Jan. 10 marked the first day of the 88th Legislative Session. During these 140 days, Senators and Representatives from across Texas will be meeting in Austin to pass new laws and decide how to spend the state’s money for the next two years. It was announced recently that the state of Texas has a $32.7 billion budget surplus, bringing the total of available state revenue in the next two-year cycle to $342.3 billion. In addition to the state budget, some major issues that the Legislature will focus on are school issues, border security and property taxes. Texas Tribune has provided an in-depth overview of the legislative process and some important things to know for the 88th Legislative Session.
The Public Policy Team is currently working on revamping the bill tracker on the Texas CASA website to make it easier for you to follow important bills related to child welfare during the 88th Legislative Session. We hope to have the bill tracker up and running within the next few weeks. In the meantime, feel free to utilize Texas Legislature Online to follow bills and watch the House and the Senate livestreams.