The Texas Senate continued to work on its special session agenda Wednesday, even as the House remains unable to conduct business due to a lack of quorum. Bills passed by the Senate cannot become law unless enough House members return for votes.
One measure advanced was SB 9, authored by Senator Paul Bettencourt of Houston. The bill aims to slow property tax growth by lowering the “voter approved rate” threshold for cities and counties with populations over 75,000. Under current law set in 2019, local governments must seek voter approval if they wish to raise property taxes above certain limits: 3.5 percent for city and county levies and 2.5 percent for school districts. Bettencourt said this has reduced school tax increases significantly but noted that city and county taxes have not slowed as much.
“That 2.5 percent has served us well over time, reducing property tax levies and therefore property tax bills for school taxes across the state,” said Bettencourt. He added that growth in school taxes dropped from 19 percent year-over-year to 3 percent since the reforms were enacted in 2019, while municipal and county rates remain higher than desired. “The problem, simply put, is that city and county taxes are growing on average three times faster than school taxes,” he said.
Another bill passed by the Senate was SB 7 from Senator Mayes Middleton of Galveston. Called the “Texas Women’s Privacy Act,” it would restrict access to sex-segregated spaces in public buildings—such as shelters, locker rooms, and bathrooms—based on a person’s birth certificate sex designation. This policy would prevent transgender women from entering such spaces in government facilities.
“Women and children deserve safety, dignity, and privacy in spaces that are meant for them,” Middleton stated. Local governments not following this law could face fines starting at $5,000 per violation; these could increase up to $25,000 for repeated offenses but can be resolved if policies are changed within three days.
In committee action Wednesday, the Senate Education Committee discussed SB 8 by Bettencourt—a proposal to replace current STAAR exams with a series of shorter tests given throughout the academic year rather than one high-stakes exam at year’s end. State education commissioner Mike Morath explained that results would need to be delivered within two days so teachers can adjust instruction quickly.
“It’s going to enable teachers to teach the students, and not ‘teach to the test’,” said Bettencourt about moving away from benchmark or practice exams under this plan. If approved eventually by both chambers, new testing could begin in the 2027-2028 school year.
Despite Senate passage of these bills during special sessions—including previous ones held in recent years—the outlook remains uncertain while House business is stalled without a quorum present. Governor Abbott retains authority to call additional special sessions after this one ends August 19th; similar legislation may return if lawmakers remain deadlocked.
