Legislative Services

This week’s well-attended Tuesday Morning Breakfast served as the start of County Government Day at the Capitol. Before heading the three blocks from the Texas Association of Counties building to the Capitol, attendees surveyed the legislative landscape. The morning set the tone for a productive day of meetings with legislators, recognition of the important work counties do and a barbecue lunch hosted by TAC.

Here’s a quick rundown of selected highlights from this week’s briefing:

Leon County Judge Byron Ryder, president of the County Judges and Commissioners Association, alerted members to House Bill 1804 by Rep. Carl Tepper (R-Lubbock). This bill would make candidates and officeholders ineligible to run for or hold public office until the next election cycle if they fail to file required campaign finance or financial disclosure reports within 30 days of the due date. It would also authorize the Texas Ethics Commission to impose daily administrative penalties — up to $5,000 total — on political subdivisions, including counties, that fail to meet online reporting requirements.

Shannon Edmonds, executive director of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association, noted that an unusually high number of new bills this session would create new criminal offenses or enhance existing ones. These proposed changes could significantly affect county budgets and jails.

An aside: TDCAA’s weekly legislative updates are always worth reading, even if your county focus lies elsewhere.

HB 33, also known as the Uvalde Strong Act, passed the Texas House on Monday. It would establish a statewide active shooter response protocol, requiring sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies to adopt detailed policies and complete annual training for responding to active shooter incidents.

HB 4508 by Rep. John Smithee (R-Amarillo) would expand early voting hours by introducing a new population threshold. Counties with 10,000 or more residents would be required to offer at least 12 consecutive weekday hours during the final week of early voting, along with designated weekend hours. Counties with fewer than 10,000 residents would be required to provide extended hours on at least one weekend day, as agreed on by party chairs. The bill would also revise the criteria for state reimbursement of early voting costs in smaller counties.

For a more comprehensive look at recent legislative activity, check out the Bills on the Move article in this newsletter. To view all tracked bills by county office, visit our Bills by Office webpage.

There are just 30 days left in the regular session of the 89th Legislature. Long days lie ahead before sine die on June 2.

TAC’s Tuesday Morning Breakfast briefings can help you keep pace. Register here to attend our next meeting on May 6 in person or online starting at 7 a.m.