Past legislative sessions
Oppose HB 4, uphold the rights and dignity of every person, foster the common good
The following testimony was delivered on Nov. 9 before the House State Affairs Committee by Justin Estep, senior director of Immigration and Refugee Services, Catholic Charities of Central Texas. As a church of immigrants, the Catholic Church has a long history of involvement in the immigration issue. Our experience in working with immigrants throughout the…
Read MoreHB 4 not solution for immigration reform
The following testimony was delivered on Oct. 19 before the House State Affairs Committee by Justin Estep, senior director of Immigration and Refugee Services, Catholic Charities of Central Texas. The Catholic Church has a long history of involvement in the immigration issue. Our experience in working with immigrants throughout the years compels us to speak…
Read MoreBishop Olson testifies in support of SB8, parental choice
My name is Bishop Michael Olson and I serve as the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth that covers 28 counties in North Texas. I am here to testify on behalf of the Diocese of Fort Worth and the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops. We register initial support for the committee substitute for…
Read More88th Legislature Immigration Bills
88th Legislature Immigration Bills For years, burdens of an unworkable system of immigration have fallen heavily on states and communities along the US-Mexico border. The human and moral cost of ongoing federal inaction to create an effective set of policies to ensure safe and orderly migration is tragically reflected both in an unprecedented number of persons…
Read MoreTexas Catholic Conference of Bishops supports parental choice in education bills
AUSTIN — Recognizing education is one of the best means to escape poverty and that parents are best suited to determine the right educational choice for their children, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops (TCCB) supports a set of bills increasing parental choice in education. The bills have been filed by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, Sen.…
Read More88th Legislature Parental Choice Bills
88th Legislature Parental Choice Bills The bishops’ criteria for supporting parental choice legislation includes the following: a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, ensuring students with the greatest academic and financial need are first in line; academic accountability which requires accreditation and the administration of a norm- or criterion-referenced assessment each year (current practice…
Read MoreSupport Family Educational Relief Program, SB 1968
My name is Jennifer Allmon, and I am the Executive Director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in support of SB 1968. The Texas bishops believe parents are the primary and principal educators of their children and therefore must be free to determine the best educational environment for their children. To ensure quality…
Read MoreKeep Religious Liberty: Oppose SB 1669
My name is Lisette Allen and I am the Director of Education at the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in opposition to SB 1669. The Texas bishops support school choice and religious liberty that respects the independence and autonomy of private and religious schools, while also fostering strong public-school options. We are concerned with…
Read MoreSupport SB 1646 (Perry) | HB 4014 (Hefner)
The bishops seek to promote strong, stable, and healthy families, and oppose direct threats to innocent life, from conception to natural death. Our opposition to hormonal therapies and surgeries that aim at cross-sex transitioning or gender reassignment comes from this concern for the health of children and their families. For these reasons we support SB…
Read MoreReform of Texas Advance Directives Act HB 3099 (Coleman) | SB 1944 (Lucio)
All human life, no matter how disabled or critically ill, is of inherent dignity and incomparable worth; all are entitled to adequate healthcare. A balanced approach to end-of-life care equally respects the rights of patients in the natural process of dying and the conscience of healthcare professionals providing their care. The Texas Advance Directives Act…
Read MoreNo Abortions Funded by Taxpayers: Support HB 1173
My name is Shannon Jaquette and I am the Policy Analyst at the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in support of HB 1173. Last session the legislature had the wisdom and foresight to pass legislation to protect taxpayers from subsidizing abortion through preferential contracts and property deals. Despite the fact that time and time…
Read MorePromote Criminal Justice Reform: Support HB 1340
My name is Rachana Chhin, and I am the Legislative Counsel of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in support of HB 1340. The TCCB support criminal justice reform that provides for compassionate treatment of prisoners, responds to the needs of victims of crime, and encourages rehabilitation and forgiveness for those re-entering society. HB…
Read MoreChemical Abortion Safety Protocol: Support HB 2337
My name is Shannon Jaquette and I am the Policy Analyst at the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in support of HB 2337, the Chemical Abortion Safety Protocol. I want to be clear from the outset that no abortion is safe; every abortion is the intentional killing of an innocent human person. Until the…
Read MoreSupport Life: HB 1280
My name is Shannon Jaquette and I am the Policy Analyst at the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in support of HB 1280. Supporting pro-life laws is part of our history and heritage as Texans. The state of Texas has repeatedly passed legislation to recognize and respect the dignity of unborn human life. Our…
Read MoreReform the Texas Advance Directives Act: Support SB 1944
My name is Bishop Michael Olson and I am testifying on behalf of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops in support of SB 1944. The Texas Advance Directives Act dispute resolution process protects patients and physicians by providing a fair and reasonable process to resolve disagreements regarding end of life care decisions. While this law…
Read MoreOppose SB 917: No Unlimited Intervention
My name is Bishop Michael Olson and I am testifying on behalf of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops in opposition to SB 917. The Catholic voice behind the pro-life movement does not view death as the ultimate enemy. We view it through a lens of the inherent sanctity of human life, including life in…
Read MoreFamily Educational Relief Program SB 1968 (Bettencourt) | HB 4537 (Middleton)
The establishment of the Family Educational Relief Program, and an insurance premium tax credit for contributions made for purposes of that program, empowers parents and guardians to choose from public, private, charter or homeschool options for their children’s education. Catholic and other nonpublic school parents often make difficult sacrifices to pay tuition and fees while…
Read MoreDo not weaken consumer protection ordinances: oppose HB610
My name is Jennifer Allmon, and I am the Executive Director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in opposition to HB 610. The Texas bishops support prioritizing the poor and vulnerable when addressing social and economic needs through public policy, including by opposing usurious loans, payday, and auto title lending, as well as…
Read MorePrioritize the poor and vulnerable: Support HB 1916
My name is Jennifer Allmon, and I am the Executive Director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in support of HB 1916. The Texas bishops support prioritizing the poor and vulnerable when addressing social and economic needs through public policy. We seek to assist those who are in the greatest need through various…
Read MoreHomeowners’ rights: Support SB 581
My name is Jennifer Allmon, and I am the Executive Director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in support of SB 581. The Texas bishops support religious liberty especially as it pertains to human life, marriage, and the family, as well as supporting conscience protection for individuals and organizations. SB 581 seeks to…
Read MoreSupport Parents’ Rights: Testimony in Support of SB 442
My name is Shannon Jaquette. I am the Policy and Education Analyst for the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops and I am testifying in support of Senate Bill 442. As the primary and principal educators of their children, parents have the right and responsibility to impart their values in all aspects of their children’s education,…
Read MoreStop Subsidizing Abortion: Testimony in Support of SB650
My name is Jennifer Allmon and I’m the Executive Director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops. I am testifying in support of SB 650. Last session the legislature had the wisdom and foresight to pass legislation to protect taxpayers from subsidizing abortion through preferential contracts and property deals. Despite the fact that time and…
Read MoreRegulate Chemical Abortion: Testimony in Support of SB 394
My name is Jennifer Allmon and I am the Executive Director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops. I am here today to testify in support of SB 394, the Chemical Abortion Safety Protocol. I want to be clear from the outset that no abortion is safe; every abortion is the intentional killing of an…
Read MoreProhibit Abortion: Testimony in Support of SB9
My name is Jennifer Allmon and I am the Executive Director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops. I’m testifying in support of SB 9. Supporting pro-life laws is part of our history and heritage as Texans. The State of Texas has repeatedly and throughout our history passed legislation to recognize and respect the dignity…
Read MoreStrengthen Freedom of Conscience: Testimony in Support of SB 247
My name is Rachana Chhin, and I am a licensed Texas attorney and Legislative Counsel of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in support of SB 247. The Texas bishops support religious liberty especially as it pertains to human life, marriage, and the family, as well as supporting conscience protection for individuals and organizations.…
Read MoreReview Sentencing of Juveniles: Testimony in Support of HB 686
My name is Rachana Chhin, and I am the Legislative Counsel of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in support of HB 686. The Texas bishops support criminal justice reform that provides for compassionate treatment of prisoners, responds to the needs of victims of crime, and encourages rehabilitation and forgiveness for those re-entering society.…
Read MoreCriminal Justice Reform: Testimony in Support of HB 252
My name is Jennifer Allmon, and I am the Executive Director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in support of HB 252. The Texas bishops support criminal justice reform that provides for compassionate treatment of prisoners, responds to the needs of victims of crime, and encourages rehabilitation and forgiveness for those re-entering society.…
Read MoreCapital Jury Instructions HB 252 (Moody) | SB 189 (Lucio)
Capital Jury instructions should be truthful The current criminal justice system has both the tools for life imprisonment without execution and has significant flaws in sentencing practices that undermine the ability for the public to trust that every convicted person on death row in Texas is actually guilty. A capitol jury has a tremendous burden…
Read MoreConscience Protection for Healthcare Professionals HB 1291 (Bell) | SB 573 (Springer)
In 1973, the same year the Supreme Court changed abortion law in the U.S., Congress passed provisions collectively known as the Church Amendments to protect the conscience rights of workers and institutions in the healthcare industry (Federal Health Care Conscience Protection Statutes, 1973). In 1977, Texas followed suit with its own conscience protections of health…
Read MoreChaplain Access to Prisoners HB 1579 (White) | SB 654 (Bettencourt/Lucio/Springer)
The TCCB supports criminal justice reform that provides for compassionate treatment of prisoners, responds to the needs of victims of crime, and encourages rehabilitation and forgiveness for those re-entering society. Bills filed this session address both the overall need for prisoners to have access to spiritual support and the specific concerns of those awaiting capital…
Read MoreAlternative to Abortion Program
Human life is intrinsically valuable and should be protected by law from conception, which happens at fertilization, to natural death. The family is the sanctuary where parents teach children how they ought to live. The TCCB opposes direct threats to innocent human life, from conception to natural death, and promotes strong, stable, and healthy families.…
Read MoreHuman Life Protection Act or Trigger Ban SB 9 (Paxton) | HB 1280 (Capriglione)
The goal of the Human Life Protection Act, or Trigger Ban (SB 9/HB 1280) by Sen. Angela Paxton and Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, is to enact a complete ban on abortion that will go into effect when and to the extent that Supreme Court reverses its precedent preventing states from banning abortion – Roe v. Wade…
Read MoreChemical Abortion Regulation SB 394 (Lucio) | HB 2337 (Klick)
No abortion is safe; we mourn for each child who is killed in the womb. While abortion continues to be legal in the United States, we support efforts to mititgate its effects on mothers. We support the regulation of chemical (drug-induced) abortion to protect the health and safety of every woman considering a drug-induced abortion.…
Read MoreTwelve Month Continuous Medicaid for Children
Data shows that thousands of eligible children are being removed from the Medicaid program due to an inefficient, rushed process. Keeping a child enrolled for 12 months would allow parents peace of mind and ensure a child receives the continuous healthcare so necessary to keep a child healthy and out of the emergency room. …
Read MoreSB 2089: Complex bill still needs agreement
The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops (TCCB) applauds Sen. Bryan Hughes’ wise acceptance of Sen. Eddie Lucio’s amendment to SB 2089. As Sen. Hughes said with this amendment, SB 2089 is now a better piece of legislation and will ensure appropriate care for Texans facing important end-of-life decisions. The improved engrossed SB 2089 now protects…
Read MoreHB 874: Don’t criminalize those who default on usurious loans
Testimony by Rachana Chhin The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops support HB 874. This bill prevents criminal changes or threats of criminal charges for payday or auto-title loan defaults. The TCCB supports this bill to ensure that consumers who default on usurious loans are not faced with criminal charges. St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic…
Read MoreHB 190: Ensure payday and auto-title lenders verify ability to repay before issuing a loan
Testimony by Rachana Chhin Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops are in support of HB 190. The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops have regularly advocated for payday lending reform in the last few sessions. This is rooted in both scripture’s exhortation not to lend at usurious interest and Catholic Social Teaching’s preferential option for the poor…
Read MoreHB 2266: Repeal “anti-sanctuary cities” legislation
Testimony by Rachana Chhin The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops support HB 2266, which would repeal SB 4, passed in 2017, which was an “anti-sanctuary cities” law that required compliance with ICE detainers, preempted local law enforcement policies, and seeks to remove police chiefs who do not cooperate. We support HB 2266 to end the…
Read MoreSB 2355: Support reform of hospital ethics committees
Testimony given by Jennifer Allmon The TCCB would like to thank Senator Lucio for filing this bill to require hospitals to adopt and implement policies to prevent financial conflicts of interest and discrimination based on disability. While we support the basic structure of the Texas Advance Directives Act, over the last several years the bishops…
Read MoreSB 2129: Oppose unilateral authority of patients
Testimony given by Jennifer Allmon The Texas Catholic Bishops have worked on advance directives reform in Texas for decades, supporting legislation that respects autonomy and human dignity, both for patients and providers. All human life, no matter how disabled or critically ill, is of quality and incomparable worth and no one is less entitled to…
Read MoreSB 2089: Oppose indefinite medical interventions
Testimony given by Jennifer Allmon The Catholic voice behind the pro-life movement does not view death as the ultimate enemy. We view it through a lens of the inherent sanctity of human life, including life in its final stages, life that is in fact dying. We must oppose the approach taken by this bill. Requiring…
Read MoreHB 4199: Powerful message of profound respect for life
Testimony given by Jennifer Allmon This bill is short and simple, but presents a powerful message of profound respect for unborn life, the lives of persons living with disabilities, and the noble desire of doctors to do no harm to their patients. H.B. 4199 prohibits wrongful birth lawsuits that claim a child should have been…
Read MoreHB 773: No aqua cremation of human remains
Testimony provided by Jennifer Carr Allmon We oppose this bill because it allows for the aqua cremation of human remains using alkaline hydrolysis. The dehydration of human remains in a vat of chemicals is disrespectful of the human body and does not allow for burial of the body. Treating the dead with respect is a…
Read MoreHB 3899: Don’t override local zoning ordinances
Testimony provided by Jennifer Allmon On its surface, this bill violates the Catholic principal of subsidiarity, which notes that governmental decisions are best made by those closest to those impacted by the decisions. In political terms, this might be translated as legislation through consent of the governed. We recognize it is legitimate to protect the…
Read MoreHB 2350: Ban abortions “triggered” by court precedent
Testimony provided by Jennifer Allmon Supporting pro-life laws is part of our history and heritage as Texans. The State of Texas has repeatedly and throughout our history passed legislation to recognize and respect the dignity of unborn human life. Our state’s first prohibition on abortion 1854 remained intact for 120 years until Roe struck it…
Read MoreHB 1929: No subsidizing of abortion providers
Testimony provided by Jennifer Allmon HB 1929 will protect tax payers from subsidizing abortion providers through preferential contracts and property deals. Time and time again the people of Texas have made it abundantly clear that our citizens have a tremendous respect for unborn human life. This bill ensures that our tax dollars are not used…
Read MoreHB 16: Babies should be given medical care after “failed” abortion
Testimony given by Bishop Patrick Zurek, Amarillo Regardless of the circumstances of his or her birth, any baby merely by virtue of being born is a legally-recognized person. Under this bill, he or she must be treated like any other premature infant and given medical care appropriate to his or her age and needs. Actively…
Read MoreSB 22: stop subsidizing abortion providers
Testimony provided by Jennifer Carr Allmon Senate Bill 22 will protect tax payers from subsidizing abortion providers through preferential contracts and property deals. Time and time again the people of Texas have made it abundantly clear that our citizens have a tremendous respect for unborn human life. This bill ensures that our tax dollars are…
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