Governor Abbott Unveils Exciting Agenda for Upcoming Special Session: What You Need to Know

On July 9, 2025, Governor Greg Abbott announced plans for a Special Session starting on July 21. He highlighted 18 key agenda items, emphasizing ongoing efforts to improve Texas after recent devastating floods in the Hill Country.

“We made great strides during the last legislative session, but there’s still more to do, especially in disaster preparedness,” Governor Abbott stated.

The proposed agenda includes several important topics:

• Flood Warning Systems: New laws to enhance early warning systems in flood-prone regions.
• Emergency Communications: Improvements to communications during flood emergencies to save lives.
• Relief Funding: Financial support for areas affected by the recent floods, including aid for local governments.
• Disaster Preparation: Streamlining regulations to make disaster response quicker and more efficient.
• Education Reform: A proposal to eliminate the STAAR test in favor of better methods to evaluate student progress.
• Property Tax Relief: Plans to cut property taxes and limit how much local governments can tax.
• Child Protection: Laws to prevent the distribution of hemp-derived products to minors.
• Hemp Regulation: A comprehensive framework for regulating hemp products, ensuring safety without banning them.
• Abortion Protections: Additional measures to safeguard unborn children.
• Lobbying Restrictions: A ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying, ensuring public funds aren’t used to influence legislation.
• Support for Trafficking Victims: Protection for victims of human trafficking from criminal charges related to their victimization.
• Police Records: Safeguards against the public disclosure of unsubstantiated complaints in police personnel files.
• Women’s Privacy: Regulations to protect women in sex-segregated spaces.
• Election Integrity: A push for constitutional amendments allowing the Attorney General to prosecute election-related crimes.
• Redistricting: Revised plans for congressional districts to address constitutional concerns raised by the U.S. Department of Justice.
• Title and Deed Fraud Protection: Strengthening laws to combat title theft and deed fraud.
• Water Conservation: Incentives for builders who include water-saving measures in their projects.
• Judicial Administration: Improvements to the operation of the state’s Judicial Department.

These agenda items reflect a broader trend in emergency preparedness and community protection. Recent studies show that states with robust disaster plans save lives and reduce economic loss. As natural disasters become more frequent, Texas aims to lead by example with proactive legislation.

The upcoming session is set to address pressing issues that affect many Texans. It’s a critical moment for the state as it seeks to recover and prepare for future challenges.

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