Governor Abbott initially released 17 agenda items for the 2nd Called 87th Special Session. On August 25, he added one more item to the call. The last day for either chamber to take any action is September 6, 2021. Below is a spotlight of legislation on the move that falls under the Governor’s call.
BAIL REFORM:
SB 6 (Huffman) Relating to rules for setting the amount of bail, to the release of certain defendants on a monetary bond or personal bond, to related duties of certain officers taking bail bonds and of a magistrate in a criminal case, and to the reporting of information pertaining to bail bonds.
- Engrossed in Senate August 9th (27-2)
- Passed the House August 30th (85-40)
SJR 3 (Huffman) Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring a judge or magistrate to impose the least restrictive conditions of bail that may be necessary and authorizing the denial of bail under some circumstances to a person accused of a violent or sexual offense or of continuous trafficking of persons.
- Engrossed in the Senate August 9th (27-2)
- Did not meet vote threshold and failed to pass in the House August 30th (87-35)
ELECTION INTEGRITY:
SB 1 (Hughes) Relating to election integrity and security, including by preventing fraud in the conduct of elections in this state; increasing criminal penalties; creating criminal offenses.
- Engrossed in Senate August 12th (18-11)
- Passed to 3rd reading in the House August 26th (79-37)
- Conference committee report distributed August 30th
FEDERAL RELIEF APPROPRIATIONS:
SB 11 (Nelson) Relating to making supplemental appropriations and giving direction regarding appropriations.
- Passed out of Senate Finance August 29th (15-0)
HB 5 (Bonnen) Relating to making supplemental appropriations and giving direction regarding appropriations.
- House Calendars rule adopted August 26th (109-0)
- Postponed until September 1st at 10:00 AM
EDUCATION:
SB 15 (Taylor) Relating to virtual and off-campus electronic instruction at a public school, the satisfaction of teacher certification requirements through an internship teaching certain virtual courses, and the allotment for certain special-purpose school districts under the Foundation School Program.
- Engrossed in Senate August 11th (27-2)
- Passed the House August 30th (119-7)
BORDER SECURITY:
HB 9 (Bonnen | et al.) Relating to making supplemental appropriations relating to border security and giving direction regarding those appropriations.
- Passed the House August 30th (85-36)
- Referred to Senate Finance August 30th
SOCIAL MEDIA CENSORSHIP:
SB 5 (Hughes) Relating to complaint procedures and disclosure requirements for, and to the censorship of users’ expressions by, social media platforms.
- Engrossed in Senate August 11th (17-12)
- Referred to House Constitutional Rights & Remedies Committee August 19th
HB 20 (Cain | et al.) Relating to censorship of or certain other interference with digital expression, including expression on social media platforms or through electronic mail messages.
- Passed the House August 30th (77-49)
- Referred to Senate State Affairs August 30th
ARTICLE X FUNDING:
SB 11 (Nelson) Relating to making supplemental appropriations and giving direction regarding appropriations.
- Passed out of Senate Finance August 29th (15-0)
HB 5 (Bonnen) Relating to making supplemental appropriations and giving direction regarding appropriations.
- House Calendars rule adopted August 26th (109-0)
- Postponed until September 1st at 10:00 AM
FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION:
SB 9 (Huffman | West) Relating to requiring public schools to provide instruction and materials and adopt policies relating to the prevention of child abuse, family violence, and dating violence.
- Engrossed in Senate August 9th (29-0)
- Left pending in House Public Education August 24th
YOUTH SPORTS:
SB 2 (Perry) Relating to requiring public school students to compete in interscholastic athletic competitions based on biological sex.
- Engrossed in Senate August 11th (19-10)
- Left pending in House Public Education August 25th
ABORTION-INDUCING DRUGS:
SB 4 (Lucio) Relating to abortion complication reporting and the regulation of drug-induced abortion procedures, providers, and facilities; creating a criminal offense.
- Engrossed in Senate August 11th (19-10)
- Passed to third reading in the House August 30th (83-42)
THIRTEENTH CHECK:
SB 7 (Huffman) Relating to a one-time supplemental payment of benefits under the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
- Engrossed in Senate August 9th (29-0)
- Passed the House August 30th (125-0)
CRITICAL RACE THEORY:
HB 28 (Toth | et al.) Relating to curriculum, materials, and activities in public schools.
- Left pending in House Public Education August 24th
APPROPRIATIONS:
SB 10 (Nelson) Relating to making appropriations for the legislature and legislative agencies.
- Voted out of Senate Finance August 29th (15-0)
HB 1 (Bonnen) Relating to making appropriations for the legislature and legislative agencies.
- House Appropriations report sent to Calendars August 25th
SB 8 (Bettencourt) Relating to the authority of a person who acquires a residence homestead to receive an ad valorem tax exemption for the homestead in the year in which the property is acquired and to the protection of school districts against the resulting loss in revenue.
- Engrossed in Senate August 9th (29-0)
- Passed to 3rd reading in the House August 26th
SB 12 (Bettencourt | Kolkhorst) Relating to the reduction of the amount of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed by a school district on the residence homestead of an individual who is elderly or disabled to reflect any reduction from the preceding tax year in the district’s maximum compressed rate and to the protection of school districts against the resulting loss in local revenue.
- Engrossed in Senate August 9th (29-0)
- Passed to 3rd reading in the House August 26th
SJR 2 (Bettencourt | Kolkhorst) Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the reduction of the amount of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for general elementary and secondary public school purposes on the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled to reflect any statutory reduction from the preceding tax year in the maximum compressed rate of the maintenance and operations taxes imposed for those purposes on the homestead.
- Engrossed in the Senate August 10th (29-0)
- Adopted in the House August 26th (116-0)
PRIMARY ELECTIONS:
SB 13 (Huffman) Relating to dates of certain elections to be held in 2022.
- Engrossed in Senate August 9th (28-1)
- Passed to 3rd reading in the House August 26th (91-25)
RADIOACTIVE WASTE:
HB 7 (Landgraf) Relating to the transportation, storage, or disposal of high-level radioactive waste.
- Placed on House General State Calendar August 27th
HB 200 (Landgraf) Relating to the prohibition on the transportation, storage, and disposal of high-level radioactive waste in certain areas.
- Voted out of Environmental Regulation August 30th
EMPLOYMENT:
SB 14 (Creighton) Relating to the regulation by a municipality or county of certain employment benefits and policies.
- Engrossed in Senate August 11th (18-11)
- House State Affairs report sent to Calendars August 27th
STATE LEGISLATURE:
SJR 1 (Birdwell) Proposing a constitutional amendment relating to the determination of a quorum of the senate or house of representatives.
- Senate passed to engrossment as amended August 11th (19-10)