Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for May 13th, 2025

Texas House of Representatives

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Subject: House Bill 2545 (HB 2545) – New State-run grant program

• Author: State Rep. Stan Gerdes (R-Smithville)
• Caption: Relating to the establishment of the Rural Workforce Training Grant Program.
• TFR Position: OPPOSE
• Background: 
  • HB 2545 creates a new state-run grant program to fund workforce training initiatives in rural counties. While helping rural Texans find employment is a worthy goal, this bill expands government involvement in training efforts and administration of a new grant program. The program will require new state hires and hundreds of thousands in ongoing overhead just to operate. This approach shifts responsibility for workforce development from local and private stakeholders to the state. Rather than picking winners and losers through targeted grants, the state should focus on broader economic policies that reduce barriers, red-tape and taxes for rural businesses.

Subject: House Bill 4120 (HB 4120) – Inmate pre-release welfare

• Author: State Rep.  Donna Howard (D-Austin)
• Caption: Relating to allowing certain inmates to apply for benefits under certain public benefits programs to be provided at the time of discharge or release.
• TFR Position: OPPOSE
• Background: 
  • HB 4120 mandates that the state help certain inmates apply for government benefits like Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF before they’re released from prison. The goal is to get these individuals on public assistance immediately upon release. While the intent is to reduce recidivism and health risks, the bill opens the door to higher taxpayer costs and dependency on welfare. The Legislative Budget Board warns of significantly increased caseloads, but can’t even quantify the full fiscal impact, raising serious budget transparency concerns. It also would likely require over $1.3 million just to modify existing systems to process new applications. By automatically enrolling thousands of inmates in welfare, the bill increases long-term entitlement liabilities. The bill is also predicated on the idea and government handouts are the best way to reduce recidivism, rather than empowerment through job attainment and personal responsibility. Expanding government assistance in this way shifts the burden to taxpayers and grows government bureaucracy at the expense of personal responsibility.

Subject: House Bill 2012 (HB 2012) – Expands Government regulations

• Author: State Rep.  Cecil Bell Jr (R-Magnolia)
• Caption: Relating to regulation by certain counties of roadside or parking lot vendors and solicitors.
• TFR Position: OPPOSE
• Background: 
  • HB 2012 gives Montgomery County new power to regulate roadside vendors and solicitors in unincorporated areas, something currently reserved for Texas’s largest urban counties. While framed as a public safety measure, it grants local officials broader authority to clamp down on small-scale commerce such as food trucks, produce stands, or individuals asking for donations. These kinds of top-down restrictions often hurt low-income entrepreneurs who rely on mobile sales and bypass traditional storefront overhead. Rather than addressing safety through enforcement of existing laws, the bill introduces a new layer of local bureaucracy and red tape. This opens the door to selective enforcement, favoritism, or even suppression of free enterprise. From a fiscally conservative standpoint, it expands government oversight unnecessarily and risks punishing grassroots economic activity. It could also invite new permitting fees or regulatory costs that burden individuals trying to earn a living. Empowering counties to control this type of activity doesn’t solve underlying safety issues but instead grows local government influence in areas best left to the free market.

Subject: House Bill 3824 (HB 3824) – Battery facility fire safety rules

• Author: State Rep.  Ken King (R-Canadian)
• Caption: Relating to fire safety standards and emergency operations plans for the operation of battery energy storage facilities; providing administrative penalties.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • HB 3824 creates a safety framework for large-scale battery energy storage facilities, ensuring that these privately operated sites follow consistent fire safety standards rooted in national codes. It avoids overregulation by only applying to newer, larger facilities and preempts local governments from layering on conflicting rules, protecting businesses from a patchwork of local mandates. The bill also avoids growing state bureaucracy by empowering existing agencies like the state fire marshal for enforcement. Importantly, it places the full financial burden of compliance, documentation, and emergency training on the facility operators, not taxpayers. The structured review process helps mitigate risk to nearby communities and first responders without imposing ongoing costs on the state. This measured approach balances safety with business certainty, supporting a growing industry without new subsidies or mandates.

Subject: House Bill 4076 (HB 4076) – Healthcare Freedom

• Author: State Rep.  Jeff Leach (R-Allen)
• Caption: Relating to prohibiting organ transplant recipient discrimination on the basis of vaccination status.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • HB 4076 ensures that Texans cannot be denied a life-saving organ transplant simply because of their vaccination choices. It safeguards patient rights by prohibiting transplant centers and providers from using blanket vaccination policies to exclude patients. Instead, medical decisions must be based on individualized assessments—not institutional mandates. It prevents bureaucratic overreach into deeply personal medical decisions and ensures fair access to care regardless of conformity to public health trends. The legislation also protects providers from being punished for respecting patient choice, reducing regulatory interference. For taxpayers and advocates of limited government, this bill reins in coercive mandates and promotes healthcare freedom.

Subject: House Bill 4535 (HB 4535) – COVID vaccine transparency

• Author: State Rep.  John McQueeney (R-Fort Worth)
• Caption: Relating to COVID-19 vaccine administration requirements.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • HB 4535 ensures Texans are not subjected to COVID-19 vaccinations without full, written disclosure of potential risks. It requires medical providers to obtain signed consent and mandates that patients receive a standardized fact sheet developed by the state. This sheet must explain possible side effects, highlight the rushed nature of vaccine development, and disclose the lack of manufacturer liability. The bill protects vulnerable populations like minors and the mentally incapacitated by reinforcing parental or guardian consent. By requiring transparency, the bill discourages coercive medical practices and aligns with ethical, limited-government principles. It holds healthcare providers accountable through existing licensing penalties, avoiding unnecessary creation of new bureaucracies. Supporting HB 4535 means defending individual liberty, minimizing government or institutional intrusions, and ensuring public trust through transparency.

Subject: House Bill 4623 (HB 4623) – School Accountability for Child Abuse

• Author: State Rep.  Mitch Little (R-Lewisville)
• Caption: Relating to liability of public schools and professional school employees for certain acts or omissions involving students.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • HB 4623 holds public schools and their employees civilly accountable for serious misconduct like sexual abuse or failing to report child abuse. It empowers victims to seek damages directly from both the individuals responsible and the public institutions that employ them. By removing governmental and official immunity, the bill ensures that those entrusted with children’s care face real consequences for neglect or abuse. From a taxpayer standpoint, this bill promotes accountability and transparency in schools without growing government bureaucracy. Rather than expanding state oversight, it relies on the civil justice system to check misconduct. The focus is narrowly tailored to serious and substantiated claims, avoiding overreach. Schools must protect children, and this bill creates meaningful financial deterrents when they fail to do so. It encourages local districts to improve internal oversight and personnel screening—potentially saving taxpayer dollars in the long run by reducing future incidents. Overall, this measure promotes justice and strengthens local responsibility and accountability.

Texas Senate

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Subject: Senate Bill 1073 (SB 1073) – Attorney Religious Freedom

• Author: State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola)
• Caption: Relating to discrimination against or burdening certain constitutional rights of an applicant for or holder of a license to practice law in this state.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 1073 ensures that lawyers in Texas cannot be denied a license or punished professionally for expressing religious or political views. The bill prevents the State Bar from enforcing rules that infringe on free speech, freedom of religion, or association—especially where those views may be unpopular or controversial. It acts as a safeguard against ideological enforcement in the legal profession, preserving open discourse and protecting professionals from being canceled for sincerely held beliefs. This legislation reins in a growing trend of bureaucratic overreach into private thought and personal expression, particularly within licensed professions. It strengthens due process by allowing affected individuals to challenge unconstitutional penalties in court or administrative proceedings. While ensuring accountability for actual misconduct, the bill draws a clear line against vague or ideological regulation. From a limited government standpoint, it prevents regulatory abuse and upholds constitutional liberties. Taxpayers benefit when professional licensure is grounded in competence—not compelled conformity.

Subject: Senate Bill 1163 (SB 1163) – Protects taxpayer hearing rights

• Author: State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola)
• Caption: Relating to the circumstances under which an appraisal review board is required to postpone a protest hearing.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 1163 ensures that property owners have a fair chance to participate in every tax protest hearing by letting their designated agent postpone a hearing once without needing to justify the request. The bill also protects taxpayers from being penalized if they miss a hearing because they were required to be in another hearing at the same time. By strengthening procedural fairness, it reduces the risk of government overreach in the property tax appeals process. This helps level the playing field between taxpayers and appraisal districts. It also helps ensure that property owners are not unfairly taxed simply because of scheduling conflicts. Overall, the bill respects private property rights, reduces administrative burdens, and upholds basic due process without growing government.

Subject: Senate Bill 1897 (SB 1897) – Ban foreign telecom infrastructure

• Author: State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola)
• Caption: Relating to advanced communications infrastructure security; authorizing a fee; providing administrative penalties.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 1897 strengthens Texas’s communications infrastructure by ensuring that sensitive equipment from foreign adversaries is removed and banned from future use. The bill sets a hard deadline after which no new communications infrastructure can include technology from companies that appear on the federal government’s security risk list. It also requires existing harmful infrastructure to be dismantled and replaced, while streamlining the permitting process to avoid bureaucratic delays. Importantly, any provider that refuses to comply will be disqualified from receiving state or local taxpayer funds or federally distributed infrastructure grants. This protects Texas taxpayers from unknowingly subsidizing companies that endanger national and state security. The law also ensures transparency by requiring a detailed public map showing where banned technology has been deployed. Overall, the bill promotes fiscal responsibility, public safety, and economic and national security.

Subject: Senate Bill 2297 (SB 2297) – HOT tax subsidy

• Author: State Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney)
• Caption: Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to use certain tax revenue for hotel and convention center projects.
• TFR Position: OPPOSE
• Background: 
  • SB 2297 lets the City of Anna keep state hotel and sales taxes from a future hotel and convention center project. Instead of that money going to fund state services or tax relief, it would go back to the developers for ten years. This is a taxpayer handout to one city and one project. These kinds of deals pick winners and losers and shift risks from private investors to taxpayers. If the hotel is truly needed, it should be built without state subsidies, and should succeed or fail on its own merits. Taxpayer money shouldn’t prop up private ventures. This bill expands government involvement in the market and adds to long-term costs.

Subject: Senate Bill 2298 (SB 2298) – HOT tax subsidy

• Author: State Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney)
• Caption: Relating to the use of municipal hotel occupancy tax revenue and certain tax revenue derived from a hotel and convention center project by certain municipalities.
• TFR Position: OPPOSE
• Background: 
  • SB 2298 allows the City of Plano to keep millions in state hotel and sales tax revenue from a new hotel and convention center project. Instead of going to the state budget or funding tax relief, that money would go back to the development for ten years. This is another example of government picking winners by giving one city and one project special treatment. It’s a subsidy that shifts financial risk from private investors to Texas taxpayers. If a hotel project is truly viable, it should succeed on its own—without public handouts. Over time, the bill will likely cost the state over $2 million per year, draining revenue that could be used for core services. These kinds of deals grow government involvement in the market and create long-term liabilities.

Subject: Senate Bill 2549 (SB 2549) – Subsidized housing

• Author: State Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas)
• Caption: Relating to the allocation of housing tax credits to developments within proximate geographical areas.
• TFR Position: OPPOSE
• Background: 
  • SB 2549 proposes to exempt rehabilitation and remodeling projects from the existing Two-Mile Rule, which limits how close affordable housing developments receiving tax credits can be to each other in large counties. This change is aimed at giving older affordable housing developments a better shot at receiving state-issued tax credits for upgrades. While this may benefit certain housing providers, it opens the door for subsidized projects to cluster in already saturated neighborhoods, undermining the original intent of the Two-Mile Rule. From a fiscally conservative standpoint, the bill continues the trend of using taxpayer-backed incentives to pick winners and losers in the housing market. Rather than letting housing projects rise or fall on their own financial merit, it favors developers seeking government assistance. It also risks encouraging more dependence on government credits instead of private investment. The state should be focused on reducing bureaucratic interference—not expanding exceptions to already distortionary programs.

Subject: Senate Bill 2566 (SB 2566) – Government Transparency

• Author: State Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas)
• Caption: Relating to request for public information for legislative purposes; providing an administrative penalty.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 2566 strengthens legislative oversight by ensuring lawmakers can access public information—confidential or not—when conducting official business. It closes loopholes that allowed some government agencies to withhold records from legislators without consequence. By holding government bodies accountable for noncompliance, the bill promotes transparency and helps deter bureaucratic stonewalling. It also protects taxpayer dollars by banning agencies from charging the legislature for records, reducing unnecessary fees. The requirement for the Attorney General to provide standardized templates and dispute resolutions brings uniformity and efficiency. Most importantly, this bill empowers lawmakers to fulfill their duties without obstruction, which serves the public interest. Supporting this bill aligns with the goals of limited, transparent, and accountable government.

Subject: Senate Bill 2919 (SB 2919) – Mandates on Medical Facilities

• Author: State Sen. Borris Miles (D-Houston)
• Caption: Relating to power duration requirements in emergency contingency plans adopted by end stage renal disease facilities.
• TFR Position: OPPOSE
• Background: 
  • SB 2919 imposes new mandates on dialysis centers across Texas, requiring expensive upgrades to their backup power systems and water supply infrastructure. By tripling the emergency power duration requirement from 24 to 72 hours, this bill forces many facilities—especially smaller, independent ones—to make costly investments that may not be financially viable. These unfunded mandates raise operational costs, which could be passed along to patients or taxpayers through higher healthcare rates or public subsidies. Rather than encouraging innovation or voluntary preparedness, the bill expands state control over how private medical facilities manage emergencies. These facilities should be trusted to assess risk and plan accordingly without heavy-handed state requirements. In short, this is a government overreach that burdens private operators with potentially unnecessary and duplicative costs.

Subject:  House Joint Resolution 1 (HJR 1) – Tax cut for small businesses

• Author: State Rep. Morgan Meyer (R-Dallas) 
• Caption: Proposing a constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation a portion of the market value of tangible personal property a person owns that is held or used for the production of income.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • The Senate Committee Report for HJR 1 offers tax relief to small business owners and entrepreneurs by allowing a $125,000 exemption on income-generating tangible personal property. This constitutional amendment simplifies compliance, reduces bureaucratic costs, and incentivizes productivity. It cuts down on burdensome taxation that can stifle economic growth, especially for small operations. This is a pro-growth, pro-business reform that respects taxpayers and limits government overreach.

Subject:  House Bill 9 (HB 9) – Tax cut for small businesses 

• Author: State Rep. Morgan Meyer (R-Dallas) 
• Caption: Relating to an exemption from ad valorem taxation of a portion of the appraised value of tangible personal property a person owns that is held or used for the production of income.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • The Senate Committee Report for HB 9 is the enabling legislation for HJR 1. It offers tax relief to small business owners and entrepreneurs by raising the exemption on income-producing personal property from $2,500 to $125,000. This bill simplifies compliance, reduces bureaucratic costs, and incentivizes productivity. It cuts down on burdensome taxation that can stifle economic growth, especially for small operations. This is a pro-growth, pro-business reform that respects taxpayers and limits government overreach.

Subject: House Bill 1899 (HB 1899) – Lowers fireworks license age

• Author: State Rep. Oscar Longoria (D-Mission)
• Caption: Relating to the required age for a license or permit relating to the conduct of a public fireworks display.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • HB 1899 reduces the minimum age for obtaining a pyrotechnic operator’s license or public fireworks permit from 21 to 18. It opens more job opportunities for young adults and helps small, often family-run fireworks businesses who struggle to hire due to current age limits. The bill does not impose new costs on taxpayers or regulatory burdens on the state. Instead, it eliminates a needless barrier to entry in a seasonal, low-wage sector. By restoring individual liberty and workforce flexibility, the bill promotes economic efficiency. This is a small but meaningful step toward shrinking government overreach in licensing.

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Reminder: Vote Notices are provided to both Texas state lawmakers and the general public, sharing Texans for Fiscal Responsibility’s position on issues eligible to be rated as a part of the Fiscal Responsibility Index. Notices are provided prior to votes being taken in each legislative chamber.

Disclaimer: We reserve the right to consider amendments to legislation that may be introduced without notice as a part of issues to be rated on the Fiscal Responsibility Index. We will make every effort to provide notice on amendments that are pre-filed.