Tuesday marks the final deadline for Senate Bills to be considered in the Texas House, setting the stage for a last-stand by lawmakers pushing priorities for their districts and the state. As of 10 a.m. Tuesday, the Senate and House had sent a combined 381 bills and joint resolutions to the governor's desk.
In Texas, a bill can become state law with or without the governor's signature. Once a bill has been sent to the Governor's desk, the governor has 30 days to either sign or veto the bill. After that, the bill automatically becomes state law without the governor's signature. To date, Governor Greg Abbott has vetoed more than 150 bills as the state's executive officer.
While the House is working till midnight, we're putting together a recap of the bills signed by the governor so far this session. This is a highlight of some of the major bills signed into law by the governor:
SB 8 sponsored by Shelby Slawson, also known the Texas Heartbeat Act, prohibits abortion after the detection of an unborn child’s heartbeat. Effective on Sept. 1, 2021
HB 7 by Angie Chen Button creates a stopgap solution to ensure Texas’ unemployment fund remains solvent without crushing Texas small businesses that pay into the fund. Effective Immediately
HB 1195 by Charlie Geren protects small businesses by not taxing them for receiving Paycheck Protection Program loans. Effective Immediately
HB 1033 by Tom Oliverson increases drug price transparency by requiring pharmaceutical drug manufacturers to report certain information after prescription drug price increases. Effective on Sept. 1, 2021
HB 17 ensures homeowners, builders, and businesses have the ability to decide how best to meet their energy needs by preserving customer choice and access to energy sources in Texas. Effective Immediately
HB 1024 by Charlie Geren allows restaurants to sell alcohol-to-go. Effective Immediately
HB 103 by Brooks Landgraf establishes the Texas Active Shooter Alert System so citizens are made aware when violent threats are occurring. Effective on Sept. 1, 2021
SJR 27 sponsored by Jeff Leach gives Texas voters the opportunity to strengthen religious freedom by changing the state Constitution to include a ban on local officials closing houses of worship. (Note: Joint Resolutions are not signed by the governor. They are filed with the Secretary of State to give notice of a Constitutional Prop Ballot initiative.)
With less than a week to go before Sine Die, the Legislature still has the runway to land major victories for Texas. Bills passed today will still have time to go to a conference committee between the House and Senate; or, the bill's author will make a motion concur in the originating chamber.
For more policy updates for the 87th Texas Legislature, click the news article links below. To view a list of all the bills sent to the governor so far, click here.