All state representatives and senators have already been referred to a variety of committees that will review the already filed and future bills. The deadline to file any new legislation is March 14.
1. New bill would create library advisory councils
Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, filed Senate Bill 13, which would give parents additional input in the books their children could check out from school libraries and direct the school districts to create library advisory councils.
The bill would allow parents to access the catalog of materials available at each school library and allow them to submit a list of materials their child cannot check out. The district’s board of trustees would also be required to form a local school library advisory council to assist district officials in “ensuring that local community values are reflected in each school library catalog in the district.”
The bill states the advisory council could only make recommendations that were in accordance with existing library standards. Instructional material would not be affected.
The idea of allowing parents to have more say in the books allowed in public schools was highlighted as a top priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
A library council would need to be made of at least five members appointed by the district’s board of trustees. The bill states the group can also include nonvoting members who are district teachers, district librarians, school counselors, students, the clergy or school administrators.
Their duties would include:
- Recommending policies and procedures related to acquiring library materials consistent with local community values
- Informing the district’s board of trustees whether the recommended library materials are appropriate for each grade level
- Recommending the removal of library materials
- Meeting at least twice a year
Lawmakers have created a new Texas Legislative-UK Caucus called Friends of the UK Caucus.
The caucus was announced Feb. 11 and is designed to strengthen the relationship between Texas and the United Kingdom, Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, said during a recorded Feb. 11 press conference at the Texas Capital.
Parker represents District 12, which includes the communities of Lewisville, Coppell and Argyle. He will co-chair the caucus alongside Texas Rep. Claudia Ordaz, D-El Paso.
The caucus will encourage a “productive dialogue on key policy areas” for the governments of both Texas and the UK, including energy, technology, health care and to exchange best practices, Parker said Feb. 11.
“Our caucus will further cultivate this very dynamic partnership, providing a framework for advancing economic opportunity as well as bilateral policy discussions and meaningful cultural engagement,” he said.
3. Tax on electric vehicle charging stations proposed
House Bill 2099, filed by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, on Jan. 27, would impose a tax on commercial electric vehicle charging services based on the amount of electricity transferred.
The tax—$0.26 per kilowatt hour—would be folded into the cost of charging a vehicle. The bill also states that charging providers would send a monthly report to the Texas Comptroller with the amount of tax collected and the number of kilowatt hours of electricity transferred in commercial charging services.
The comptroller would then deposit the proceeds from the collection of the tax imposed to the credit of the state highway fund, which is currently funded by motor fuel taxes, vehicle registration fees and sales taxes.
4. Bill to increase property tax exemptions passes unanimously
Senate Bill 4 was passed unanimously by State Senators on Feb. 13. It was co-authored by multiple members including Paxton; Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills; Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood; Parker; and Sen. Brent Hagenbuch, R-Denton from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
The bill, if passed by the House of Representatives, would increase the homestead exemption to $140,000. The exemptions would apply retroactively to 2025 tax bills, according to a news release Patrick shared on his website.
House Bill 2916 was filed recently to add protections to people who damage or destroy unmanned aircraft that fly over their property without permission.
The bill, which was filed on Feb. 19 by Texas Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, would add new legal defenses for individuals who destroy or damage unmanned aircraft that do not belong to them.
The new defenses, which would apply to a person who disabled, damaged or destroyed unmanned aircraft that was not authorized to be on or over their property, include:
- The damage or destruction took place on land legally owned by the person who destroyed it
- The damage or destruction was done using a legally possessed firearm
