Texas legislative session enters final week

Texas House Considers Bills as 2025 Legislative Session Enters Final Week

The Texas House considered various bills on the last day for the chamber to consider legislation sent over from the Senate, with a methodical tone prevailing for most of Tuesday.

Outnumbered Democrats Use Rules to Kill Bill

Senate Bill 552 was killed on a procedural point due to its caption not providing adequate notice of its provisions applying only to people who entered the United States without legal authorization.

A Bad Day for Bail Reform

Senate Joint Resolution 87 died, lacking three votes, with a 97-40 margin, failing to reach the two-thirds required to pass. Rep. J.M. Lozano wrote on social media, "I have no doubt that we will be called into a special session if this is not passed... We will ask for it to be reconsidered and will not stop until it passes," he wrote in a post on X.

Affordable Housing Bill to Shrink Home, Lot Size Caps

The Texas House preliminarily approved Senate Bill 15, which would allow smaller homes on smaller lot sizes, with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick designating it a priority. According to a 2024 Texas REALTORS report, the median age of Texas homebuyers is 49 years old. Sen. Paul Bettencourt said, "This bill cuts red tape and lets the market do its job... Local regulations and permitting issues are choking our housing supply and making it impossible for our communities to meet current and future demand." However, Rep. Ramon Romero argued, "I think it's really important that we think for a moment about what we do up here at the Capitol and how much local control we take away from the local electeds... It's important for us to allow these local officials to decide what these lot sizes are."

Ken Paxton's 'Date of Infamy' in the Texas House

Attorney General Ken Paxton was escorted out of the chamber by the sergeant at arms, as he does not have automatic House floor privileges. This incident occurred two years after the House voted to impeach him on 20 charges.

Machine Malfunction?

A bill offering student loan forgiveness for mental health counselors appeared doomed but ultimately passed after a verification process. Rep. Brian Harrison asked why House business wasn't halted to debug the "malfunctioning" machines, highlighting the practice of "ghost voting."

Abbott Signs Age Verification for Apps Bill

Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2420, requiring mobile phone app stores to verify the ages of users, despite a call from Apple CEO Tim Cook urging a veto, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Fighting Sexual Assault and Harassment on Campus

The House approved Senate Bill 500, requiring incoming students to attend an orientation on sexual harassment and assault policies, with amendments aimed at preventing suicide and reporting sex crimes.