Texas Catholic Voice April 14, 2025

It’s going to be an exciting week at the legislature as Texas is poised to become the 34^th state to expand parental choice in education to non-public options. The House will take a historic vote on CSSB2 which establishes an education savings account (ESA) program with a $1 billion appropriation. Participating families will receive an amount equal to 85% of state and local funding per student, approximately $10,000, to pay for eligible expenses such as private school tuition and fees, computer software and hardware, uniforms, school lunch, and transportation. Homeschool families are eligible to receive $2,000 and children with a disability up to $30,000, equal to what they are entitled in public school.

In addition to SB2, the House will vote on HB 2, the $7.7 billion increase for public school funding that includes an increase to the basic allotment (BA) for 2026-27 and an ongoing automatic increase to the BA every biennium, tied to property values. The bill also includes automatic teacher pay raises, as 40% of new BA funding must go to salaries, prioritizing teachers with more experience. Other increased funding in the bill is designated for special needs, gifted and talented education, and fine arts.

HB 2 strengthens public schools while SB 2 increases access to educational alternatives; this is a win-win for Texas education.

Second Look

On Tuesday, the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence will hear HB 200, also known as Second Look, which reduces the length of time an inmate sentenced for a felony offense committed before the age of 18 must serve to become eligible for parole. It also requires additional parole considerations, including the diminished culpability of juveniles, the hallmark features of youth, and the greater capacity of juveniles for change. Second Look does not mandate release but allows for earlier consideration of parole for people who committed crimes when they were very young. This legislation is a significant reform that contributes to a system of restorative justice.

The TCCB office will be closed on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Monday. We wish everyone a blessed Holy Week and a Happy Easter.

Bills in Committee April 14-18

House Public Health, Monday, 8 a.m.

HB 2581 by Rep. Lacey Hull requires a Thriving Texas Families network contractor or service provider to submit requests for payment for services on a form that includes an itemized list of services and materials and an anonymized client signature. The TCCB supports this bill to ensure transparency and accountability in the Thriving Texas Families Program.

House Subcommittee on Juvenile Justice, Monday, 8 a.m.

HB 3882 by Rep. Suleman Lalani adds Texas Juvenile Justice Department, juvenile boards, and juvenile probation departments the list of eligible grant recipients in the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program. The TCCB supports this bill to provide job related resources to youth in the care of the TJJD.

House Subcommittee on County Government, Monday, 10 a.m.

HB 5580 by Rep. David Spiller mandates agreements between federal immigration law enforcement agencies and local sheriffs. The TCCB opposes this bill because it reduces the effectiveness of community policing by shifting the focus away from public safety.

House Ways & Means, Monday, 10 a.m.

HB 4226 by Rep. Penny Morales Shaw amends the Tax Code by stating that motor vehicles purchased by nonprofit food banks or that are primarily used by nonprofit food banks are exempted from taxes imposed on the sale, use or rental of motor vehicles. The TCCB supports this bill because it provides nonprofit food banks with tax relief helpful to carrying out their charitable mission.

Senate Local Governments, Monday, 11 a.m.

SB 867 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt redefines eligible residential developments to encompass those occupied or intended for occupancy by low and moderate-income individuals by removing the previous threshold of 90% occupancy. The TCCB supports this bill to improve housing affordability.

SB 1237 by Sen. Angela Paxton establishes enhanced guidelines for the exemption from ad valorem taxation for certain properties owned by charitable organizations that cater to elderly individuals, specifically those 62 years of age or older. The TCCB supports this bill to protect senior housing nonprofits from burdensome tax bills.

House Human Services, Tuesday, 8 a.m.

HB 4655 by Rep. Lacey Hull adds to the life skills education requirements for children aging out of the foster care system to include education on different credit reporting agencies, the risks of payday loans, unsecured loans, and motor vehicle title loans, including an explanation of interest rates and usurious loans, identifying and avoiding financial scams, opening and using a bank account, creating a balanced budget, financing a motor vehicle, and a common rental contract for housing. The TCCB supports this bill to provide financial literacy education as well as information on programs and services that may benefit children aging out of foster care.

HB 4730 by Rep. Lacey Hull requires DFPS to post on their website a form for the voluntary relinquishment of parental rights including circumstances under which an affidavit for relinquishment may be revoked and the parent's right to consider alternatives to adoption, apply for and potentially receive government benefits, consult with an attorney before signing, etc. It also requires a notice of rights for prospective adoptive parents be posted on the DFPS website and requires the minimum standards of child-placing agencies to include training on the parental rights of adoptive parents and procedures for the relinquishment of parental rights. The TCCB supports this bill to increase transparency in the adoption process.

HB 5302 by Rep. Nate Schatzline establishes the Texas Foster Care Post Adoption Assistance Account Program for the purpose of encouraging the adoption of Texas children waiting for adoption in the foster care system to assist parents with eligible post-adoption related expenses. The TCCB supports this bill to assist with the care of children adopted from foster care.

House Subcommittee on New Offenses & Changed Penalties, Tuesday, 8 a.m.

HB 4911 by Rep. Caroline Fairly adds depictions of children including computer generated depictions to the penal codes related to child pornography. It also increases penalties for staff of childcare or residential facilities or facilities who receive state funds for childcare. This is a first-degree felony, punishable by 25 to 99 years of imprisonment, if the actor was employed at the childcare facility or the actor displayed the material in a school library. It is an affirmative defense if the actor was not more than 2 years older than the depicted child. The TCCB supports this bill because it protects children from exploitation.

House Higher Education, Tuesday, 9 a.m.

HB 4701 by Rep. Terri Leo-Wilson adds the Classic Learning Test to the list of college entrance exams that public schools may offer. The TCCB supports this bill to allow assessment alternatives.

House Licensing & Administration, Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.

HB 2776 by Rep. Don McLaughlin increases the offenses that make an entity ineligible for a massage license, adding sexual offenses, sexual performance of a child, possession of child phonography, and possession of lewd material depicting a child. The TCCB supports this bill to protect children from harm and to prevent the trafficking of persons.

House Criminal Jurisprudence, Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.

HB 200 by Rep. Brad Buckley requires inmates serving a sentence for a felony offense committed when they were younger than 18 become eligible for parole the earlier of the date the inmate's actual calendar time equals 20 years or the date the inmate would otherwise be eligible for parole. It also requires additional parole considerations for inmates who were younger than 18 years of age at the time of the offense including the diminished culpability of juveniles, the hallmark features of youth, and the greater capacity of juveniles for change. The TCCB supports this bill to allow inmates a second look at long sentences for offenses committed in their youth.

HB 2507 by Rep. Jeff Leach amends existing laws to facilitate automatic nondisclosure of criminal history for certain misdemeanor defendants upon successful completion of their deferred adjudication community supervision. It specifically excludes serious offenses.

Importantly, eligible individuals are no longer required to pay the previously mandated $28 fee, ensuring the process is more accessible. The TCCB supports this bill to increase access to orders of nondisclosure for those who meet the qualifications.

HB 2761 by Rep. Ann Johnson specifically addresses situations where a trafficked child or disabled individual is coerced into prostitution. The TCCB supports this bill to improve prosecution of traffickers.

Senate Border Security, Tuesday, 11 a.m.

SB 2601 by Sen. Cesar Blanco enhances the definition of border crime to include smuggling. It mandates the establishment of a program by the OAG to compensate both landowners and lessees of agricultural land for real property damage caused by trespassers involved in border crimes or in response to law enforcement actions against such trespassers. Finally, the bill establishes that insurers cannot consider claims related to events documented concerning border crimes when setting policy rates. The TCCB supports this bill to provide relief to communities along the border who have experienced property damage.

Senate Health & Human Services, Wednesday, 8 a.m.

SB 2721 by Sen. Tan Parker requires licensure by the Texas Funeral Service Commission for a willed body program, human body acquisition service, authorized recipient, or non-transplant anatomical donation organization. It requires HHSC to adopt minimum standards for human body acquisition services. It also requires a record of each body and anatomical part donated be tagged with a unique identifier and the location until final disposition and prohibits unclaimed bodies from being donated for scientific use. The TCCB supports this bill to ensure the dignified treatment and disposition of human remains.

House Subcommittee on Disease and Women’s Health, Thursday, 8 a.m.

HB 488 by Rep. Ann Johnson requires HHSC to allow Medicaid reimbursement for function family therapy defined as short-term, intensive family-based therapeutic treatment for at-risk risk youth. The TCCB supports this bill to increase access to mental health services for at-risk youth.

House Land & Resource Management, Thursday, 8 a.m.

HB 5148 by Rep. James Talarico restricts municipal ordinances regarding stairway amounts to those jurisdictions with a professional fire department. Under this new framework, municipalities are prohibited from mandating more than one stairway in buildings that meet specific conditions such as being no more than six stories high, containing up to four units per floor, and specific fire safety features, including automatic sprinklers and fire-resistance rated enclosures. The TCCB supports this bill to increase housing availability.