At the Capitol
The 2025 Texas legislative session begins Jan. 14 in Austin, but local state Reps. Steve Toth and Valoree Swanson have filed 32 bills pertaining to parental rights, abortion regulations and election laws.
State Sens. Brandon Creighton and Paul Bettencourt filed an additional 13 bills regarding the removal and construction of historical monuments, property taxes and creating criminal offenses for election misconduct.
Bills to watch
Toth has nine bills up for consideration, including:
- House Bill 36: This would create a criminal offense for the purchase and use of abortion-inducing medicines and impose civil liabilities against online providers who prescribe the medication for nonmedically necessary abortions.
- House Bill 50: This bill would prohibit the purchase of land within the state by any governmental or business entity that “poses a risk to the national security of the United States,” as determined through the Department of Homeland Security’s annual threat assessment.
- House Bill 63: This bill would have all school board election candidates change from the current nonpartisan structure to partisan, which means candidates would have to register with a political party to run for school board positions.
- House Bill 496: This would create an option on ballots to vote for “none of the above” in local elections.
- House Bill 730: The bill would require school districts to keep a form available on the district’s website to allow parents to exempt children from being required to have any vaccinations on file to attend school.
- House Bill 789: This bill would require schools to have a consent form on file from parents before engaging in any psychiatric or psychological treatment of students.
- Senate Bill 316: This bill seeks to have the Texas Facilities Commission claim properties along the southern border under eminent domain for the construction of a proposed border wall.
- Senate Bill 317: This bill would require the removal and alteration of historical monuments and markers to go before a vote either by a governing body or a general election for approval.
- Senate Bill 320: This bill would reduce the limit a home’s appraised value can be increased year over year from 10% to 5% of the previous year’s value.
- Senate Bill 505: This bill seeks to allow candidates, judges or heads of specific-purpose political committees to file complaints and request information for any concerns regarding election results.
- Senate Bill 507: If passed, this bill would limit the number of ballots provided to an elections administrator’s office to the number of registered voters within the jurisdiction of the election.
- Senate Bill 511: This bill would prohibit state and local government employees from distributing voter registration forms unless specifically requested by a potential voter.
Legislators will begin the process of moving through bills filed across the state starting Jan. 14. State senators and representatives can file additional bills until March 14, at which point any new bills must be approved before being submitted to the Legislature. To search through the bills that have been filed, visit https://capitol.texas.gov/search/billsearch.aspx.
