Texas Catholic Voice April 7, 2025

Thank you to everyone who traveled to the Capitol last week for Advocacy Day! It was such a joyful day and the exuberance and smiles on everyone’s faces was a powerful Christian witness in the public square.

Some of my favorite moments included the beautiful Mass celebrated by Archbishop Vasquez, co-emceeing the rally with Bishop Toups, and seeing our Catholic school students everywhere I turned in the Capitol.

A special thank you to all the (arch)bishops, (arch)diocesan Advocacy Day coordinators, and their delegates for meeting with legislators and conveying the Church’s message with conviction and charity.

On Thursday, the House Committee on Public Education voted out CSHB 2, which provides an additional $7.7 billion in public school funding, and CSSB 2, which establishes an education savings account (ESA) program. “CS” stands for “committee substitute,” meaning these are not the original bills as filed. We supported both the Senate (SB 2) and House (HB 3) versions establishing an ESA program, but preferred HB 3 due to its better prioritization of the poor and vulnerable. CSSB 2 includes the HB 3 prioritization.

The bill was also amended with language that prohibits undocumented immigrants from participation. We welcome students in our Catholic schools, regardless of immigration status, out of respect for the rights and dignity given by our Creator to each human person. We do not require information on students’ immigration status when they apply for tuition assistance.

At the same time, the Church recognizes that in some public benefit programs the state does not include immigrants in the eligibility and, while we may not agree with such decisions, we still support the underlying public benefit programs. CSSB 2 applies this same standard for the new Education Savings Accounts.

We anticipate these bills being set on the House calendar before the Easter break for a full vote. For more details on CSHB 2 and CSSB 2, check out our one-pager.

On Thursday, April 10, the House will take up the budget, HB 1, which is the only bill required to pass during any legislative session. Several hundred amendments will be filed ranging from very good to neutral to very bad. We will take a position on the good and the bad and distribute a one-pager to legislative offices.

Unfortunately, SB 854, the “Yes in God’s Backyard” bill that allows churches to increase access to housing affordability through building on church property is stalled in the Senate. We encourage calls to Senators to pass the bill.

Bills in Committee April 7-11

House Public Health, Monday, 8 a.m.

HB 44 by Rep. Charlie Geren clarifies the civil liability statues to ensure that medical professionals are not hesitant to provide appropriate care for mothers with pregnancy complications. The TCCB supports this bill to ensure that women receive the necessary care when facing life-threatening pregnancy compilations.

HB 2200 by Rep. Ana Hernandez allows cremation through "natural organic reduction." It amends the definition of cremated remains by adding "essential elements" remaining after the cremation process. The TCCB opposes this bill as natural organic reduction fails to treat human remains with reverence and respect. 

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

HB 31 by Rep. Senfronia Thompson proposes important reforms to the Texas juvenile justice system, including a definition of "mitigating evidence," which allows consideration of a child's growth, maturity, and potential for change during proceedings, a prohibition on the use of chemical dispensing devices in juvenile facilities, and setting stringent requirements for solitary confinement. The TCCB supports this bill to improve treatment of children in the juvenile justice system.

HB 3360 by Rep. David Cook creates a stricter framework for handling youth involved in serious criminal conduct while under the supervision of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. It prohibits community supervision for felony offenses committed by individuals over 17 while in juvenile custody. It lowers the standard for determining habitual felony conduct from two previous adjudications to one. It changes how dispositions and modifications are managed so that courts can now transfer older juvenile offenders (18+) to adult systems. The TCCB opposes this bill which seeks to bring harsher sentences to youth and prematurely transfer them to the adult system, putting them at risk.

Senate Water, Ag & Rural Affairs, Monday, 8 a.m.

SB 1663 by Sen. Judith Zaffarini requires that the Commission must issue notice as soon as practicable, but not later than 30 days after becoming aware of contamination. The methods of notification have been expanded to include not just traditional means like first-class mail but also e-mail and physical notices at residences, ensuring a broader outreach and timely information dissemination. It additionally requires notification of residents living within one mile of the contamination site. The TCCB supports this bill to improve notice of water safety. 

House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services, Monday, 10 a.m.

HB 4238 by Rep. Morgan Meyer establishes protection mechanisms for victims of identity theft. If consumers provide specific types of documentation including a criminal complaint, a court declaration of identity theft victim status, or a properly filed FTC identity theft report creditors and debt collectors are forbidden from attempting to collect the disputed debts. The TCCB supports this bill to provide protections for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking who have debt incurred in their name by an abuser (coerced debt) and other victims of identity theft. 

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

HB 3232 by Rep. Cody Harris establishes a strong families tax credit for contributions to eligible organizations that provide comprehensive case management services for at-risk families, services and resources to assist fathers in learning and improving parenting skills, and does not directly or indirectly provide abortion services. The TCCB supports this bill to encourage charitable giving for life-affirming case management. 

Senate Local Governments, Monday, 10:30 a.m.

SB 844 by Sen. Bryan Hughes bill establishes new protest procedures for zoning regulation changes, removing barriers to the production of  “Missing Middle” housing units, including charitable initiatives such as Habitat for Humanity homes. Current law allows a small minority of property owners to halt these efforts. The TCCB supports this bill to remove such barriers and increase access to affordable homes. 

House Subcommittee Family & Fiduciary, Monday, 2 p.m.

HB 1044 by Rep. Salman Bhojani extends the list of those authorized to conduct marriage ceremonies to include a wider spectrum of interfaith representatives. The TCCB supports this bill to respect the religious liberty of persons of other faiths seeking marriage.

HB 3284 by Rep. James Frank establishes the Texas Commission on Marriage and Family to study and develop strategies for promoting strong marriages and healthy families and make recommendations to the legislature to advance the goal of creating an environment favorable for marriage and raising children. The TCCB supports this bill to support strong marriages in Texas. 

House Intergovernmental Affairs, Tuesday, 8 a.m.

HB 158 by Rep. Richard Raymond creates a study on using surplus government property to provide housing to low income veterans. The TCCB supports this bill to increase housing options for low income veterans. 

House Public Education, Tuesday, 8 a.m.

HB 3629 by Rep. Candy Noble amends the Education Code to add that a person who is required to register as a sex offender is ineligible to serve as a trustee of an independent school district. The TCCB supports this bill because it enhances child protective measures in schools. 

Senate Criminal Justice, Tuesday, 8 a.m.

SB 1124 by Sen. Joan Huffman allows a court to limit a defendant's request for discovery if the court finds that it is unduly broad or burdensome or implicates the security and privacy interests of any victim or witness and the document, item, or information was not shown to be reasonably necessary to the defense. The bill also limits discovery to evidence "relevant to any fact of consequence in determining" the action replacing "material to any matter involved in" the action. It also requires that the request for discovery be a "specific written" request. The TCCB opposes this rollback of the Michael Morton Act which seeks to prevent wrongful convictions by ensuring defendants have access to all potentially exculpatory information. 

Senate Education K-16, Tuesday, 9 a.m.

SB 571 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt closes the loophole in the do-not-hire registry that allows contracts to evade placement on the registry. The TCCB supports this bill to expand child protection in schools.

SB 1224 by Sen. Kevin Sparks requires superintendents or directors of school districts or charter schools to notify the municipal police department or the county sheriff not later than 48 hours after the superintendent or director becomes aware that an educator is alleged to have engaged in misconduct. The TCCB supports this bill to prioritize the protection of children.

SB 2392 by Sen. Phil King includes investigations by school security officers for criminal sexual misconduct on the list of activities to be reported to law enforcement. Notice should be given as soon as practicable but not later than 72 hours. The TCCB supports this bill to protect children from harm.

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

HB 2777 by Rep. Toni Rose prohibits imposition of the death penalty on individuals who meet the severe mental illness criteria at the time of their offenses. Findings that a defendant had severe mental illness results in a mandatory life sentence without parole, rather than a death sentence. The TCCB supports this bill which protects those with severe mental illness from death while protecting the public through the convicted person serving life without parole. 

Senate Health & Human Services, Tuesday, 2 p.m.

SB 2023 Sen. Cesar Blanco allows HHSC to develop a deceased paupers grant program to award grants to counties for the purpose of paying certain costs associated with the disposition of deceased paupers' bodies. The TCCB supports this bill to ensure burial for the poor. 

House Insurance, Wednesday, 8 a.m.

HB 4392 by Rep. Matthew Morgan prohibits insurers from limiting or refusing to provide coverage to an individual based upon their status as widowed. It also prohibits insurers from charging a widowed individual a rate that is different than if the individual's marital status was married. The TCCB supports this bill because it protects widows from unfair treatment premised upon their widowed status. 

House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development, Wednesday, 8 a.m.

HB 3191 by Rep. Angie Chen Button establishes an employer child-care contribution partnership program to support families in accessing high-quality child care by incentivizing eligible employers to contribute to employee child-care costs and providing a state match for those funds. Contributions are eligible for a tax credit. The TCCB supports this bill to increase access to affordable childcare. 

Senate Finance, Wednesday, 8 a.m.

SB 2018 by Sen. Angela Paxton establishes a strong families tax credit for contributions to eligible organizations that provide comprehensive case management services for at-risk families, services and resources to assist fathers in learning and improving parenting skills, and does not directly or indirectly provide abortion services. The TCCB supports this bill to encourage charitable giving for life-affirming case management.

House Homeland, Public Safety & Veterans, Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.

HB 3858 by Rep. Marc LaHood mandates the Governor's approval for temporary housing or emergency shelters intended for disaster victims. It sets forth a structured process that counties or municipalities must follow to ensure safety and compliance. The TCCB supports this bill to ensure that the safety of disaster victims is prioritized.