AUSTIN (KXAN) — During Texas legislative sessions, thousands of bills are considered, but only a few survive to become law. Due to the volume of bills, many never even receive a vote.
House Bills 521 and 1744, which would have permitted pregnant women to use the high-occupancy vehicle lane, did not receive floor consideration in the House.
Bills can die at many other stages in the process. Some of the unsuccessful bills would have:
- Created a ‘Texas Border Force’ (HB 7)
- Given a raise to state employees and retirees (HB 136)
- Reduced penalties for low-level marijuana possession (HB 218)
- Banned teaching sexual orientation or gender identity in schools (HB 890)
- Expanded medical marijuana access (HB 1805)
- Increased the legal age to buy assault rifles to 21 (HB 2744)
- Amended the Texas Constitution to allow wagering on sports (HJR 102)
- Provided property tax relief (SB 3)
- Limited what customers spend on electric “performance credits” (SB 7)
- Required public school classrooms to display the 10 commandments (SB 1515)
- Restricted municipal libraries from hosting certain events (SB 1601)
- Worked towards nursing home accountability and transparency (SB 1629)
- Provided teaching materials from the Texas Education Agency (SB 2565)
HB 100, a school funding bill, also failed. It included raises for teachers and would have enacted a voucher program in Texas.
Several deadlines precede the end of the session on May 29. Bills passed by one chamber had to leave the other’s committees by May 20, and Wednesday is the last day for a chamber to pass bills that were already passed by the other chamber.
One bill that died in the House State Affairs committee is SB 1029, which would have prevented state-funded insurance from covering transition-related medical care for all ages.
May 28 is the last day for the Texas House and Senate to pass bills that are currently in a conference committee, or to concur on changes made by the other chamber.
