Austin Tech Alliance’s policy and advocacy focus supports using technology as a tool to help address civic challenges and promoting tech-forward policies.
This legislative session, we’ve identified bills in both the state House and Senate that would affect how Texans live, and how Texas businesses operate. Need to understand the lifecycle of a bill? Check out our instagram post!
Legislation we support:
Civic Participation
- HB 67/241/502 (D–Ortega, Bucy & Meza) & SB 120 (D–Menéndez & Johnson) makes every voting-age Texan eligible to vote by mail or personal appearance, including folks who are currently in jail for misdemeanors, without needing an excuse, such as being out of county, age, or disability.
- Update: Referred to Elections on 2/15
- HB 1273 (D–Ortega) amends the Election Code to optionally extend the early voting period to one “continuing for any number of consecutive days up to and including the day before election.
- Update: Referred to Elections on 3/3
Business
- HB 567 (D–Bowers) would amend the Education and Labor Codes, respectively, to prohibit discrimination based on hair texture or hairstyles in educational settings and employment.
- Update: Left pending in committee, but then considered in formal meeting on 3/27
- SB 110 (D–Menéndez & Eckhardt) & HB 1012 (González) prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or military veteran status.
- Update: Referred to State Affairs on 3/2
- SB 111 (D–Menéndez), SB 82 (D–Johnson) & HB 970 (D–Zwiener) makes homosexual conduct no longer a criminal offense and removes language from statute that says that homosexuality “is not an acceptable lifestyle”.
- Update: Referred to State Affairs on 2/15
Technology
- HB 584 (R–Capriglione) amends the Government Code to establish a state information technology credential program to be offered at public community colleges to “address shortages in the state information resources workforce”.
- Update: Placed on General State Calendar 3/29
- SB 31 (D–Zaffirini) would require that utilities connect the ERCOT grid to grids outside the ERCOT region and give them the ability to purchase power at wholesale prices from outside the ERCOT region.
- Update: Referred to Business & Commerce 2/15
Legislation we oppose:
- HB 919 (R–Slaton) amends the Election Code to restrict early voting to an eight-day period instead of the current thirteen.
- Update: Referred to Elections 3/2
- SB 375 (R–Huffman): Texas Senate redistricting bill.
- Update: Heading to Senate vote, out of committee
- HB 678 (R–Bell): gives AG power to appoint CA or DA from adjacent county as a special prosecutor in an “election crime”.
- Update: Referred to Elections 2/23
- HB 125 (R–Slaton): allows the AG to seek a court-ordered injunction to stop a local prosecutor from “limiting election law enforcement”.
- Update: Referred to State Affairs 2/23
- SB 147 (R–Kolkhorst): would prohibit citizens of or businesses from China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia from purchasing or acquiring titles to real property in Texas.
- Update: Left pending in State Affairs committee 3/2