On Monday, May 29, the Texas legislature concluded their session with a warning from House Speaker Dade Phelan– “don’t pack your bags just yet”. Sure enough, a few minutes later Governor Greg Abbott called a special session of the Texas legislature to address property taxes and issues at the border, two of the major goals that Texas lawmakers started the year wanting to address.

Despite many unresolved pieces of legislation, there were still numerous things accomplished this session. We wanted to highlight some bills that met the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce’s legislative agenda of championing community and furthering economic prosperity in the 88^th session.

For a comprehensive overview of the legislative session from the business perspective, the Texas Association of Businesses (TAB) has put together a fantastic PDF summarizing the 88^th legislative session results here: TAB Results 88R 2023 (txbiz.org)

House Bill 5: Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation Act: House Bill 5 introduced a new economic incentive model that facilitates temporary tax limits for large capital investments. The hope is that House Bill 5 will bring more jobs and long-term revenue to local Texas communities, including Arlington. House Bill 5 will help us grow our members’ business and foster economic prosperity here in Arlington, which were two of our major goals going into this session.

House Bill 8: Community College Finance Reform: Another bill that was passed through the legislature this session helps champion education in Arlington. House Bill 8 assists in establishing an outcomes-based framework for community colleges that offers distinct incentives for positive outcomes. Additionally, it helps expand equitable access to community colleges through financial aid and empowers community colleges to adapt to the ever-evolving demands of the modern workforce. This bill helps us maintain the North Texas region’s economic competitiveness as it rewards our community colleges for their outstanding outcomes each year and gives our workforce a heightened advantage.

House Bill 4: Texas Data Privacy & Security Act: House Bill 4, passed by one of our local legislators, Representative Giovanni Capriglione, works to create a state-wide data privacy standard. This will allow for private sector growth that still upholds protections of the privacy of consumer data. Giving consumers protection against predatory data miners will aid in the facilitation of economic development.

House Bill 9: Broadband Enhancement: Another bill with sweeping impacts in Texas is House Bill 9, which aims to expand the state’s broadband capabilities through an allocation of nearly $1.5 billion to Texas’s broadband network. Nearly 7 million Texans lack reliable internet, and this bill hopes to give them the ability to access the wealth of information that is available through the internet. Expanding broadband capabilities to rural and urban areas of Texas only has positive outcomes for Arlington business as it assists in meeting the needs of the constantly growing population in Texas.

House Bill 2466: Texas Technology and Innovation Program: The Texas Technology and Innovation Program is hopefully going to be established during a later session to increase economic development and job creation. While it did not make it out of calendars in the regular session of the 88^th legislature, there is hope that this program, which will help foster economic prosperity in Texas communities, will be advanced during future sessions.

Senate Bill 1238: Broadband Development: SB 1238 will update an existing statute to better match the recently updated federal guidelines on broadband mapping and availability. Continued broadband development helps to ensure a prosperous economic future for the Arlington community and local businesses.

House Bill 5174: Texas CHIPS Act: The Texas CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) Act would contribute to the growth of Texas’s established investments in the semiconductor industry while also creating a friendly space for the expansion of semiconductor-related companies in Texas. This will assist Texas in maintaining its position as the frontrunner in national semiconductor manufacturing. The CHIPS act helps expand semiconductor business in Texas and fosters economic development and innovation, one of the core tenants of our agenda in the 88^th legislature.

SJR 81: Permanent Instruction in Manufacturing and Technical Workforce Operations Funds: SJR 81 might have missed a deadline, but that does not mean it isn’t an important opportunity to create a permanent infrastructure to support the workforce education fund. The workforce education fund enables Texas State Technical College System Programs by increasing their funding. This piece of legislation will continue Texas’s legacy as a top competitor in educational workforce development and foster continued economic development throughout the state.

Senate Bill 28: Texas Water Development Board: The Texas Water Development Board bill would allocate funding to the New Water Supply for Texas Fund which would allow for increased investments in new water sources and continuing innovation in the area of water development and supply. This bill helps meet the water demands of the rapidly growing Texas population and allows for more economic development opportunities in Texas.

Overall, the 88^th session delivered positive results. However, there is still essential legislation on the table. A few major goals this session, such as reducing property taxes, have yet to be achieved. We are proud many of our core tenants and goals for the 88^th session were met, and we look forward to future progress in the special session. Stay tuned for further updates.