Legislative Affairs
Both the Texas Legislature and the United States Congress address many important transportation issues that affect the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Transportation and air quality in the North Central Texas region are impacted by legislative decisions at the State and federal levels.
NCTCOG staff regularly update policy and technical committee members, transportation partners and others interested in monitoring legislative initiatives related to the Regional Transportation Council (RTC) legislative priorities.
In order to understand current legislative initiatives, the RTC directed the development of a Transportation Funding 101 primer so legislators and the general public can better understand funding sources for transportation as well as trends that impact the amount of funding available. A shortfall of funding has been identified and the primer also addresses potential solutions to increase funding options.
Legislative Update
May 29, 2025
FROM WASHINGTON, D.C.
Congress is on break for the Memorial Day holiday and returns June 3, 2025.
FROM AUSTIN
The last day of the 89th Texas Legislature (sine die) is four days away. The Legislative Budget Board (LBB) posted the Budget Conference Committee’s decisions. The House and the Senate each approved their own draft budgets and had been working out their differences in a conference committee over the past month; the recommendations are now posted online. The final budget has not been voted on by the full House and Senate at this time. The final day to adopt conference committee reports is June 1. A final list of approved bills and final budget information will be provided next week.
MONITORED BILLS LIST
If you need information on the bills being tracked, please contact Jackie Nolasco at jnolasco@nctcog.org.
HIGHLIGHTED BILLS WITH ACTION
- SB 1036, Relating to the regulation of residential solar retail transactions. Passed the House on May 23, 2025. Enrolled and forwarded to the governor for action.
- SB 1902, Relating to the administration of the dealer-issued license plates database and to the removal and transfer of license plates. Passed the House on May 23, 2025. Enrolled and forwarded to the governor for action.
- SB 2129, Relating to the operation of vehicles at railroad grade crossings. Passed the House on May 23, 2025. Enrolled and forwarded to the governor for action.
- SB 2569, Relating to the reporting requirement for certain law enforcement agencies regarding the agencies' use or operation of an unmanned aircraft. Passed the House on May 23, 2025. Enrolled and forwarded to the governor for action.
- HB 2440, Relating to the authority of a state agency or the state's air quality state implementation plan to impose certain restrictions with respect to a motor vehicle, including a motor vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. Passed the Senate on May 23, 2025. Enrolled and forwarded to the governor for action.
- SB 1555, Relating to a grant program to fund certain railroad grade separation projects. Signed by Governor Abbott on May 24, 2025.
- SB 1729, Relating to the registration and inspection of vehicles. Signed by Governor Abbott on May 24, 2025.
- SB 1841, Relating to the confidentiality of certain information collected by certain local governments and airport governing boards. Signed by Governor Abbott on May 24, 2025.
- SB 2351, Relating to the construction, expansion, or modification of certain concrete plants under a standard permit. Signed by Governor Abbott on May 24, 2025.
- HB 4520, Relating to requirements for loans or grants provided by the Texas Transportation Commission to aviation facilities located in economically disadvantaged counties. Passed in the Senate on May 26, 2025. Enrolled and forwarded to the governor for action.
- HB 1109, Relating to an exemption from certain motor fuel taxes for counties in this state. Signed by Governor Abbott on May 26, 2025.
- HB 2011, Relating to the right to repurchase from a condemning entity certain real property for which ad valorem taxes are delinquent. The House refused to concur in Senate amendments on May 27, 2025. The conferences are Bell of Montgomery (Chair), Hinojosa, Hunter, Kitzman and Lalani.
- SB 15, Relating to size and density requirements for residential lots in certain municipalities; authorizing a fee. Passed to third reading in the House on May 27, 2025.
- SB 546, Relating to seat belts on buses that transport children. Passed the House on May 27, 2025. Enrolled and forwarded to the governor for action.
- SB 826, Relating to the operation of a motor vehicle in a school crossing zone while intoxicated. Passed to third reading in the House on May 27, 2025.
- SB 2321, Relating to the regulation of emissions by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality during an event affecting electric demand or grid reliability. Passed to third reading in the House on May 27, 2025.
- HB 500, Relating to making supplemental appropriations and reductions in appropriations and giving direction and adjustment authority regarding appropriations. Passed the Senate on May 27, 2025. Enrolled and forwarded to the governor for action.
- HB 2078, Relating to the joint planning of desired future conditions in groundwater management areas. Passed the Senate on May 27, 2025. Enrolled and forwarded to the governor for action.
- HJR 7, Proposing a constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of the revenue derived from state sales and use taxes to the Texas water fund. Passed the Senate on May 27, 2025. Enrolled and forwarded to the governor for action.
- HB 5033, Relating to elimination of the motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program. House concurred in Senate amendments on May 28, 2025.
- SB 7, Relating to the oversight and financing of certain water infrastructure matters under the jurisdiction of the Texas Water Development Board. Passed the House on May 28, 2025, and set on Senate Items Eligible Calendar.
- SB 15, Relating to size and density requirements for residential lots in certain municipalities; authorizing a fee. Passed the House on May 28, 2025, and set on Senate Items Eligible Calendar.
- SB 763, Relating to the renewal and review of standard permits for certain concrete plants. Passed the House on May 28, 2025, and set on Senate Items Eligible Calendar.
- SB 826, Relating to the operation of a motor vehicle in a school crossing zone while intoxicated. Passed the House on May 28, 2025, and set on Senate Items Eligible Calendar.
- SB 2321, Relating to the regulation of emissions by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality during an event affecting electric demand or grid reliability. Passed the House on May 28, 2025, and set on Senate Items Eligible Calendar.
- SB 480, Relating to the authority of a local government to enter into an interlocal contract with certain governmental entities to participate in water research or planning activities. Signed by the governor on May 28, 2025.
- SB 2039, Relating to the applicability of certain pedestrian laws to certain sidewalk users. Filed without signature by governor on May 28, 2025.
UPCOMING COMMITTEE HEARINGS
US HOUSE
- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing will meet on July 7 for a subcommittee markup of draft Transportation-HUD appropriations bill for FY 2026.
Texas Legislature - 89th Session January 14, 2025 - June 2, 2025
- Regional Transportation Council Legislative Program for the 89th Texas Legislature 
Texas Legislature - 88th Session January 10, 2023 - May 29, 2023
- Regional Transportation Council Legislative Program for the 88th Texas Legislature
- 88th Texas Legislature Summary of Bills (2023)
Other Resources
- Texas House of Representatives
Congressional Updates important to our region
In 2005 Congress passed the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) . This legislation guided surface transportation policy and funding through 2009. Nine short-term extensions passed since SAFETEA-LU expired in 2009. The final short-term extension of SAFETEA-LU extended surface transportation authorization through June 30, 2012.
On July 6, 2012, President Obama signed into law a two-year $105 billion surface transportation authorization, titled Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21). MAP-21 reauthorized the federal-aid highway, highway safety and transit programs that were last authorized by SAFETEA-LU. New programs and funding levels began on October 1, 2012, and continued through September 30, 2014. The final short-term extension of MAP-21 expired on December 4, 2015.
On December 4, 2015, President Obama signed the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act into law, which authorizes Federal highway, transit, safety and rail programs for five years at $305 billion. The FAST Act is effective October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2020.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021, is a five-year bill that authorizes $567.5 billion for surface transportation, including roads and bridges, and an additional $550 billion for water, broadband, cybersecurity, and energy infrastructure. With a total funding amount of $1.2 trillion, the act aims to modernize infrastructure across the nation and is set to expire on September 30, 2026.
2019 RTC Principles for Federal Surface Transportation Authorization