Texas Legislative Session Ends: Key Bills Await Governor Abbott's Signature

End of the Texas Legislative Session

• 🗓️ The Texas legislature has concluded its session on "sine die," a Latin phrase meaning adjournment without a set return date.
• 🗳️ Lawmakers worked through the weekend to pass a final wave of bills, many of which are now on Governor Greg Abbott's desk for his decision.

Key Bills on the Governor's Desk

• 💰 Senate Bill 1, the state's 2-year budget of $338 billion, is a top priority. If signed, it will fund public school teacher raises, property tax cuts, and water infrastructure upgrades.
• 📱 House Bill 1481 proposes banning cell phone use for K-12 students during the school day, making Texas one of the latest states to consider such a measure.
• 🌿 Bills expanding eligibility for the state's medical marijuana program have also advanced.
• 🚫 A bill banning individuals tied to the governments of China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran from buying land in Texas passed over the weekend.
• 🤝 Another bill requiring Texas sheriffs to work with federal immigration authorities also made it through.

Special Session Outlook

• ❓ While special sessions have occurred in the past, current indications suggest one is unlikely this year.
• ✅ Governor Abbott appears to have achieved his key objectives, including school vouchers and public education funding, reducing the immediate need for further legislative action.

Controversial Bills That Did Not Pass

• 🗳️ A proposal requiring voters to prove citizenship missed a key deadline.
• 💊 A bill allowing lawsuits over abortion pill access also failed to pass.
• 🔞 A bill to ban minors from creating social media accounts and require age verification did not make it out of the Senate.