Texas Legislative News: Nov. 10, 2026

Welcome to the first edition of Texas Legislative News for the 90th Texas Legislature. In this regular feature, TCDD provides information on disability issues being considered at the State Capitol. We also include overviews of how lawmakers conduct business and share details on upcoming TCDD events.

Election Wrap-Up

Many statewide offices and most Texas legislative seats were on the ballot for the Nov. 3 general election. Like most of the nation, Texans voted overwhelmingly against the party in power. This resulted in the election of Gina Hinojosa as the state’s first Democratic governor since 1994; the election of James Talarico as the state’s first Democratic U.S. senator since 1993; and a full Democratic sweep of all statewide races. The Texas House will have a Democratic majority for the first time in over two decades. The Texas Senate, however, will remain under Republican control.

When the Legislature convenes on Jan. 12, 2027, there will be dozens of new lawmakers and a potential divide in priorities between the House and Senate. This will require an enormous informational effort from disability advocates seeking movement on their key issues. If you need advocacy tools or tips to use at the Capitol, check out our Legislative Advocacy Resources.

Bill Filing Begins

The Monday after the election generally marks the first day for lawmakers to file bills for the upcoming legislative session, a process known as “pre-filing.” Texas lawmakers filed over 1,200 bills on Nov. 9. To put that into perspective, about 9,000 bills were filed throughout the entire regular session in 2025.

Pre-filed bills often include proposals that were filed last session and didn’t pass; “messaging” bills meant to capitalize on a current hot topic; and bills highlighting lawmakers’ top priorities. Pre-filing can benefit lawmakers who want to demonstrate their legislative goals to their voters and constituents. Pre-filing can also provide early promotion of a bill and help lawmakers bid for an early legislative hearing on a bill once House and Senate committees are announced after the session begins.

Several pre-filed bills relate to disability issues, including the following:

• House Bill (HB) 170 by Rep. Armando “Mando” Martinez, relating to using vehicle registration information to notify peace officers that a person has a health condition or disability that may affect communication.
• HB 209 by Rep. Mary González, relating to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission creating a co-navigation service program for people who are deaf-blind.
• HB 541 by Rep. John Bucy III, relating to behavior management requirements for students in special education programs at public schools.
• HB 545 by Rep. Joe Moody, relating to the use of the death penalty to a capital offense committed by a person with an intellectual disability.
• HB 603 by Rep. Suleman Lalani, relating to public school policy to address eloping behavior by students with autism or other intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD).
• Senate Bill (SB) 90 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, relating to the regulation of childcare facilities and registered family homes, including services to children with disabilities.
• SB 142 by Sen. José Menéndez, relating to an education and training program for public transportation vehicle operators on interacting with and supporting people with IDD.

TCDD will review all bills under consideration by lawmakers, and we will highlight some of them in future updates. Please stay tuned!

Policy Priority Roundtables 

We’re inviting disability advocates to join us online for roundtable conversations on our Public Policy Priorities for the upcoming session. We want to know about your thoughts and experiences related to each of our policy priorities. Your input will help inform our advocacy efforts and legislative outreach at the State Capitol.

The roundtable conversations will begin next week:

• Employment, Housing, and Transportation: Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1-2:30 p.m. Central time (CT) | Register Online 
• Attendant Wages and Training, Community Living, and Mental Health: Thursday, Dec. 1, 1-2:30 p.m. CT | Register Online  

If you are unable to attend, we encourage you to still share your comments through our online survey.

Join Our Policy Team!

With the session quickly approaching, TCDD is seeking a Public Policy Analyst to perform policy and legislative advocacy activities that support our Council’s goals and priorities.

For this Austin-based position, qualified candidates must have at least two years of experience in a state legislative office or in legislative advocacy, public policy analysis, or public policy development at the state level. To view the full job description and apply for the position, check out the TCDD Public Policy Analyst job posting.

Stay Informed

Stay up to date on how lawmakers address disability issues by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You can also visit our Policy section to learn more about our public policy engagement and find resources to support your own legislative advocacy.

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