Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for March 19th, 2025 

Texas House of Representatives

None

Texas Senate

Subject:  Senate Bill 24 (SB 24) – Anti-communism education

• Author: State Sen. Donna Campbell (R-New Braunfels)
• Caption: Relating to the inclusion of an understanding of communist regimes and ideologies in the essential knowledge and skills for the social studies curriculum for certain public school students.
• TFR Position:  SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 24 helps to ensure that Texas students understand the historical failures and human costs of communism, a system that has repeatedly resulted in economic collapse, loss of individual freedoms, and mass suffering. By teaching students about the devastating consequences of these ideologies, the bill fosters critical thinking and safeguards future generations from policies that could lead to economic stagnation and government overreach. From a taxpayer perspective, the bill ensures that public education promotes informed, responsible citizenship, reducing the likelihood of future policies that increase government dependency and economic inefficiency. For these reasons, TFR supports SB 24.

Subject:  Senate Bill 112 (SB 112) – Parental rights and transparency

• Author: State Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood)
• Caption: Relating to parental rights in public education.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT 
• Background: 
  • SB 112 enhances parental rights in public education by ensuring full access to school records, including electronic records, and requiring parental consent for student well-being assessments. This bill strengthens local protections to ensure that schools remain accountable to parents. This legislation aligns with conservative principles of limited government and parental choice. For these reasons, TFR supports SB 112.

Subject:  Senate Bill 284 (SB 284) – Increased penalties for illegal signage

• Author: State Sen. Borris Miles (D-Houston)
• Caption: Relating to the civil penalty for certain signs placed on the right-of-way of a public road.
• TFR Position:  OPPOSE / AMEND
• Background: 
  • SB 284 seeks to deter illegal signage by increasing civil penalties, but the bill raises concerns. While reducing visual clutter and ensuring road safety are legitimate goals, the bill expands enforcement authority, and the increased fines may disproportionately impact small businesses while larger businesses can absorb the costs as a routine expense. To improve the bill, lawmakers should ensure that only those who directly authorize or direct the placement of the signage are held responsible, not the businesses advertised or other individuals. Additionally, the steep penalty for first time offenders should be reduced, in order to ensure that those unaware of the prohibition or small businesses are not disproportionately affected.

Subject:  Senate Bill 400 (SB 400) – Parental consent for child screenings

• Author: State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham)
• Caption: Relating to requiring parental consent for psychological or psychiatric examination, testing, or treatment conducted by a school district employee.
• TFR Position:  SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 400 strengthens parental rights by requiring written consent before schools conduct psychological or psychiatric screenings, tests, or treatments on students. This ensures transparency and accountability, preventing unnecessary government overreach into family decisions. It also protects children from intrusive surveys that may collect sensitive data without parental knowledge, reinforcing limited government principles and respecting individual and family liberties. For these reasons, TFR support SB 400.

Subject:  Senate Bill 402 (SB 402) – Streamlining Property Tax Refunds

• Author: State Sen. Angela Paxton (R-McKinney)
• Caption: Relating to the payment of certain ad valorem tax refunds.
• TFR Position:  SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 402 promotes fiscal responsibility by increasing transparency and efficiency in the property tax refund process, ensuring taxpayer money is correctly distributed. By mandating a standardized form, the bill reduces administrative confusion and streamlines refund payments, minimizing errors and unnecessary bureaucracy. The inclusion of fraud prevention measures protects taxpayers from potential abuse, ensuring refunds go to the rightful recipients. Additionally, the ability to designate an alternative address provides flexibility for property owners. For these reasons, TFR supports SB 402.

Subject:  Senate Bill 875 (SB 875) – Stop taxpayer-funded electioneering

• Author: State Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury)
• Caption: Relating to prohibiting election activities committed by a member of the board of trustees or superintendent of an independent school district or on certain school district premises; creating criminal offenses.
• TFR Position:  SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 875 strengthens election integrity by explicitly prohibiting school district officials from using taxpayer resources for political campaigning, ensuring public funds are dedicated solely to education. By imposing penalties for violations, the bill enhances accountability and prevents the misuse of state and local funds for partisan activities. This measure upholds fiscal responsibility by keeping school budgets focused on student learning rather than political advocacy. For these reasons, TFR supports SB 875.

Reminder: Vote Notices are provided to both Texas state lawmakers and the general public, sharing Texans for Fiscal Responsibility’s position on issues to be rated as a part of the Fiscal Responsibility Index. Notices are provided prior to votes being taken in each legislative chamber.

Disclaimer: We reserve the right to consider amendments to legislation that may be introduced without notice as a part of issues to be rated on the Fiscal Responsibility Index. We will make every effort to provide notice on amendments that are pre-filed.