AUSTIN — Dozens of bills authored by Tarrant County House and Senate members are set to become new laws, leaving a major imprint that will include displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools, creation of a new criminal offense and toughened regulations on high-tech issues such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
In an issue that has drawn widespread attention in Fort Worth, Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, also claimed success in his bid to reform property appraisal practices.
Nearly every Tarrant lawmaker saw at least one bill become law. For some senior Republicans, the count was in the double digits after Gov. Greg Abbott announced the final list of 1,155 bills that ultimately won his approval.
The three-term Republican governor vetoed 28 bills, including three measures carried by Tarrant County lawmakers, but several of the sidelined bills will be reconsidered in a special session scheduled to begin July 21, when Abbott announces an initial list of agenda items.
Composed of 11 House members and five senators, the Republican-dominated Tarrant County legislative reach spanned both hot button issues and less volatile policy issues covering a broad range of state policies from housing affordability to tax appraisals.
Abortion law clarification
Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, a House member since 2001 and a longtime figure in the Republican leadership, played a key role in several issues, including serving as House sponsor of a bill clarifying abortion ban statutes to enable physicians to intervene to protect the mother in a life-threatening situation.
Known as the “Life of the Mother Act,” Senate Bill 31, authored by Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, was enacted following testimony from mothers who said their lives were put in danger by physicians who refused to perform a life-saving abortion because they could be violating the law. Geren and Hughes said the original law needed clarity to enable doctors to save the life of the mother.
Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, who represents a multicounty Senate district that includes Tarrant, secured passage of one of his major issues: a law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every public classroom. Abbott signed Senate Bill 10 into law amid threatened challenges by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and other groups that claim the new requirement is a violation of church and state. The bill passed 28-3 in the Senate.
‘Jugging’ offense creation
Law enforcement agencies across the state landed a long-sought priority with enactment of House Bill 1902 by Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, to create an offense called “jugging” – robbery or theft outside banks and ATMs. Jugging attacks have steadily escalated in recent years, prompting cities such as Houston and Arlington to create task forces or conduct public awareness campaigns.
A thief who follows someone from a financial institution and attempts to rob them or burglarize their vehicle could face prison sentences of from five to 99 years imprisonment with a maximum fine of $10,000.
Cook was also House sponsor of Senate Bill 1300 signed into law and designed to deter organized retail theft and toughen prosecution. The Senate author was Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton.
Nation’s largest state-based cybersecurity command
Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, extended his reputation as the architect of high-tech issues with enactment of the governor’s priorities on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Capriglione’s bill to create a Texas Cyber Command was among the seven items Abbott designated as an emergency at the outset of the session to obtain swift passage. Sponsored by Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, House Bill 150 calls for the creation of a cyber threat intelligence center to collaborate with state, local and federal partners in responding to cyber attacks and will be funded with a $135 million investment.
Abbott has described the proposed Texas command as the largest state-based cybersecurity command in the nation.
Capriglione’s House Bill 149 is designed to create state guardrails for the explosive growth of artificial intelligence in a growing segment of society. The bill establishes the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act designed to create consumer protection along with an Artificial Intelligence Council.
The legislative initiatives were also tied to Capriglione’s new role as chairman of the Committee on Delivery of Government Efficiency, often compared to Elon Musk’s DOGE committee in Washington that was charged with examining waste and efficiency.
Annual property appraisals
Turner scored an end-of-session victory for legislation that would require annual reappraisal of property instead of less frequently as currently mandated by the Tarrant Appraisal District. Senate Bill 973 was amended in the House to require the yearly appraisal before becoming law without Abbott’s signature.
Turner, the House sponsor of SB 973, also secured another appraisal reform measure signed by the governor, House Bill 148, that requires mandatory training for appraisal district members in counties with a population of more than 75,000.
Tax Assessor-Collector Rick Barnes, who has opposed Turner’s plan, could not be reached for comment. Turner has maintained that the appraisal district’s current approach would lead to inflated appraisals and higher property tax burdens, along with a negative impact on public schools.
Vetoes for THC, water trust
Abbott’s most news-making veto was his last-minute move to strike down a ban on THC products, but he also shelved more than two dozen other measures, including bills sponsored by three members of the Tarrant County delegation — Rep. Ramon Romero, a Fort Worth Democrat who heads the Mexican American Legislative Caucus; Sen. Royce West, a Dallas Democrat; and Parker of Flower Mound.
Abbott cited flaws in Romero’s House Bill 4530 dealing with the Texas Water Trust, West’s Senate Bill 648 to curtail title theft fraud, and Senate Bill 1278 altering defenses to criminal prosecutions for human trafficking.
Romero’s bill sought to require the Texas Water Development Board to review and approve all groundwater rights dedicated to the trust, but Abbott said HB 4530 was unclear about how the transfer will be made.
Dave Montgomery is an Austin-based freelance reporter for the Fort Worth Report.
The Fort Worth Report’s Texas legislative coverage is supported by Kelly Hart.
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