Texas lawmakers will consider thousands of bills when they return to the State Capitol on Jan. 14. (Photo by Matt Hennie)
More than 2,200 bills — from cannabis reform and public education to housing affordability — have been filed ahead of the start of the 89th Texas Legislature, which opens on Jan. 14.
Here’s a recap of some of the proposed bills making headlines ahead of the legislature and how they could impact you.
Legalizing recreational marijuana
Although nine cities in Texas have decriminalized weed, the fight to legalize it statewide continues.
Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas) filed House Bill 1208, which legalizes the possession, cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.
The proposal permits the transportation of up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, and allows people to store up to 10 ounces of weed at home if it’s kept in a locked container.
This is in stark contrast to the wishes of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who wants to ban all THC products in Texas.
Addressing Texas’ affordable housing crisis
HB 878, sponsored by Rep. Cody Vasut (R-Angleton), has caught the attention of affordable housing advocates, as the proposal legalizes accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, statewide.
These secondary housing units, also known as mother-in-law suites or backyard cottages, can add affordable housing units to an area without changing the look of a street.
Additionally, Senate Bill 234, proposed by Sen. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas), establishes the Workforce Housing Program, which would “provide financial assistance to developers of multifamily housing to facilitate the construction and rehabilitation of eligible workforce housing developments in the state,” within the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
The bill also incentivizes private sector construction of thousands of workforce housing units through low-interest financing.
Texas is short approximately 300,000 housing units to meet the demand of a growing workforce, and scarcity of housing for essential workers is driving prices up at all levels of affordability, according to a press release from Johnson.
Raising the minimum wage in Texas
A single adult in the state needs to earn at least $20 an hour to support themselves, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator.
Despite this statistic, Texas hasn’t increased its minimum wage of $7.25 in over 15 years.
Rep. Vikki Goodwin (D-Austin) filed HB 691 to raise the minimum wage to $19 per hour, while Rep. Armando Walle (D-Houston) proposed raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour in his HB 193.
Adding exceptions to Texas’ abortion ban
Texas was the first state to implement a near-total abortion ban in 2021, but some lawmakers are pushing for new exceptions.
Rep. Donna Howard, (D-Austin) filed HB 257. Under the proposed bill, physicians would be able to rely on their “best medical judgment,” which could not be overruled by an external review process. It allows abortions to preserve a patient’s mental health or future fertility, and in cases where the fetus is either not going to survive after birth or is “incompatible with life without extraordinary medical interventions.”
HB 395, also filed by Howard, allows abortions in cases of rape or incest.
These bills come as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton continues to fight access to abortions, recently suing a New York doctor for prescribing abortion bills to a Texas woman.
State Rep. John Bucy, an Austin Democrat, wants the Texas Department of Transportation to pursue a high-speed rail route linking Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio. (Photo by Matt Hennie)
High-speed rail for Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio?
Texas has sought to build high-speed rail throughout the state for the last several years, to no avail.
Rep. John Bucy (D-Austin) proposed HB 483, which directs the Texas Department of Transportation to jumpstart a high-speed rail line between Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio along Interstate 35.
It requires TxDOT to partner with a private company to build, maintain and operate the line, which would reach speeds of at least 110 miles per hour.
Another bill filed by Bucy, HB 542, allows the state to use highway funds for transit-oriented projects, aiming to make it one step easier to build these high-speed rail systems in Texas.
Betting on the Dallas Cowboys (to lose)
Texas is one of 12 states that has yet to legalize gambling.
Sen. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) is hoping to change that under Senate Joint Resolution 16, which allows voters to decide whether to amend the state constitution to allow sports betting.
The proposal also calls for seven casinos to be built across the state — two in Dallas-Fort Worth, two in Houston, and one each in Corpus Christie, McAllen, and San Antonio. The legislation also creates the Texas Gaming Commission to regulate casino gaming and sports wagering.
Making book banning easier
Texas ranks third overall in the country for book bans, and it will only get easier for parents to remove books from school library shelves if HB 183 passes.
Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco) filed HB 183, which allows parents to request that the Texas State Board of Education review materials in public school libraries, challenging a book to be removed if they believe it to be inappropriate for the grade level or if it has “sexually explicit material.” Critics of the legislation say it’s a huge overreach by conservative lawmakers.
Public money for private school vouchers
Private school vouchers were a contentious topic during the 2023 session, and the legislature gained a number of pro-school choice members following the November election.
HB 212, proposed by Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park), establishes a process for parents or legal guardians of any school-aged child to get reimbursed by the state for enrolling their children into private schools.
Ten Commandments for classrooms
HB 1009 requires public schools in Texas to display a “durable poster” or “framed copy” of the Ten Commandments in each classroom that is 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall, and has a text size allowing “any person with average vision to see from anywhere in the classroom.”
Another bill — HB 1348 filed by state Rep. Mitch Little (R-Lewisville) — requires Texas public schools to display the Ten Commandments.
These proposals come as Texas recently approved a new Bible-infused curriculum for its public schools.
Pepper-spraying drones for schools
HB 462, introduced by Rep. Ryan Guillen (R-Rio Grande Valley), aims to address school security by introducing drones equipped with pepper spray as an alternative for campuses that can’t afford armed security guards.
The Texas State Teachers Association called the measure “ridiculous,” according to KRLD NewsRadio, while supporters argue the use of drones could provide a rapid response to safety threats.
