Looking at the week ahead for the Texas Constitutional Enforcement Legislative Agenda and a few extra bills I am tracking.

We have switched now into the race for the finish in the Texas Legislature.

If a bill that originated in the House has not been placed on the Calendar by now, it is unlikely to be voted on by the House Rule deadline for second reading of regular House bills this Thursday, May 15. There are a large number of bills already on the Calendar. The House did NOT meet, today on Mother’s Day, as originally announced, and the Democrats have already begun chubbing (the practice of delaying by excessive discussion on bills), especially any bills protecting children or pushing back on the trans-agenda. There is no guarantee even that all the original House bills already on the Monday, May 12 Calendar will get a vote in time.

The bills I am tracking that are on the Monday’s House Calendar that might make it or might not by Thursday evening, in order of being in most danger, are:

• HB 3219 by Joanne Shofner that allow ivermectin sale without prescription.
• HB 2333 by Andy Hopper that extends statute of limitations on election law violations from 3 to 5 years
• HB 3441 by Shelley Luther that imposes liability on vax manufacturers who advertise in Texas (RPT Legislative Priority)
• HB 2078 by Stan Gerdes that modifies the process for updating groundwater district desired future conditions.
• HB 4271 by Stan Gerdes that requires TCEQ hearings for new composting facilities
• HB 3592 by Dade Phelan that limits individual contributions to Texas and local races from outside Texas (RPT Legislative Priority)
• HB 1586 by Lacey Hull that streamlines parents obtaining exemption from school vax requirements for their children (RPT Legislative Priority)

Note that bills that passed the Senate and need approval in the Texas House can be voted on second reading on the House floor until end of day, Tuesday, May 27. Those bills have to have the reports distributed out of committee by end of next week, Saturday, May 24. The practical deadline is probably sooner.

For bills coming from the House to the Senate, the last day the Senate rules allow a bill to be voted on is Wednesday, May 28.

My main focus this week will be to work to insure that the big three Texas Constitutional Enforcement bills that passed the House, get a timely hearing and vote in the Texas Senate. Those are:

• Texas Sovereignty Act – HB 796 – presumably will be assigned to Senate State Affairs. Presuming that State Senator Bob Hall, the author of the Senate companion, SB 80 will be the Senate sponsor. Bryan Hughes is the Senate State Affairs Chair. (RPT Legislative Priority)
• Currency Choice Amendment – HJR 175 – has not yet been received by the Senate, but presumably will be assigned to Senate Business & Commerce, where the Senate companion, SJR 55, has already been assigned. Charles Schwertner is Senate Business & Commerce Chair. Presumably, Senator Tan Parker, the author of the Senate companion, SJR 55 will be the Senate sponsor.
• Transactional Gold – HB 1056 – was assigned on May 6 to Senate Finance, chaired by Joan Huffman. Presumably, Bryan Hughes, the author of Senate companion SB 2002, will be the Senate sponsor.

Two bills on the Texas Constitutional Enforcement Legislative Agenda that are out of one chamber and have hearings up in the other chamber so far this week, are listed below.  You can make online comments in the House hearing below.

Monday, May 12

House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services – Starts at 8:00 am in E2.012

Online comments: https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c395

Hearing notice: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/schedules/html/C3952025051208001.HTM

SB 512 – Lois Kolkhorst – Prohibits money services companies like Paypal from penalizing Texas customers for speech the service provider does not like.

Tuesday, May 13

Senate Criminal Justice – Starts at 8:00 am in E1.016

Hearing notice:

https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/schedules/html/C5902025051308001.HTM

HB 45 – Lacey Hull/Joan Huffman Senate Sponsor – Allows Attorney General to prosecute human trafficking crime after 6 months inactivity by DA.

Texas Constitutional Enforcement
2025 Legislative Agenda Status Report

May 11, 2025

1. End Federal Overreach

Texas Sovereignty Act – Joint legislative committee recommends unconstitutional federal acts for declaration by legislature and governor. (RPT End Federal Overreach Priority). (RPT Platform Plank 20) (HB 796 Cecil Bell / SB 80 Bob Hall). May 7 – Passed Texas House!

Resist Federal Red Flag Orders -- (RPT End Federal Overreach Priority). (RPT Platform Plank 19 b) (HB 162 Briscoe Cain / SB 1362 Bryan Hughes). Mar 27 SB 1362 Passed Senate! May 8 Heard in House Crim Jurisprudence Subcommittee.

Protect County and District Attorneys From the Feds – Allows Attorney General to defend county and district attorneys in actions taken against them by the feds for enforcing state law, if the county/district attorneys request. (RPT End Federal Overreach Priority). (RPT Platform Planks 5 and 20) (SB 888 Lois Kolkhorst / HB 2460 Jeff Leach). Apr 10 – SB 888 Passed Senate. May 9 SB 888 Passed House.

Don’t Mess With Texas Elections – limits on funding from outside Texas for Texas races. (RPT End Federal Overreach Priority). (RPT Platform Plank 202) (SB 405 Mayes Middleton / HB 3592 Dade Phelan). Apr 16 HB 3592 passed House State Affairs. May 10 On House Calendar.

Disconnects Texas Firearms Law from Feds – removes prohibition of short barrel rifles from Texas law. (RPT Plank 19) (HB 259 Richard Hayes / SB 1596 Brent Hagenbuch) Apr 16 SB 1596 Passed Senate. Apr 30 Passed House Homeland Security. May 8 - in Calendars.

Stuck in Committee – the following RPT End Federal Overreach Priorities are stuck:

Protect the Texas National Guard (RPT Platform Plank 247) (HB 930 Briscoe Cain). (RPT End Federal Overreach Priority). House Homeland Security Mar 17 hearing. DEAD due to chair refusal to hold vote.

Resist FBI Weaponization Against Texans -- Require feds to get sheriff and AG permission for arrests and searches in county. (RPT Platform Plank 5) (HB 1982 & HB 3932 Andy Hopper.) DEAD due to chair refusal to hold hearing.

Run Texas Elections Separately from Federal Elections – (RPT Platform Plank 221 g) (HB 209 Mike Schofield, SB 106 Bob Hall).

Refuse to Cooperate With Federal Health Emergencies – (SB 131 Bob Hall).

2. Fighting Inflation, CBDC, Globalism, and ESG

Currency Choice Amendment to protect the natural right to hold and trade with any medium of exchange including cash, coin, digital currency, and scrip. (RPT Platform Plank 30 d and 80). (SJR 55 Tan Parker / HJR 175 Stan Gerdes / HJR 177 Andy Hopper). Apr 24 HJR 175 voted out of committee. May 9 Passed Texas House!

Transactional Gold –provide ability for Texans to use a credit card or digital app to spend stored gold or silver in ordinary transactions (RPT Platform Plank 80). (HB 1056 Mark Dorazio / SB 2002 Bryan Hughes) May 2 Passed Texas House w Geren poison pill amendment that needs to be stripped out in Senate. May 6 Assigned to Senate Finance.

Rule-of-Law Enforcement:

• Make Texas Supreme Court final arbiter of all constitutional questions (SB 1210 Bryan Hughes / HB 933 David Spiller). Apr 10 SB 1210 Passed Senate. Apr 17 HB 933 in Calendars. May 9 Considered in Calendars.
• Give AG prosecutorial authority for election law after 6 month inactivity by DA. (RPT Election Integrity Priority). (RPT Platform Plank 165) (SB 1026 Bryan Hughes / HB 5138 Matt Shaheen). (RPT Secure Texas Elections Priority). Apr 30 SB 1026 passed Texas Senate. May 9 HB 5138 (amended) passed Texas House.
• Give AG prosecutorial authority for human trafficking law after 6 month inactivity by DA. (RPT Platform Plank 165) (HB 45 Lacey Hull). May 1 Passed House. May 13 Hearing scheduled in Senate Criminal Justice.
• Give AG prosecutorial authority for riot & blocking roads after 6 month inactivity by DA. (RPT Platform Plank 165) (HB 5318 A.J. Louderback / SB 1650 Pete Flores). Apr 30 HB 5318 heard in House State Affairs. DEAD due to chair refusal to hold vote.
• Creates State Special Prosecutor under Texas Supreme Court with independent prosecutorial authority over election law, public integrity law, human trafficking law, abortion law, and riot law. (HB 4717 Mike Schofield). DEAD due to chair refusal to hold vote.
• State Prosecuting Attorney given concurrent, independent prosecution of election law. (SB 1367 Bryan Hughes). Apr 30 vote taken in Senate State Affairs. May 5 Committee report distributed.
• Super districts for prosecution (HB 4803 David Spiller / SB 2384 Bryan Hughes). Stuck in committees.

Prohibit Discrimination in Lending by Financial Firms based on ideology/ESG/Nature of Business - (RPT Platform Plank 31). Stop Paypal from imposing fines on free speech. (SB 512 Lois Kolkhorst  / HB 1516 Mike Schofield). Apr 28 – Passed Senate. May 12 Hearing scheduled in House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services.

Anti-ESG Bill – (SB 495 Kevin Sparks / HB 3899 Dennis Paul) – stops Texas Department of Insurance from implementing rules that implement ESG. Expands upon what Tom Oliverson and Ken King accomplished last session. Mar 19 SB 495 passed Senate. Apr 28 passed House Insurance. May 5 In House Calendars.

3. End Texas Executive Overreach and Protect Texas Medical Freedom

Stop Executive Overreach -- Amend Texas Disaster Act to insure that we never get lockdowns or mask mandates again and to stop open-ended criminal penalties for which executives define offense. Put conditions on delegation of power that legislature must approve emergencies after short time. (HB 5464 is RPT End Federal Overreach Priority). (RPT Platform Planks 8 and 114). (HB 5464 Shelley Luther /SJR 40 -SB 871 Brian Birdwell). HB 5464 DEAD due to not being heard in committee. Apr 10 - Birdwell's SJR 40/SB 871 Passed Senate. Apr 15 Assigned to House State Affairs. Apr 24 SJR 40 / SB 871 voted out of House State Affairs. Apr 29 in Calendars.

Liability for Advertising Vax Manufacturers – (HB 3441 Shelley Luther) – (RPT End Federal Overreach Priority). Apr 2 Hearing in House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence. May 12 on House Calendar.

Ivermectin Without Prescription - (HB 3175 Wes Virdell / HB 3219 Joanne Shofner) Apr 28 HB 3219 voted out of House Public Health. May 12 On Calendar.

Right to Refuse Vax for Med Students – (SB 2119 Kevin Sparks / HB 4927 Joanne Shofner). May 6 SB 2119 Passed Senate. May 8 in House Public Health.

Informed Consent for Child Vax -- (SB 95 Bob Hall). Passed Senate. Apr 22 in House Public Health. Stuck.

Comprehensive Medical Informed Consent - (RPT End Federal Overreach Priority). (RPT Platform Plank 114) (SB 754 Mayes Middleton / HB 3472 Mike Olcott). Stuck in Senate State Affairs & House Public Health.

“Gain-of-Function” Ban – ban gain-of-function research in Texas (RPT Platform Plank 159) (SB 1488 Bob Hall). Stuck in Senate K - 16 Education Apr 4.

Stop Mandatory Vaccinations - Constitutional amendment to add provision to Texas Bill of Rights to protect natural, unalienable right to decline vaccination. (RPT End Federal Overreach Priority). (RPT Platform Plank 114). (HJR 91 Andy Hopper, SJR 10 Bob Hall).  DEAD HJR 91 in  House State Affairs for lack of hearing. SJR 10 stuck in Senate HHS.

4. Border Enforcement

Stop the Magnet – stop taxpayer services to illegal aliens (RPT Border Enforcement Priority). (RPT Platform Plank 232) (HB 4745 - Mike Olcott). DEAD in House State Affairs due to lack of hearing.

5. Freedom to Travel

Right to Repair – Stop monopoly on repair of digital electronics including vehicles . (RPT End Federal Overreach Freedom to Travel Priority). (RPT Platform Plank 49). (HB 2963 – Gio Capriglione / SB 2428 Bob Hall). May 10 - Passed Texas House!

Anti Road Diet – Stops some funds from being used to reduce lanes of traffic. (RPT End Federal Overreach Freedom to Travel Priority). (RPT Platform Plank 49). (HB 4348 – Gio Capriglione / SB 1993 Bob Hall). Apr 29 – Heard in Transportation. May 10 in Calendars, but likely dead because not already on Calendar.