89th Session Legislative Priorities
Business Competitiveness
1. SUPPORT: Incentives that enhance job creation, innovation, and capital investment in Texas.
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SUPPORT: Renewing the R&D Tax Credit to promote innovation and increase investments in Texas.
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SUPPORT: The use of and timely decision-making for economic development incentive programs that enhance job creation and capital investment in Texas.
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SUPPORT: Maintaining economic development programs such as 380/381 agreements.
2. SUPPORT: Legislation that maintains Texas’s appeal for business growth and retention.
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OPPOSE: Legislation that would damage Texas’s reputation as a business-friendly state and inhibit the attraction of talent for employers.
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OPPOSE: Government mandates that limit a company’s ability to train and hire employees and contractors as they see fit.
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SUPPORT: The creation of a comprehensive and fully inclusive non-discrimination law.
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SUPPORT: A workforce re-entry program that accelerates training and creates career pathways for individuals to return to work and fill high-demand positions.
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SUPPORT: Legislation to allow Texans to vote on a constitutional amendment that would allow destination casino resorts in Texas.
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SUPPORT: Economic policies that encourage the expansion of general aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul activity in Texas.
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SUPPORT: Efforts to make childcare more accessible and affordable.3.
3. SUPPORT: Modernization of government systems.
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SUPPORT: A regulatory framework for artificial intelligence systems that ensures business, consumer, and government safety.
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SUPPORT: Efforts to modernize systems across government agencies to reduce administrative burdens, increase efficiency, enhance transparency, and provide cost savings to businesses and taxpayers.
Education & Workforce
Pk-12
1. SUPPORT: Restoring public school funding to levels established by HB3 (2019), when accounting for inflation.
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Provide teacher and support staff pay raises through an increase in per-student funding
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Increase funding for school safety mandates
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Increase funding for full-day Pre-K
2. OPPOSE: The transfer of public education funds to nonpublic education entities, such as vouchers and education savings accounts (ESAs).
3. SUPPORT: Increased transparency and accountability with checks and balances for new and expanding charter schools in high-performing school districts.
4. SUPPORT: Reforming the state’s assessment (STAAR) and accountability (A-F) systems to appropriately measure all factors that influence student performance and school ratings.
Higher Education
1. SUPPORT: Investments in higher education that further research initiatives, support institutional programs, enhance campus infrastructure, and expand financial aid opportunities.
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SUPPORT: Campus improvement projects through Capital Construction Assistance Program requests.
2. SUPPORT: Efforts to accelerate training, increase workforce supply, and keep talent in Texas.
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SUPPORT: Career readiness programs that fill the gaps in vocational jobs and training programs.
3. SUPPORT: Continued investments and updates to the Community College Finance legislation HB8 (2023) and consider out-of-state and private school credit transfer.
4. SUPPORT: Funding for mental health services and workforce program expansion.
5. SUPPORT: Continued investment in Small Business Development Centers and their professional business advising and training programs, which are proven resources that strengthen the Texas economy.
Health & Well-Being
1. SUPPORT: Efforts to increase access to healthcare.
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SUPPORT: Efforts to reduce the number of uninsured Texans.
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SUPPORT: Increased funding to improve access to in/out-patient behavioral and mental health.
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SUPPORT: Providing predictable and stable reimbursements by enhancing the base Medicaid rates for hospitals and increasing rates of trauma, rural, and safety-net hospitals.
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SUPPORT: Modernization efforts to increase access to care, reduce barriers, and provide cost savings for Texans, including the utilization of telehealth.
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SUPPORT: Education and awareness resources that address social determinants of health, promote prevention and well-being, support equity, and eliminate racial and socioeconomic disparities.
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SUPPORT: Efforts to improve or better support our child welfare system for children in imminent danger.
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SUPPORT: Use of supplemental payment programs to finance Medicaid hospital programs and support access to care for underserved patients.
2. SUPPORT: Increasing workforce pipeline and supply for critical healthcare roles.
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SUPPORT: Efforts to address the workforce shortages in health care and increase the supply of trained industry professionals.
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SUPPORT: Efforts that promote safety and security and mitigate the risk of violence in the workplace.
Local Government
1. OPPOSE: Efforts to censor local government officials.
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OPPOSE: Any attempt to prohibit local government's ability to engage government relations professionals or join associations to efficiently advocate on behalf of their community and communicate with state legislators or agencies.
2. SUPPORT: Efforts to preserve local control and public resource management.
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SUPPORT: Enhance local decision-making authority to govern properly and fully fund services and adopt and enforce charters, ordinances, and building codes.
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SUPPORT: Allowing local governments to increase restrictive revenue caps to fund essential services, including public safety and transportation improvements.
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SUPPORT: Legislation that allows local governments to create land use policies that best serve their geographic, housing, and growth needs.
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SUPPORT: Programs that allow local governments to promote tourism.
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SUPPORT: Legislation that brings parity to members & non-members of mass transit authorities to access economic development tools while also addressing transportation challenges.
3. OPPOSE: Legislation that eliminates the current uniform election dates and/or restricts a local government’s ability to determine appropriate ballot language.
Water & Infrastructure
1. SUPPORT: Sustainable funding for water planning and development.
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SUPPORT: A dedicated revenue source to fund the Texas State Water Plan to ensure a future water supply that meets the needs of our rapid population and economic growth.
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SUPPORT: The use of viable public-private partnerships to meet increased water supply and wastewater needs while stimulating the economy and creating jobs through the planning, design, and construction projects.
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SUPPORT: Funding to address flooding in Texas with the goal of protecting all Texans from natural disasters.
2. SUPPORT: Efficient transportation and mobility for the safe movement of people and goods.
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SUPPORT: The use of public-private partnerships to meet increased needs while stimulating the economy and creating jobs through the planning, design, and construction of a multimodal surface transportation system of choice.
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SUPPORT: High speed rail in Texas.
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SUPPORT: Programs that enhance roadway safety.
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SUPPORT: Alternatively fueled vehicle infrastructure, including EV charging and hydrogen fleet fueling.
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SUPPORT: The development of an efficient and safe regulatory framework for advanced air mobility in Texas.
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SUPPORT: State legislative solutions that allow regional mobility authorities to fund and manage their systems that best serve their riders’ needs.
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SUPPORT: Regulations favorable to the deployment and operation of autonomous vehicles without the need for a human operator.
3. Support: Reliable energy development and delivery
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SUPPORT: Ensuring the state’s electric grid will be able to reliably, efficiently, and sustainably serve the needs of the state while planning for future technologies’ demand for electricity.
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SUPPORT: The use of domestic production of efficient energy sources, including all fuel sources, to further Texas’ position as a global energy leader, all while being responsible to consumers.
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SUPPORT: Investments in electric transmission infrastructure.
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SUPPORT: Policies for micro-grids, large-scale battery storage, and other technologies at critical facilities.
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OPPOSE: Legislation that would connect the Texas independent grid to other grids.
4. SUPPORT: Accessible broadband internet.
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SUPPORT: The implementation of a statewide broadband plan that equitably serves all Texans.
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SUPPORT: Policies that encourage expansion of wireline and wireless broadband infrastructure.