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89th Texas Legislative Session

The 89th Texas Legislature concluded its 140-day regular session on Monday, June 2. With more than 9,000 bills filed, this session brought forward major legislative action, including landmark investments in public education, workforce development, and long-term water infrastructure.

 

As the leading voice for Houston’s business community, the Greater Houston Partnership worked closely with state lawmakers to advance priorities that reflect the scale and impact of our 12-county region, home to more than 7.7 million residents and responsible for nearly one-quarter of the state’s GDP.

 

In addition to the Partnership’s Executive Priorities, legislators addressed a wide range of issues critical to our region and the state. Below is a selection of key outcomes from the session. This is not an exhaustive list. For full bill tracking and analysis, visit the Texas Legislature Online.
Texas Legislature Online.

View Our End of Session Recap

water infrastructure

Water Infrastructure

House Joint Resolution 7    
STATUS: Filed with the Secretary of State, On the November 4 constitutional election ballot    
This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to authorize $1 billion per year for the next 20 years for the Texas Water Fund. Texas voters will decide this November whether to allow the state to dedicate available funding for projects that increase the water supply and address aging infrastructure. Texas has similar dedicated funding for transportation projects and the state's rainy day savings account. The Partnership supports the final approval of this constitutional amendment to secure our region's water needs. 

Senate Bill 7    
STATUS: Signed by the Governor, See the bill for rolling effective dates
This is the omnibus water spending bill that expands the authority for the Texas Water Fund and outlines a path forward to address our state's water supply and infrastructure needs. This bill is closely tied to House Joint Resolution 7, which will ask Texas voters in November to approve dedicating $1 billion per year over the next 20 years to fund water projects. The goal is to allocate 50% of the funding for projects that create a new water supply, and the remainder will be assigned to other eligible projects, including flood infrastructure, repairing leaky and broken pipes, and other related initiatives. This bill was critical for the City of Houston and the region to address the ongoing needs related to growth and business expansion. Click here to read more about the potential impact of both pieces of legislation.

Workforce Development

House Bill 11     
STATUS: Signed by the Governor, Effective Immediately     
This new law immediately expands occupational license reciprocity agreements, allowing more out-of-state professionals to work in Texas. This critical bill expands the workforce talent pool and recruitment for the best and brightest to our state. 

House Bill 20     
STATUS: Signed by the Governor, Effective Immediately  
This bill establishes the Applied Sciences Pathway program, which allows high school students in grades 11 and 12 to simultaneously earn their diplomas and workforce certificates through partnerships between school districts or charter schools and institutions of higher education. The program focuses on high-wage, high-growth technical fields and counts student participation toward full-time attendance requirements. It also permits limited course substitutions with career and technical education (CTE) credits. Click here for more on this legislation.

House Bill 120
STATUS: Signed by the Governor, See the bill for rolling effective dates. 
This bill enacts wide-ranging reforms to strengthen Texas's college and career readiness efforts for public school students. The bill requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to set a statewide career readiness goal, publish postsecondary outcomes by campus, and support data-driven local planning. School districts must adopt detailed annual goals for student credential attainment and long-term consequences, post public reports, and assign staff to track progress.

The bill also expands dual credit access for recent high school graduates in P-TECH and R-PEP programs, boosts funding for CTE programs and certifications, and allows districts to use existing funds to provide post-graduation advising. It creates a new $50,000 Military Pathway Grant for JROTC programs, raises caps on P-TECH and R-PEP funding, and enhances certification reimbursement limits. The accountability system has been updated to tie industry certifications to postsecondary wage and job outcomes, and it sets new rules for revising performance standards. Click here for more on this legislation.

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Public School Funding & Early Childhood Education

House Bill 2    
STATUS: Signed by the Governor, See the bill for rolling effective dates
This is the omnibus school finance bill that added $8.5 billion in new programmatic funding for public education. The bill includes $4.2 billion in teacher pay raises, bonuses, and retention allotments, as well as support staff. The bill also includes new funding for special education, state aid for insurance costs, expanded workforce data reports, and college and career preparation. Locally, Region IV schools are expected to receive more than $1 billion in combined funding under the new formulas. 

House Bill 117    
STATUS: Signed by the Governor, Effective Immediately    
This bill establishes a Governor’s Task Force to enhance the administration of early childhood education programs in Texas. The task force will comprise leaders from state agencies and experts in early learning, and will examine ways to enhance program efficiency, better alignment, and accessibility for families. It must submit policy and budget recommendations by December 2026 and will be dissolved in 2027.

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Public Policy

Constitutional Ballot Could Have Big Implications for Houston Region

7/10/25
This November, millions of Texas voters will head to the polls to decide whether to approve or reject 17 proposed constitutional amendments by state lawmakers. It’s an annual process that plays out in the fall during odd-numbered years following a legislative session.  This year, however, the potential benefits for the Houston area are greater based on two key funding proposals: $1 billion annually for water projects and $300 million annually for a newly created Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT). Secretary of State Jane Nelson drew the order for the November 4 ballot last month, following the end of the veto period. As the state’s top election official, the Secretary of State oversees organizing the constitutional election. The propositions are drawn at random to determine the order in which they appear on the ballot. The two key propositions supported by the Partnership are as follows: Prop 4: "The constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of the revenue derived from state sales and use taxes to the Texas water fund and to provide for the allocation and use of that revenue." Prop 14: "The constitutional amendment providing for the establishment of the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, establishing the Dementia Prevention and Research Fund to provide money for research on and prevention and treatment of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and related disorders in this state, and transferring to that fund $3 billion from state general revenue." The language above is precisely what will be included on the ballot. However, there is much more to these propositions and the legislation passed into law that makes these initiatives possible. Click here to read more about the potential $20 billion investment in water. Click here to learn more about the potential impact $3 billion in total funding for DPRIT could have on Houston’s medical research community. Included in the additional 15 propositions are recommendations related to the creation of a dedicated fund to support skilled trade programs at Texas State Technical College, changing the state’s tax code, and providing a tax exemption to surviving spouses of fallen veterans in specific scenarios.  A complete list of the ballot order and prop language is available on the Secretary of State’s website.  
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Public Policy

Show Houston the Money: Exploring the $338 Billion Texas Budget

7/10/25
This year, Texas lawmakers passed a historic spending bill that increased the two-year funding total by more than $27 billion over the previous budget. A portion of that spending was included in the Supplemental Budget (House Bill 500), providing immediate funding for targeted projects. The direct impact on the Houston area over the next two years is significant: $1.22 billion in new programmatic funding for 47 school districts around the Houston region $1.17 billion across local medical schools Nearly $362 million in dedicated funding for flood prevention & water supply projects $135 million for regional operational centers for the Texas Department of Emergency Management and other emergency operations $12.8 million for upgrades to the Harris County Psychiatric Hospital Click here for an infographic highlighting other policy victories for the state and the city of Houston. These targeted investments are enormous for the Houston region, but there is also much more on the horizon. On November 4, Texas voters will decide on 17 constitutional propositions, two of which could bring more funding to local communities, including: Prop 4: Authorizing the legislature to dedicate $1 billion annually to the Texas Water Fund over the next 20 years Prop 14: Authorizing the creation of a Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and providing $3 billion over the next 10 years Exploring the Budget The Partnership has updated its Budget Explorer Tool with the final version passed by lawmakers. Using this tool, you can explore topline funding by agency, specific funding for water and education programs, and search new funding projections for individual school districts. There is also a table of contents that links to appropriations for each agency.  Here’s a quick reminder on how to read the state budget: Method of Financing: From where does the money come (i.e., state, federal, or other)? Strategy Funding: The highlighted funding for specific programs and targeted goals for the agency Riders: This is the last section of the agency funding in the bill, and it gives specific instructions on how the dollars are to be spent. Article IX: This is where you will find additional provisions on spending and revenue, as well as contingency funding.  For more updates and alerts on the Texas Legislature, click here to sign up for our policy newsletter. 
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Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer
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