for high level committees to be chaired by Republicans, the Speaker team and his members spun the rules as meeting this RPT priority. But because of the mandatory creation of all Vice Chairs as Democrats while increasing power and funding for those Democrats and because of subcommittee Democrat chairs, the SREC (State Republican Executive Committee) soundly rejected that claim, stating in a resolution that this priority was definitely NOT fulfilled. 

Border Enforcement  – FAIL

To repel invasion and deter illegal immigration:

• Creating a Texas Department of Homeland Security to prevent illegal entry and trafficking, and to deport illegal aliens to Mexico or to their nations of origin. FAIL
• Prohibiting, with mandatory fines and jail time, individuals, corporations, non-profits, governments, and social media entities from assisting or inciting illegal entry. FAIL
• Requiring the use of E-Verify by all employers in Texas with significant penalties for business owners who violate this requirement. FAIL
• Ending all subsidies and public services, including in-state college tuition and enrollment in public schools, for illegal aliens, except for emergency medical care. FAIL

Comments: While the subcommittee added a bail reform amendment that passed to the list of endorsed bills in this category, I personally think that was a stretch. Not a single border related bill that the RPT endorsed passed this session. State Senator Tan Parker passed a bill (SB 36) that creates a Texas Department of Homeland Security, but it is not focused on preventing illegal entry and trafficking and deportation. Rather it is an intelligence and coordination operation. While a step in the right direction, the subcommittee decided that it did not meet the criteria of the priority.

Bail Reform including for Human Trafficking Offenses – (SJR 5 Joan Huffman / John Smithee) – Passed.

DEAD

End Taxpayer Services for Illegals – (HB 4745 Mike Olcott) Never heard in House State Affairs.

Generic End Taxpayer Services for Illegals (except schools) – (HB 5602 Ellen Troxclair) – Never heard in House State Affairs.

Reorganize State Guard including Border Defense – (HB 4914 Andy Hopper) Apr 30 heard in House State Affairs. But no vote in House State Affairs.

Border Protection Unit – (HB 354 Briscoe Cain) Never heard in House State Affairs.

E-Verify for All – (HB 1308 Carl Tepper) Never heard in House State Affairs.

E-Verify for All – (SB 324 Lois Kolkhorst / HB 3210 Mike Olcott ) Apr 30 SB 324 Passed Senate. DEAD due to no hearing in Ken King’s House State Affairs.

End In-State Tuition for Illegals – (SB 1798 Mayes Middleton) May 21 Passed Senate. Arrived in House State Affairs on May 23. DEAD due to late arrival from Senate and no hearing in Ken King’s House State Affairs.

DPS Can Detect, Deter, Repel, and Prosecute Illegals During Invasion – (SB 81 Bob Hall) DEAD. Never heard in Senate Border Security.

Texas Division of Homeland Security – (SB 135 Bob Hall) DEAD. Never heard in Senate Border Enforcement.

End Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying – FAIL

Prohibiting all forms of taxpayer-funded lobbying, including the use of tax dollars to hire lobbyists and payment of tax dollars to associations that lobby the Legislature.

Ban Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying – (SB 19 Mayes Middleton / HB 4860 Jared Patterson) Mar 19 passed Senate in watered down bill. Mar 25 referred to House State Affairs. DEAD due to no hearing in Ken King’s House State Affairs.

Comments: The fact that the tax-funded lobbyists were able to water down the bill in the Senate and completely stop it in House State Affairs, one of the most lobbied committees in the Texas House is proof of the importance of the passage of this priority. There is a chicken and egg circularity here, but it looks like it will require enough legislators committed to the RPT priorities to change the culture of the legislature before we can get this priority passed in the future.

Secure Texas Elections – FAIL ONLY 10% SUCCESS

Securing elections from each citizen’s registration to the final count of legal votes by:

• Requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. FAIL
• Requiring the Counties and the Secretary of State to update the voter rolls at least quarterly. Partial 3 bills out of 5.
• Requiring a mandatory photo ID for every election, without exception. FAIL
• Restricting mail-in ballots to disabled, military, and eligible citizens who are out of their county for the entire voting period. FAIL
• Using only hand-marked, sequentially numbered paper ballots on anti-counterfeiting paper that are signed on the back by the election official at the voting location. FAIL
• Standardizing in-person voting, with early voting limited to a period of no longer than nine (9) days, no gap before Election Day, and assigned-precinct voting locations only. PARTIAL
• Counting ballots in precinct using a dumb-scanner method as soon as the ballot is returned by the voter and with publication of the results prior to submission to the County. FAIL
• Closing party primaries for only registered Republicans. FAIL
• Explicitly codifying the ability of the Attorney General to prosecute violations of the Election Code. FAIL
• Removing existing Secretary of State waivers to comply with current Election Code. FAIL

Comments: The resistance to passage of election integrity bills by Uniparty House leadership is probably the most visible payoff this session to the Democrats for their support of the Burrows speakership. This failure primarily on the part of the Texas House leadership is the most glaring disconnect between the Austin swamp and the grassroots and rank and file voters. The fact that we can’t even pass a bill requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote this session in Texas is proof of out of step the Texas House leadership is with MAGA.

Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote

Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote – (SB 16 Bryan Hughes / HB 5337 Carrie Isaac) Apr 1 – Passed Senate! May 12 Substituted bill in Calendars. DEAD due to slow walk by Matt Shaheen’s House Elections.

NOT ELIBIBLE TO VOTE on Non-Citizen IDs – (SB 964 Bryan Hughes)Apr 24 – Passed Senate! May 12 in Calendars. DEAD due to slow walk by Matt Shaheen’s House Elections.

Constitutional Amendment Clarifying That Voter Must Be Citizen –(SJR 37 Brian Birdwell / HJR 161 Candy Noble) Apr 1 Passed Senate! May 12 Passed House! May 15 Filed with Secretary of State, on the way to the voters in November!

Voter Roll Cleanup

Notification to Other States of New Voters on Texas Rolls – (SB 1862 Bryan Hughes) June 1 Sent to Governor!

DPS Share Data for Voter Roll Integrity – (SB 1470 Bryan Hughes)May 27 Sent to Governor!

Requirements for Voter Registrar to Comply With Law – (SB 510 Paul Bettencourt / HB 1478 Briscoe Cain) June 1 Sent to Governor!

Required Verification of Anomalies Every Two Year  – (SB 396 Lois Kolkhorst / HB 2272 Matt Morgan / HB 4253 Stan Gerdes) Apr 1 – Passed Senate! May 5 SB 396 and HB 4253 in Calendars. DEAD in House Calendars.

Challenges To Voter Registrations From Known Reliable Source – (SB 2681 Paul Bettencourt / HB 5362 Mano DeAyala) May 8 SB 2681 Passed Senate! May 20 SB 2681 Passed out of House Elections. DEAD by being placed on House Calendar too late.

Standardizing In-Person Voting with Early Voting

Standardizing In-Person Voting, with Early Voting – (SB 2753 Bob Hall) June 3 Sent to Governor!

Explicitly codifying the ability of the Attorney General to prosecute violations of the Election Code

AG Prosecute Election Law After 6 Month Inactivity by DA  – (HB 5138 Matt Shaheen / SB 1206 Bryan Hughes) DEAD due to House conferee intransigence (Geren, Darby, Bucy, Turner, Shaheen).

Removing existing Secretary of State waivers to comply with current Election Code

Unlawfully Altering Election Procedure — (SB 618 Kevin Sparks / HB 2773 Jeff Leach) DEAD after passing Senate, but being placed on the House calendar too late. It was heard right after midnight on May 27 and killed on a POO as too late.

Miscellaneous

Insure that Election Supplies Are Available — (HB 1661 Cody Vasut / SB 507 Paul Bettencourt) May 28 HB 1661 Sent to Governor!

Increased Testing of Electronic Voting Equipment — (SB 2166 Tan Parker / House Sponsor Matt Shaheen) May 27 Sent to Governor!

Consolidated Precincts — (SB 985 Paul Bettencourt / HB 342 Richard Hayes) May 24 Signed by  Governor!

Right to Request Explanation for Irregularities — (SB 505 Paul Bettencourt / HB 3491 Steve Toth) Apr 16 – SB 505 Passed Senate! DEAD May 27 House substitute was objected to by Talirico POO on sub not being germane. Swanson killed bill by postponing beyond end of session.

End Federal Overreach – 30% Success

Resisting unconstitutional federal acts and mandates that restrict transportation, including mandatory kill switches in vehicles, road diets, and restrictions on the owner’s right to repair vehicles and equipment. Ensuring that Texans have medical freedom and can give or withhold consent for any vaccine or medical treatment without coercion, are not discriminated against based on vaccine status, and are not faced with any vaccine or medical mandate by public or private entities.

Comments: I served on the subcommittee selecting the bills to endorse, and I can say that this priority was difficult to navigate because it added freedom to travel and medical freedom into the pushing back on feds mix. We decided to separate the priority into three subcategories with different members of the team providing subject matter expertise. With my Texas Constitutional Enforcement background, I contributed most to the resisting the feds section.

Each of the subcategories has their own challenges. The hardest to pass is Freedom to Travel. Most of the bills end up in establishment/swap oriented Transportation committees in both chambers. The leadership of those committees care very little about RPT priorities or grassroots arguments. And only one of the endorsed eight bills passed. Sadly, the federally mandated kill switches that will install cameras and other sensors in vehicles starting in the 2026 model year  is going to shock a lot of Texans when they arrive. These warnings by the grassroots, especially Terri Hall have gone on deaf ears in the Texas legislature and the governor’s office when we asked for a special session in 2023 to try to stop them.

Medical freedom bills give the progressive Dem true-believers a chance to chub while opining and virtue signaling about how good they are because they want to force others to take the vaccines and medicine they want to push on us. And we had a Burrows appointed chair of House Public Health who is hostile to medical freedom this session.

On the push back on DC front, we smoked out some hard core federal and judicial supremacists in the Republican ranks of the Senate this session, especially with the Texas Sovereignty Act. That would not have happened had the Burrows team been looking for ways to demonstrate that they are not all bad by passing selected RPT priority bills. I am convinced that the RPT backing for ending federal overreach led to House passage of several of the bills this session for the first time, especially the Texas Sovereignty Act.

Bills Resisting Unconstitutional Federal Acts (4 out of 14 Bills)

Anti-Red Flag Act – Criminal penalty for any “person” attempting to serve a extreme risk protective (red flag) order in Texas (RPT Platform Plank 19 b) (SB 1362 Bryan Hughes House sponsor Cole Hefner / HB 162 Briscoe Cain). June 1 SB 1362 Sent to Governor!

Disconnects Texas Firearms Law from Feds – removes prohibition of short barrel rifles from Texas law. (RPT Plank 19) (HB 259 Richard Hayes / SB 1596 Brent Hagenbuch) June 1 SB 1596 Sent to Governor!

Protect County and District Attorneys From the Feds – Allows Attorney General to defend county and district attorneys in actions taken against them by the feds for enforcing state law, if the county/district attorneys request. (RPT Platform Planks 5 and 20) (SB 888 Lois Kolkhorst / HB 2460 Jeff Leach). May 24 SB 888 Signed by Governor!

Concurrent Jurisdiction with Texas on Military Installations – Established process where Texas and subdivisions can exercise jurisdiction on military bases. (HB 2337 James Frank / SB 1271 Kelly Hancock) May 27 SB 1271 Signed by Governor!

DEAD – the following RPT End Federal Overreach Priorities are dead:

Texas Sovereignty Act – Joint legislative committee recommends unconstitutional federal acts for declaration by legislature and governor. (RPT Platform Plank 20) (HB 796 Cecil Bell, SB 80 Bob Hall). May 7 – Passed Texas House! Senate State Affairs, led by Brian Birdwell and significant behind the scenes support from others gutted the Texas Sovereignty Act, falling just third reading short of sending gutted bill to Texas House. DEAD.

Don’t Mess With Texas Elections – limits on funding from outside Texas for Texas races. (RPT Platform Plank 202) (SB 405 Mayes Middleton / HB 3592 Dade Phelan ). May 14 Watered Down HB 3592 Passed House. DEAD due to lack of hearing and vote out of Senate State Affairs.

Protect the Texas National Guard (RPT Platform Plank 247) (HB 930 Briscoe Cain). House Homeland Security Mar 17 hearing. DEAD due to Cole Hefner refusal to hold vote, despite sufficient votes to pass.

Resist FBI Weaponization Against Texans — Require feds to get sheriff and AG permission for arrests and searches in county. (RPT Platform Plank 5) (HB 1982 & HB 3932 Andy Hopper.) DEAD due to House State Affairs Ken King refusal to hold hearing.

Run Texas Elections Separately from Federal Elections – (RPT Platform Plank 221 g) (HB 209 Mike Schofield, SB 106 Bob Hall). DEAD due to House State Affairs Ken King refusal to hold hearing and lack of hearing in Senate State Affairs.

Refuse to Cooperate With Federal Health Emergencies – (SB 131 Bob Hall). DEAD due to lack of hearing in Senate State Affairs.

Protection of Intrastate Firearms Manufacture/Sale – Exempts most firearms and accessories manufactured and staying in Texas from federal law or regulation. (SB 130 Bob Hall / HB 1617 Valoree Swanson). DEAD – HB 1617 heard but not voted out of Ken King’s House State Affairs and due to lack of hearing in Senate State Affairs.

Resisting Global Interference – Denying jurisdiction to World Health Organization, UN, and World Economic Forum in Texas – (RPT Platform Plank 244) (SB 129 Bob Hall / Charles Schwertner SB 386 / HB 706 Terri Leo Wilson, HB 1377 Wes Virdell, HB 2887 Carrie Isaac). None got hearings in Senate and House State Affairs, respectively.

Come and Take It – Add to Texas Bill of Rights: “This state does not recognize any authority purportedly held by the federal government to regulate the manufacture, possession, sale, or use of firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition in this state.” (RPT Platform Plank 19 a and b) (HJR 116 Wes Virdell). DEAD due to lack of hearing in Ken King’s State Affairs.

Freedom to Travel (1 out of 8 bills)

Right to Repair – for digital electronic equipment including vehicles (RPT Platform Plank 49) (HB 2963 Gio Capriglione / SB 2428 Bob Hall / HB 4555 Pat Curry / SB 2748 Bob Hall) June 2 HB 2963 Sent to Governor!

Right to Drive Act – Prohibits manufacture and sale of vehicles with installed remote kill switches mandated by federal law starting 2026. Includes addition of right to drive gas-powered vehicles and right to human driving. Planned add of right to repair. (RPT Platform Plank 49) (SB 381 Mayes Middleton / HB 2547 Briscoe Cain. See also HB 1074 Nate Schatzline). DEAD due to lack of hearing in Robert Nichols’ Senate Transportation and Ken King’s House State Affairs.

Anti-Road Diet – (HB 4348 Gio Capriglione / SB 1993 Bob Hall) DEAD. HB 4348 died in Calendars. SB 1993 never heard in Robert Nichols’ Senate Transportation.

Intrastate Shield for Texas Vehicle Manufacture – Exempts vehicles made in Texas for Texans from federal regulations on kill switches, electric vehicle mandates, mileage standards, etc. (RPT Platform Plank 5) (HB 1725 Andy Hopper). DEAD due to lack of hearing in Ken King’s State Affairs.

Toll Collection Reform – (HB 1333 Brian Harrison / SB 137 / HB 4907 Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos / SB 756 Mayes Middleton). DEAD due to lack of hearing in Ken King’s State Affairs.

Cessation of Tolls on Toll Projects – (HB 2323 Matt Shaheen / SB 2324 Angela Paxton / HB 2948 David Lowe). DEAD in Dem Terry Canales House Subcommittee Chair on Transportation Funding. Tom Craddick was Chair of House Transportation and did not elevate it out of the Dem controlled subcommittee. SB 2324 never heard in Robert Nichols’ Senate Transportation.

Prohibition of Tolls on Highways Subject to Comprehensive Development Agreement Terminated by a Toll Project Entity – (HB 2552 – Briscoe Cain). DEAD without hearing in  Dem Terry Canales House Subcommittee Chair on Transportation Funding.

Preemption of Prohibition of Types of Vehicles on Roadways – (SB 2238 Paul Bettencourt / HB 4316 Cecil Bell). DEAD due to lack of movement by author and Chair of Senate Local Government. Dead in Tom Craddick’s House Transportation for lack of hearing.

Medical Freedom (6 out of 15 bills)

Liability for Vax Manufacturers Who Advertise in Texas – (HB 3441 – Shelley Luther). May 30 Sent to Governor!

Internet Downloadable School Vax Exemption Forms – (HB 1586 – Lacey Hull). May 28 Sent to Governor!

MAHA Texas – Comprehensive bill pushing nutrition education, requiring warning labels for food dies, and requiring physical education in schools. (SB 25 Lois Kolkhorst / HB 25 Lacey Hull). June 1 SB 25 Sent to Governor!

SNAP Reform – Limiting junk food for supplemental nutrition assistance program. (SB 379 Mayes Middleton / HB 5243 Stan Gerdes / HB 4970 Briscoe Cain / HB 3188 Richard Raymond). June 3 SB 379 Sent to Governor!

Right to Try – Expands right to try investigational treatments. (SB 984 Paul Bettencourt / HB 3318 Ken King / HB 975 Brian Harrison) May 29 Signed by Governor!

Prohibiting Organ Transplant Recipient Discrimination for Vax Status– (HB 4076 Jeff Leach). May 26 Sent to Governor!

Right of Conscience for Health Care Providers – (HB 2816 Tom Oliverson) (House Public Health). DEAD due to lack of hearing in Gary VanDeaver’s House Public Health.

Informed Consent for Health Care Services – (HB 3472 Mike Olcott). DEAD due to lack of hearing in Gary VanDeaver’s House Public Health.

Fetal Tissue Labeling – requiring labeling of food, medical products, and cosmetics containing fetal tissue in Texas (RPT Platform Plank 140) (HB 1304 Andy Hopper). DEAD due to lack of hearing in Gary VanDeaver’s House Public Health.

Prohibiting Vax Mandates by Private Employers – (HB 5622 Cody Vasut). DEAD due to lack of hearing in Angie Chen Button’s House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development.

Prohibition of Employee Mandate for COVID-19 Revision – expands prohibition on employer COVID-19 vax mandate to keep the mandate from applying to all persons. (RPT Platform Plank 114) (HB 383 Brian Harrison). DEAD due to lack of hearing in Angie Chen Button’s House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development.

MRNA Labeling – required labeling of food and meat containing MRNA products in Texas (RPT Platform Plank 117 & 159) (SB 119 Bob Hall). DEAD due to lack of vote in Senate Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs.

Right to Refuse Medical Treatment – “[R]ight to refuse any medical treatment, including a procedure, vaccine, medical device, or prophylactic, and a person may not interfere with or impede that right in any manner.” (RPT Platform Plank 114) (SJR 10 Bob Hall). DEAD due to lack of hearing in Senate Health & Human Services.

Right to Refuse Vaccination – “An individual has the unalienable and natural right to refuse vaccination . . . cannot be made a condition of employment, travel, school or other educational institution attendance, conducting business, receiving governmental services, or any other action . . . “ (RPT Platform Plank 114) (HJR 91 Andy Hopper). DEAD due to lack of hearing in Ken King’s State Affairs.

Intrastate protection for Texas lab tests during Fed Health Emergencies – (RPT Platform Plank 5) (HB 964 Brian Harrison). DEAD due to lack of hearing in Ken King’s State Affairs.

Opposed Bills that Reduce Freedom to Travel

Authorizes Texas subdivisions to Deploy License Plate Readers – For use in parking enforcement, toll collection, uninsured or unregistered drivers, investigating missing persons, controlling access to secured areas, and investigating felonies. (RPT Principle 1 and Platform Planks 152, 153, and 199) (HB 2083 John Bucy). DEAD.

School Bus Infraction Cameras (Similar to Red Light Cameras) – Undoes part of red light camera prohibition law to allow schools to install cameras on buses to record vehicles passing buses while stopped. (RPT Principle 1 and Platform Planks 152, 153, and 199) (SB 744 Donna Campbell / HB 1282 Richard Raymond/ HB 3034 Tom Craddick). DEAD.

School Bus Infraction Cameras (Similar to Red Light Cameras) – Unfunded mandate on schools to install cameras that record vehicles passing school buses while stopped and for school districts to send pictures to law enforcement. Undoes part of red light camera prohibition law. (RPT Principle 1 and Platform Planks 152, 153, and 199) (HB 723 Barbara Gervins-Hawkins). DEAD.

Establishing Digital Driver License IDs – Creates digital drivers license ID. Passed House last session to die in Senate. (RPT Platform Planks 49 and 208) (HB 1976 Terry Canales). DEAD. Never got hearing.

Stop Sexualizing Texas Kids – 45% SUCCESS                                      

Stopping the sexualization of minors, which leads to abuse, exploitation, and trafficking, by:

• Prohibiting taxpayer funding to any entities that permit or promote sexually inappropriate content to minors and legislatively banning instruction on sexual orientation and gender ideology in schools and libraries. Partial Success. Two big and one minor bills passed. Six lesser bills failed. I call this category a 70% success.
• Repealing affirmative defenses in Texas Penal Code (43.24, 43.25) and redefining “harmful materials” to remove loopholes provided by the modified Miller Test. HALF SUCCESS. Repealed affirmative defenses to showing porn to children. Failed to pass the Miller test loopholes in the definition of “harmful material.”
• Establishing an independent Inspector General for Education to investigate fraud, waste, abuse, and criminal conduct within schools and refer findings to prosecutorial authorities. FAIL
• Compelling superintendents to report sex crimes within schools to outside law enforcement and removing immunity from civil liability for schools and their employees. HALF SUCCESS. Compelled reporting failed. Removing immunity passed.

Comments: In my opinion the Stop Sexualizing Texas Kids priority is a showcase for the increasing success of the RPT legislative priority process. Under previous speakers who were driven to serve the special interests and were culturally influenced by the Dems, there was an open hostility to social issues. The RPT has had its greatest success in changing that attitude in the establishment leadership of the legislature.

The current Uniparty House leadership is still beholden to the Dems and the lobby, but now understands the power of these issues to move the grassroots. I also think that Burrows and most of his team truly care about these issues more than previous teams.

The problem facing both chambers of the Texas Legislature at this moment in time is that every victory comes at the cost of a lot of legislative time. These are the issues that the Dems obsess and scream about both as representatives chubbing and delivering speech after speech about both in committee as well as the floor. And the left’s activists, many of them Austin-based, descend on every hearing, making them very long and tedious to sit through.

The Burrows team did not trade victories for the Dems in stopping these bills this time. They gave the Dems time to vent and virtue signal and grandstand for their base, but not ultimate victory.

Stop funding for entities that promote sexually inappropriate content to minors or teach gender or orientation ideology.

Parental Rights and Banning of DEI & Gender Transitioning – (SB 12 Brandon Creighton / House sponsor Jeff Leach) Sent to Governor June 3!

School Library Cleanup – (HB 100 Terri Leo Wilson / SB 451 Mayes Middleton) HB 100 Sent to Governor June 1!

School Library Advisory Councils – (SB 13 Angela Paxton / House sponsor Brad Buckley) Sent to Governor June 3!

Move Dirty Books in Public Libraries Out of Children’s Section – (HB 3225 Daniel Alders / SB 2101) Apr 28 SB 2101 heard in Senate State Affairs. May 10 HB 3225 Passed Texas House! May 15 – heard in Senate State Affairs. DEAD due to slow action in Senate.

Prohibiting Use of National Sex Ed Standards in Texas – (SB 1396 Bob Hall) Apr 8 Passed Senate! May 23 in Calendars. DEAD due to slow action by Chair Brad Buckley of House Public Education. Got to Calendars late and died there.

Parental Approval for Sex Ed – (SB 371 Donna Campbell / HB 1158 Lacey Hull) Apr 1 Passed Senate! Apr 9 referred to House Public Education. DEAD due to no hearing by House Public Education Chair Brad Buckley. This language incorporated into HB 12.

Limits on Flags Displayed in Schools – (SB 762 Donna Campbell) Apr 15 Passed Senate! Apr 22 referred to House Public Education. DEAD due to no hearing by House Public Education Chair Brad Buckley.

Protects School Employees and Students when Using Proper Pronouns – (SB 1999 Bryan Hughes) May 8 Passed Senate! May 12 referred to House State Affairs. DEAD due to late hearing in Ken King’s State Affairs, dying in Calendars.

Prohibiting school employees from assisting students in transitioning– (HB 1655 Nate Schatzline) DEAD due to slow walk by House Public Ed Chair Brad Buckley and slow treatment in Calendars. (Arguably, SB 12 addressed this topic.)

Repeal Affirmative Defenses for Showing Porn to Children / Eliminate Miller Text Loopholes

Repeal Affirmative Defenses for Showing Porn to Children – (SB 412 Mayes Middleton / HB 237 Jared Patterson) May 7 Sent to Governor! First RPT Priority Bill to Pass! Signed by Governor on May 19.

Removing Miller Test Loopholes in Definition of Harmful Material  –(SB 88 Bob Hall / HB 1012 Steve Toth) DEAD due to lack of hearing in Senate Criminal Justice and Ken King’s House State Affairs respectively.

Schools Report Sex Crimes to Law Enforcement and Removed Immunity from Civil Liability

Liability of Public Schools and Employees for Sexual Misconduct – (HB 4623 Mitch Little) June 2 Sent to Governor!

Reporting School Employee Misconduct to Law Enforcement – (SB 1224 Kevin Sparks / HB 2206 Ben Bumgarner) May 5 Passed Senate! May 6 referred to House Public Ed. DEAD due to no hearing by House Public Education Chair Brad Buckley.

Other

App Regulation to Protect Children – (SB 2420 Angela Paxton / HB 4901 Caroline Fairly) May 27 – SB 2420 Signed by the Governor!

Prohibit Creation/Promotion of Obscene Material Depicting a Child – (SB 20 Pete Flores) May 28 – Sent to Governor!

Designation of Spaces for Biological Sex – (SB 240 Mayes Middleton / HB 239 Valoree Swanson) Apr 24 Passed Senate! DEAD due to no hearing in Ken King’s House State Affairs.

Restricting retail obscene devices – (HB 1549 Hillary Hickland / SB 2399 Angela Paxton) DEAD. Neither bill heard in committee. Angie Chen Button’s Trade, Workforce & Economic Development and Senate Criminal Justice.

Biological Sex Placement in Children’s Correctional Facilities – (HB 437 Valoree Swanson) DEAD in Calendars. Got reasonable treatment in John Smithee’s House Criminal Jurisprudence.

Civil Liability for Obscenity – (HB 1375 Nate Schatzline) May 8 voted out of House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence. DEAD in Calendars due to late hearing and vote by Jeff Leach’s Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence.

Secure the Electric Grid – 70% SUCCESS

Securing the integrity of Texas electricity production and delivery of abundant, reliable, and resilient energy, ensuring that the Texas grid can withstand any natural or manmade threat to include weather, cyber, physical, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and geomagnetic disturbances (GMD).

Comments: This was the first time this priority made it into the top eight. The genesis of the push for this priority was the efforts on behalf of State Senator Bob Hall, started in 2015, to harden the grid against electromagnetic pulses (EMP) that can bring down the grid caused by high altitude nuclear explosions or solar disturbances. Over the decade, Senator Hall expanded his efforts to protect the grid against all hazards.

I think that it was the RPT priority status that was the extra push that enabled us to finally pass Senator Hall’s grid resilience bill on the sixth session of trying. To prove its respect for at least some RPT priorities, the Burrows team finally told the transmission industry lobby that they were no longer kill this vital initiative for the people of Texas for the lobby.

The subcommittee expanded the core mission of the priority beyond resilience into reliability and to address the safety, environmental, and nuisance aspects of the rapidly growing Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) being deployed in many smaller population counties all over Texas. It is my opinion that the reliability measures would have passed without RPT involvement. The success in fire safety and end-of-life cleanup of BESS probably was helped by RPT involvement and education.

Grid Resilience (3 out of 4 bills)

All-Hazards Grid Resilience – (SB 75 Bob Hall / HB 941 Briscoe Cain – House sponsor of SB 75 Terry Wilson) May 28 Sent to Governor!

Required Tabletop Exercises for Physical Attack on Grid —(SB 2148 Bob Hall / HB 4851 Shelby Slawson) May 27 Sent to Governor! Also amended into SB 75.

Standards for Transmission Critical Components Resilience to EMP and Solar Disturbance – (SB 1740 Tan Parker) Stuck in Senate B&C without hearing. DEAD. Essence included in SB 75.

Incentivizing Reliable Thermal over Less Reliable Solar/Wind on ERCOT – (SB 715 Kevin Sparks / HB 3356 Jared Patterson) – HB 3356 Voted out of House State Affairs. DEAD in Calendars. May 8 – SB 715 passed Senate. DEAD due to no hearing in Ken King’s House State Affairs.

Promoting Reliable Energy (8 out of 10 bills)

Nuclear Energy Support – (HB 14 Cody Harris – Senate Sponsor Charles Schwertner / SB 2060 Tan Parker) June 2 Sent to Governor!

Texas Workforce Commission Advanced Nuclear Energy Workforce Development Group – (SB 1535 Judith Zaffarini) May 28 Sent to Governor!

Requiring Wind Generation Companies to Provide for End-of-Life Cleanup – (HB 3228 Stan Lambert / SB 2657 Charles Perry) May 26 HB 3228 Sent to Governor!

Required Reporting on Recycling of Wind/Solar/BESS — (HB 3229 Stan Lambert / SB 2659 Charles Perry) May 29 HB 3229 Signed by Governor!

Orphaned Oil & Gas Wells — (SB 1762 Cesar Blanco / HB 5568 Drew Darby) May 22 SB 1762 Sent to Governor!

Charging and Regulating New Large Load Customers — (SB 6 Phil King) June 1 Sent to Governor!

Requires New PUC Regulations Setting Standards for Routine Inspection/Replacement of Transmission Infrastructure — (SB 1789 Charles Schwertner / HB 4627 John McQueeney) May 28 SB 1789 Sent to Governor!

Changed Regulations of Transmission Company Temporary Mobile Power Units — (SB 231 Phil King) May 22 Sent to Governor!

PUC Permission for 10MW or Larger Renewable Power Facilities — (SB 819 Lois Kolkhorst) Apr 15 Passed Senate! Apr 22 assigned to House State Affairs. DEAD due to no hearing in Ken King’s House State Affairs.

Imposing State Tax on Solar and Wind to Offset Federal Subsidies – (HB 3017 Brent Money) DEAD – Never heard in House Ways & Means.

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Regulation (2 out of 4 bills)

BESS End-of-Life Cleanup Required – (HB 3809 Drew Darby / SB 1824 Charles Schwertner) May 29 HB 3809 Signed by Governor!

Required PUC Fire Standards for BESS – (HB 3824 Ken King / SB 1825 Charles Schwertner) May 31 Sent to Governor!

Distance Requirements for BESS – (HB 1378 Wes Virdell) Apr 30 heard in House State Affairs. DEAD. No vote in committee.

PUC Regulation of BESS for Safety – (HB 1343 Ellen Troxclair / SB 1519 Donna Campbell) DEAD – Never heard in House State Affairs or Senate Business & Commerce.

Texas is Not for Sale – SUCCESS

Banning the sale of real property in Texas, and discontinuing taxpayer funding and incentives, to governments, entities, and proxies of China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, and to individuals from these nations who are not legal permanent residents or citizens of the United States.

Comments: I consider the subcommittee for the Texas is Not for Sale priority as the most successful of the subcommittees this session. The bills started out with a large number of deficiencies which the committee and RPT leadership skillfully and persistently communicated to the players in both chambers. And as the session ended, the major players incorporated the suggestions of the RPT into the bill that passed, turning what would have been a weak-sauce shell into the strongest state bill in the nation on this topic. Congratulations to Deborah Kelting Fite, the SREC member leading that subcommittee, and all her volunteers for such a glorious victory!

Prohibitions on Purchase/Lease/Ownership of Real Property By Certain Aliens – Significant work and input by RPT strengthened bill into a win. (SB 17 Lois Kolkhorst / HB 17 Cole Hefner) June 1 Sent to Governor!

Regulation and Prohibitions on Lobbying for Foreign Adversaries – (HB 119 Stan Gerdes / SB 1875 Bryan Hughes) June 2 Sent to Governor!

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Please send inquiries about the Dallas GOP Legislative Priority Committee to Liz Biesel and Beth Biesel. View all Legislative Priority posts here.