Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for March 24th, 2025 

Texas House of Representatives

None

Texas Senate

Subject:  Senate Concurrent Resolution 8 (SCR 8) – Opposing federal central digital currency

• Author: State Sen. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound)
• Caption: Expressing opposition to the creation of a central bank digital currency.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SCR 8 expresses Texas’s formal opposition to the creation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC), citing serious concerns over privacy, cybersecurity, and federal overreach. A CBDC could centralize financial data, making Americans more susceptible to surveillance and cyber threats, while weakening the role of private banks. This resolution promotes protecting individual financial freedom and guarding against costly federal expansions that could compromise both privacy and free-market principles. For these reasons, TFR supports SCR 8.

Subject:  Senate Bill 315 (SB 315) – DNA Property Rights Protection

• Author: State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham)
• Caption: Relating to a property right in DNA; providing injunctive relief and a civil penalty; creating a criminal offense.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 315 affirms every Texan’s property right in their own DNA, ensuring that genetic information cannot be collected, tested, stored, or sold without informed consent. The bill imposes meaningful civil and criminal penalties on violators, empowering the Attorney General to pursue legal action and deter abuse. The bill protects individual liberty, secures personal data from corporate misuse, and limits government overreach by codifying clear boundaries rather than expanding bureaucracy. 

Subject:  Senate Bill 965 (SB 965) – Religious Freedom in Schools

• Author: State Sen. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound)
• Caption: Relating to the right of a public school employee to engage in religious speech or prayer while on duty.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 965 guarantees public school employees the right to engage in religious speech or prayer while on duty, aligning Texas law with the Supreme Court’s Kennedy decision. It safeguards these rights by requiring any limitations to pass a strict scrutiny test, ensuring government overreach is minimized. It also reinforces limited government by upholding individual liberties. For these reasons, TFR supports SB 965.

Subject:  Senate Bill 1018 (SB 1018) – Rededicates traffic fine revenue

• Author: State Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston)
• Caption: Relating to distribution of state traffic fine revenue received by the comptroller.
• TFR Position: OPPOSE
• Background: 
  • SB 1018 would reduce the share of state traffic fine revenue deposited into the General Revenue Fund from 70% to 50%, reallocating more funds toward designated trauma and EMS services. While supporting emergency services is a laudable goal, this reallocation results in an estimated $31 million hit to general revenue over the next biennium. The bill for increases a dedicated funding stream that limits legislative flexibility, prioritizes spending outside the regular appropriations process. For these reasons, TFR opposes SB 1018.

Subject:  Senate Bill 1532 (SB 1532) – Streamlines water fund transparency

• Author: State Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo)
• Caption: Relating to the information required to be posted by the Texas Water Development Board on the board’s Internet website regarding the use of the state water implementation fund for Texas.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 1532 eliminates an outdated and duplicative reporting requirement that applies only to the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT), bringing it in line with other financial programs managed by the Texas Water Development Board. By removing the mandate to post full financial assistance applications online, the bill reduces unnecessary administrative overhead without sacrificing transparency—essential data will still be disclosed through regular public updates and public records access. 

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.