Governor Greg Abbott has released a list of 18 priority items for the upcoming Special Session of the Texas Legislature, scheduled to begin Monday, July 21 at 12:00 PM. The wide-ranging agenda reflects both ongoing policy goals and urgent responses to the catastrophic floods that recently struck the Texas Hill Country.
“We delivered on historic legislation in the 89th Regular Legislative Session that will benefit Texans for generations to come,” Abbott said in a statement. “There is more work to be done, particularly in the aftermath of the devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country. We must ensure better preparation for such events in the future.”
In direct response to the July 2025 storms, several items focus on flood mitigation and disaster readiness. These include legislation to improve early warning systems, strengthen emergency communications infrastructure, and provide relief funding to communities eligible for FEMA assistance. Additional measures aim to streamline rules and regulations to speed up both preparedness and recovery efforts statewide.
Agenda breakdown:
Disaster Response and Flood Preparedness
- Flood Warning Systems
Lawmakers will consider legislation to enhance early warning systems and improve infrastructure in areas vulnerable to flooding. The goal is to better alert communities before disaster strikes. - Flood Emergency Communications
It includes strengthening the technology and systems used to coordinate disaster responses in high-risk regions. - Relief Funding for Hill Country Floods
This proposal would allocate funding to support local communities affected by the July 2025 floods. It includes matching funds required for federal assistance through FEMA to help with recovery and rebuilding efforts. - Natural Disaster Preparation & Recovery
Lawmakers will evaluate current rules and aim to streamline regulations to make disaster preparedness and recovery faster and more efficient across Texas.
Education and Public Accountability
- Eliminate STAAR Test
This item proposes eliminating the current standardized STAAR test and replacing it with new tools that more effectively track student learning while ensuring school districts remain accountable. - Cut Property Taxes
This measure would lower the property tax burden for Texans and place spending limits on local governments and other entities that are allowed to levy property taxes.
Public Health and Safety
- Protect Children from THC
Lawmakers will consider making it a criminal offense to sell or provide hemp-derived products, such as those containing THC, to anyone under 21 years of age. - Regulate Hemp-Derived Products
This legislation aims to introduce clear regulations for hemp-based products. It would limit their potency, restrict chemically modified compounds, and establish enforcement rules, while still allowing hemp as a legal crop. - Abortion Restrictions
This proposal focuses on strengthening existing laws to restrict or make significant changes to abortion access for pregnant women. - Ban Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
This item seeks to prohibit the use of public tax dollars to pay for lobbyists or to fund membership in organizations that lobby the state legislature. - Protect Human Trafficking Victims
This legislation, modeled after a previous bill, would ensure that trafficking victims are not criminally punished for non-violent acts that occurred as a direct result of their exploitation. - Police Personnel Records
This proposal would prevent public access to law enforcement personnel files containing complaints that have not been proven or verified, to protect officers’ reputations from unsubstantiated claims. - Women-Only Spaces
This bill seeks to preserve sex-segregated private spaces by ensuring that areas such as bathrooms and locker rooms remain designated for use by women based on biological sex.
Government, Elections, and Infrastructure
- Attorney General Election Powers
A proposed constitutional amendment would grant the Texas Attorney General the authority to prosecute crimes related to elections. - Redistricting
The Legislature will revisit the state’s congressional redistricting maps to address constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice. - Title Theft and Deed Fraud
This legislation would strengthen legal protections for homeowners against title and deed fraud, building on a previous proposal from the last session. - Water Project Incentives
Lawmakers will consider allowing cities and counties to offer fee reductions to builders who implement water conservation or efficiency improvements in new construction. - State Judicial Department
This item focuses on legislation that would improve how the state’s Judicial Department is structured and managed, ensuring more effective court operations.
The Governor’s 18-item agenda sets the stage for a highly consequential special session. From natural disaster preparedness and education reform to abortion restrictions policy and legislation on gender-specific spaces, the proposals reflect a sweeping and controversial vision for the state’s future.
