Lt. Gov. Patrick announces 16 priority Senate bills for special session

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Tuesday 16 bills in the Texas Senate to be filed for the first called special session. Senate Bills 1 through 16 are reserved for the highest priority legislation, and they correspond to the 18 agenda items put forth by Gov. Greg Abbott in his proclamation calling a special session of the legislature.

The first three bills on the list are in response to the devastating Independence Day Floods in the Hill Country.

SB 1 is a bill for preparation and recovery from natural disasters. It has not been filed yet, but will be filed by Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock. SB 2 is a bill to improve flood emergency warnings and communications and will be filed by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston. SB 3 is a relief funding package for the Hill Country and will be filed by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston.

SB 4 will address mid-decade congressional redistricting, which the state decided to move forward with following direction from the Trump administration. Trump has said he wants Republicans in Texas to draw five new seats to help the GOP hold the U.S. House in 2026. Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, will file the bill, and he will also chair the Senate Committee on Redistricting. King was questioned Monday for hours by Democrats who voiced their opposition to the effort.

SB 5 is the special session version of SB 3 from the 2025 regular session, which would ban all THC products in the state of Texas, including those derived from hemp, currently legal under state and federal law. Abbott vetoed the THC ban after the regular session and called for lawmakers to create a regulatory bill, not a ban, during the special session. Perry filed the bill, which was scheduled for a public hearing Tuesday.

SB 6 is a bill to “protect unborn children,” which will be filed by Sen. Brian Hughes, R-Tyler. Abortion is already almost totally banned in Texas.

SB 7 is a bill to “protect women’s spaces,” referring to Abbott’s call item to require individuals to use the bathroom that corresponds to their biological sex as opposed to their gender identity. The bill will be filed by Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston.

SB 8 is a bill to eliminate the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) Test, the state’s standardized test required for all K-12 students. A bill to ban the test failed during the regular session. The bill will be filed by Bettencourt. Bettencourt will also carry SB 9, to cut property taxes.

SB 10 is a bill aimed at protecting victims of human trafficking and will be filed by Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound.

SB 11 is a bill to grant the attorney general the power to prosecute election-related offenses; it was filed by Hughes.

SB 12 would ban taxpayer-funded lobbying efforts and was filed by Middleton.

SB 13 would create incentives for developers to build water-conserving projects. Water has become an issue of heightened concern as the state continues to grow rapidly. The bill was filed by Perry.

SB 14 addresses records of police personnel maintained by law enforcement agencies. The bill was filed by King, but does not yet have a full text available.

SB 15 aims to stop title theft and deed fraud for properties and will be carried by Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas.

SB 16 is a mega-bill related to the state’s judiciary and will be carried by Hughes.

The special session convened on Monday and can last for up to 30 days. Only bills relating to items on the governor’s call can be introduced in a special session.