Here is what’s on Governor Greg Abbott’s agenda for Texas special legislative session

Eleanor Dearman
·3 min read
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Election legislation, critical race theory, border security and transgender student athletes are among the topics Texas lawmakers are expected to take up when they return to Austin on Thursday for a special legislative session.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced 11 items on the agenda for the special session Wednesday after previously offering some items for legislators to consider but not providing the full list.

“The 87th Legislative Session was a monumental success for the people of Texas, but we have unfinished business to ensure that Texas remains the most exceptional state in America,” Abbott said in a statement.

The agenda items for the special session include:

  • Bail Reform: Abbott called for “legislation reforming the bail system in Texas to protect the public from accused criminals who may be released on bail.” The agenda item comes after one of his priorities, the Damon Allen Act, did not pass during the regular legislative session.

  • Election Integrity: Abbott would like to see proposals “strengthening the integrity of elections in Texas.” Senate Bill 7, the primary election bill last legislative session, died after House Democrats walked out on the legislature’s final night and broke quorum. The bill was criticized by opponents as an effort to suppress voters.

  • Border Security: Abbott has made border security a top issue in recent months as he’s criticized the Biden administration for not doing enough to secure the border. During the special session, Abbott wants to see “legislation providing funding to support law-enforcement agencies, counties, and other strategies as part of Texas’ comprehensive border security plan.”

  • Social Media Censorship: Abbott is calling for legislation “safeguarding the freedom of speech by protecting social-media users from being censored by social-media companies based on the user’s expressed viewpoints, including by providing a legal remedy for those wrongfully excluded from a platform.”

  • Article X Funding: On the agenda will be legislation funding Article X of the General Appropriations Act — the legislative branch. Abbott vetoed the funding after House Democrats broke quorum.

  • Family Violence Prevention: Abbott said he’d like to see legislation that requires schools to ”provide appropriate education to middle- and high-school students about dating violence, domestic violence, and child abuse, but that recognizes the right of parents to opt their children out of the instruction.” Abbott vetoed a similar bill during the legislative session because parents didn’t have the opt out option.

  • Youth Sports: Abbott is calling for legislation identical to Senate Bill 29 as passed by the Texas Senate, “disallowing a student from competing in University Interscholastic League athletic competitions designated for the sex opposite to the student’s sex at birth.”

  • Abortion-inducing drugs: Abbott said lawmakers should pass a bill that “prohibits people from providing abortion-inducing drugs by mail or delivery service, strengthens the laws applicable to the reporting of abortions and abortion complications, and ensures that no abortion-inducing drugs are provided unless there is voluntary and informed consent.”

  • Thirteenth Check: Abbott wants to see a bill related to a “one-time supplemental payment of benefits under the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.”

  • Critical Race Theory: Abbott is calling for legislation similar to House Bill 3979, which Abbott signed into law, “as originally passed by the Texas Senate in the 87th Legislature, Regular Session.” In signing the bill, Abbott called it a “strong move to abolish critical race theory in Texas” but said more must be done. The version signed by Abbott included a more extensive list of documents and concepts to be taught as part of social studies curriculum than its Senate counterpart.

  • In signing the bill, Abbott said the stated needed to do more to “abolish” critical race theory, which deals with racism’s

  • Appropriations: Other items in the appropriations category include property tax relief, “enhanced protection for the safety of children in Texas’ foster-care system” related to attracting private providers for the system and measures “to better safeguard the state from potential cybersecurity threats.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.