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- Bill Filing Closes With Almost 8,000 Bills Filed
- NTC Joins Leaders Across Texas to Adcovate for R&D Tax Credit Extention
- Senator Perry Filed SB7 and Started The Flow of Crucial Water Legislation
- The Committee Hearing on ESAs Goes Through the Night
- Join the NTC and NDCC on Wednesday for a Lunch with Harvey Kronberg. Register HERE.
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The deadline for filing legislation passed last Friday. Lawmakers filed 8,607 bills which is an increase of 561 more bills than were filed in 2023. The total number of bills filed includes 5,584 House bills and 3,023 Senate bills. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced his second round of priority legislation which was reflected in several of the bills filed before the deadline. Patrick emphasized that he and members of the Senate have other important issues to be addressed through legislation in addition to his top 40 priorities. Many of the bills on Patrick’s priority list have already been taken up by Senate committees and several that were also designated as emergency items by Governor Greg Abbott have advanced to the House where they await action.
Senator Paul Bettencourt and Representative Charlie Geren filed the R&D tax credit extension bill, SB 2206 and HB 4393, last Tuesday. These bills offer a franchise tax credit for qualified research expenses. Texans for Innovation is leading the effort to extend and improve the current R&D incentive program which is set to expire at the end of 2026 without legislative intervention. We are proud to be part of this dynamic group recognizing the importance of the continuation of these tax credits for the future of innovation and our entire Texas economy.
Senator Charles Perry filed SB 7, a major water infrastructure proposal last Thursday. This bill aims to address multiple water related issues, including aging infrastructure, flood mitigation, and new water supply projects. Representative Cody Harris is leading the House efforts on water issues. He previously filed HB 16, which addresses matters similar to the Perry proposal. Both authors have also filed respective Joint Resolutions that would place a Constitutional Amendment on the November ballot. Both joint resolutions create dedicated revenue for water projects in the state, but they differ in their sources. SJR 66 pulls from insurance premium taxes and sales tax, while HJR 7 only pulls revenue from sales tax collections.
The House Public Education Committee took up their version of Education Savings Accounts, the number one legislative priority for Governor Greg Abbott, in a hearing that began at 8 am last Tuesday and adjourned at 6:30 am the following day. The bill remains pending but is expected to advance soon.
The Texas House Republican Caucus (THRC) recently announced its policy committee for the 89th legislative session. Representative Mike Schofield is chair of the sixteen-member committee and has appointed two members from each of the six policy regions as well as three appointed by Rep. Tom Oliverson, Caucus Chair. The Policy Committee will meet daily, in accordance with the House floor calendar, to provide legislative recommendations on critical bills. Rep. Ben Bumgarner and Rep. Nate Schatzline will represent the north region on the committee.
House committee schedules for the week can be found here along with Senate committee schedules here. Both chambers will convene at 2:00 p.m. today to refer more bills to committee. Upon conclusion of referring bills, the Senate intends to adjourn until 11:00 a.m. Tuesday.
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As the end of the session approaches, ensure you are staying up to date with all the Legislature's internal deadlines. Bookmark this helpful End-of-Session Deadline calendar to ensure your priorities get across the finish line.
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Join the NTC and NDCC for a legislative lunch here in Dallas.
Register HERE.
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