After three Special Legislative Sessions, the Texas Legislature adjourned sine die early October 19. Several of Governor Abbott’s priority items passed during the special session, but some did not.
Two bills, HB155 and SB51, that would ban COVID-19 vaccine mandates failed to pass. Your Chamber, along with several business organizations across the state of Texas, opposed the bills, because they would have harmed the protection provided by SB 6, the Pandemic Liability Protection Act, which was passed during the regular session.
SB 6 protects businesses and employers from most COVID-related litigation if acting in good faith with guidelines set by state and local governments. Since HB 155 and SB 51 were inconsistent with SB 6, we believe they would have been harmful to both employers and employees and added extra layers of confusion for businesses. The Governor’s Executive Order banning any entity from mandating COVID-19 vaccines remains in effect.
Bills passed during the 3
rd Special Session:
Senate Bill 1:
- Increases the homestead exemption from $25,000 to $40,000, reducing property taxes. This will head to Texas voters to decide on the May ballot.
Senate Bill 8: COVID-19 relief funds
- $7.2 Billion for the replenishment of the state’s unemployment compensation fund
- $2.4 Billion for the Department of State Health Services for COVID-19 related expenses
- $500 Million for Broadband Infrastructure
Senate Bill 52:
- $3.3 Billion for capital investment projects to higher education institutions across the state
House Bill 25: Transgender Athlete Legislation
- This bill requires transgender athletes to compete only in sports that correspond with the sex listed on their birth certificate.
For more information, contact Cacie Madrid, AVP of Public Policy at
cmadrid@sachamber.org or by phone at (210) 229-2161.
