[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6287075,"mediaKeyId","2555233-70934b92f1490e91ff1aad850b6c0c8d","parentId",2555233,"title","Committee hears bills to create Freedmen’s cemetery designation and codify historic‑cemetery program","audioSeconds",202,"startMs",776000,"endMs",978000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2555233-70934b92f1490e91ff1aad850b6c0c8d&start=776&end=978","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2555233-70934b92f1490e91ff1aad850b6c0c8d/thumbnail_776000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6287075/Texas/Committee-hears-bills-to-create-Freedmens-cemetery-designation-and-codify-historiccemetery-program","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287075-f85621261a45aab4a2e451d867636781/orig.mp4?Expires=1775399982&Signature=R0pq4KIN2GL9QunxHmnqSVCUXI4F3a2VCv-40iWQ7WdbZ-7dnxcyFqMwgQC3Do2t3M9ybpCSROo6PY9VTpVn5N7Iyk8zirPFOIB6IqlApOclct1bDlhBlryyHipZM0~H22RQD69TDxCI6ZfZEznlqQmffKFKQhmIjiZffUAmYCUsk25OioyTpb6jkBRTKnmaYkw5B~-2196zVM3J1NzV~B109z~NH9my7jz9bKU7qvXgsL5KVUFcz97HcJ79Imiq24S2EdkHWeu1yRH0Nj1Xdqlebmh7g4oxO88MdxFe0UzkQDy1jQELrJZM~qRLDPv~F9S-7lW~bdIfk94dzd3jVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Texas State Legislature","date","2025-03-10T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 217 (historic Texas Freedmen’s Cemetery designation) and Senate Bill 586 (placing a popular historic‑preservation program into statute) were presented to the committee by Senator West and received resource testimony from the Texas Historical Commission.

Senator West said SB 217 would mirror the existing historic Texas cemetery designation program but would specifically allow recognition of cemeteries that are the final resting places of formerly enslaved people or their descendants. He told the committee that more than 517 freedmen towns or settlements have been identified in the state and that many have associated burial sites.

Charles Sadnick of the Texas Historical Commission testified as a resource witness and clarified that, under the commission’s rule definition, a cemetery is “any burial of at least one individual.” He said the historic Texas cemetery designation is a notification designation that places notice of the cemetery and deed records at the county level; it does not itself provide law‑enforcement protections or authority to move interred remains. Sadnick said other statutes and bills exist that work in combination to provide legal protections for cemeteries.

Senator Schwartner asked whether a designation based on a single interment could create development impediments; the commission witness and Senator West said the commission retains discretion to evaluate facts before granting a designation and that the designation’s primary effect is notification to current and future landowners.

Both bills were left pending, subject to the call of the chair.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee on Economic Development March 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senate bills to create a historic Texas Freedmen’s Cemetery designation and to codify the state’s historic cemetery program were presented; Texas Historical Commission staff described the designation as a notification tool and explained the commission’s discretion in applying it.","taxTitle","Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development, Senate, Legislative, Texas","taxId",16855,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6287080,"Committee hears bill to let Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station apply for Skills Development Fund grants",315,428000,743000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2555233-70934b92f1490e91ff1aad850b6c0c8d&start=428&end=743","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2555233-70934b92f1490e91ff1aad850b6c0c8d/thumbnail_428000.jpg","/articles/6287080/Texas/Committee-hears-bill-to-let-Texas-AM-Engineering-Experiment-Station-apply-for-Skills-Development-Fund-grants","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287080-c2ec57f15b3f41884c2943c62da5b241/orig.mp4?Expires=1775399982&Signature=eiRjemsqW8YVqZkC37u8fyfrXU9bv2f6T-rY-lIJHvGV~DtQ7m1LC3F3G6y5h6g-CVenlwLssMabhMitD9k9TSVVn0IkmIwbS3tmrndg1-7hvmQY8kuHWXTJz2PtXzs8Isin~UzDgnp0QFJRbQInRFE0gfrdmTaK0nLbiMmLZT96O94VtBtLFJpS1aledLopsDFRslZrDlOZDgUSc~TZzThj8gQZpJa2YfSujTFwlMTUhKK-B6cOwnBY12gdwJ-Zzi-4bCsRIe-fL1b~5Af3-iW~U1~d59cV4~s5SWeEFK4WjqTOqjne6nk~uHKO-ffM2-CgMB1t9R9YwuVT9CxFrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 856, presented by Senator Flores, would add the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station to the list of entities eligible to apply for grants from the Texas Skills Development Fund to deliver hands‑on, industry‑specific job training.

Flores said the Engineering Experiment Station is a state research agency that can address bioscience and biotech workforce needs through professional education partnerships. Victoria Ford of the Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute told the committee that the station is working with about a dozen community colleges to develop a consistent entry‑level biotech certification; if the station qualifies for a Skills Development Fund grant, community college students would receive hands‑on training at the National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing at Texas A&M.

Mary York of the Texas Workforce Commission appeared as a resource witness and confirmed the Skills Development Fund’s competitive grant process and that the fund’s grants require application and qualification. Committee members asked whether the bill would cause other applicants to “lose money”; witnesses said the grants are competitive and that additional appropriation can expand the fund pool.

The committee opened and closed public testimony with no registered witnesses beyond the resource witnesses and left SB 856 pending, subject to the call of the chair.","Senate Bill 856 would allow the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station to access the Skills Development Fund to provide industry‑specific job training in partnership with community colleges; witnesses from the Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute supported the measure. The committee left the bill pending.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6287085,"Senate committee hears mixed testimony on proposal for Texas trade office in Jerusalem",1740,1186000,2926000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2555233-70934b92f1490e91ff1aad850b6c0c8d&start=1186&end=2926","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2555233-70934b92f1490e91ff1aad850b6c0c8d/thumbnail_1186000.jpg","/articles/6287085/Texas/Senate-committee-hears-mixed-testimony-on-proposal-for-Texas-trade-office-in-Jerusalem","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287085-3cc8b42ce588435e98c98872cf35bd6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775399982&Signature=FQwJLycb~DXnwQKeiG548GwgUNv-106sU7T33IL1DQYbbk7wxikhKPe-s~N7iCVLiBkxrEPWdkX~k0-hBVx2ZWO1zm8b0Ua2hVICC5MbRirPZpVJ9jBeu1j-jHLJDxgXIMu2ZRgfz-SvRGAVwK7TBejsC2nlbhRVMtmwnTQHQDckCa~a~qERnpIdA-qGOUxyPF7aVq8JXlHZ-taTZ3-vTteCie7Exu0VCsEolktOwC-xfNh50~c4qXxNQVsUBzxKzTzVJYdRJo6FCXx-6cN-srZXWbeaUR4Bu7hlLCANW7mkmwUIUeo7WRQm6kONuHmeqjh6AoZELYd6bgByebiFxQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The committee heard testimony on SCR 24, a resolution expressing support for a Texas trade and investment office in Jerusalem and for deeper economic ties with Israel and Abraham Accords partners.

Senator Kelly King said Texas businesses and innovation sectors — cybersecurity, energy, ag tech, medical research and space — can benefit from a closer formal state trade presence in Israel. He described past trips to Israeli innovation centers and said a request for standing funding had been submitted to the Senate Finance Committee to stand up a Texas office.

Terry Jurbec (deputy executive director, Office of the Governor’s Economic Development and Tourism) described how the state’s existing Taiwan and Mexico offices operate using contracted local staff, prospect generation, trade‑mission support and joint initiatives with trade organizations. He told the committee that contracted offices serve as active liaisons for Texas companies and can assist with introductions.

Supporters at the public microphone — including Israeli‑American community organizations, business leaders and regional economic development advocates — argued the office would attract investment and expand market opportunities through trilateral relationships tied to the Abraham Accords. “A trade office would facilitate partnership, investment opportunities, and technology exchange,” said Shelly Schwartz of the Israeli American Council.

Opponents raised trade‑volume and values concerns and broader policy objections. Hasib Abdullah, a Texas resident, testified against the resolution and cited U.S. trade data showing Mexico and Canada as Texas’s top partners and placing Israel low among export destinations. He also expressed concerns about values, safety and prioritizing other markets.

Other supporters emphasized that Israel can act as a gateway to new regional markets under the Abraham Accords and that several U.S. states and other countries already operate trade offices there. The chair took testimony and left SCR 24 pending, subject to the call of the chair.","Senators heard proponents who argued a Texas trade and investment office in Israel would boost technology, agriculture and defense ties; opponents said trade volumes and values do not justify the measure and raised foreign policy and safety concerns. The resolution was left pending.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6287089,"Senate committee advances bill to create regulatory‑efficiency office, web portal and change judicial review standard",5765,3491000,9256000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2555233-70934b92f1490e91ff1aad850b6c0c8d&start=3491&end=9256","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2555233-70934b92f1490e91ff1aad850b6c0c8d/thumbnail_3491000.jpg","/articles/6287089/Texas/Senate-committee-advances-bill-to-create-regulatoryefficiency-office-web-portal-and-change-judicial-review-standard","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287089-7c5863ee750ffc4076f0f6b6b7d20c00/orig.mp4?Expires=1775399982&Signature=EJxQrCFb3R71Zi-Pv2hdB5BJONOQwmq6iZ6vRthCN6u1wOVRJZe1HsrUEZlu0ioTvz07v7QWwpX~S8YRVZS~U9p2ybbBNTONKZ3St~9mvI9oTvxEpUaIXkOG7HQ4p0AsBDEQhWq9WAJjdVEOm4tPn-6SfiCDmU02hnmULnZHDMYZ9SjuwjX4z54NETH5XOAeh6y01aVsmS3z2LMiJj2szP1Ervg0gvX5LHaw7eJdXfDl~QC1SgUI0B-9KU0PdJIEShgjRIxRF6ds~TTw1RLqWXlL6zcuys~tvgD8KMZICR1R9mEWK1x~fAaQkv93CMPLaggDw8ZTW7yINTK5F0425g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development voted to report Senate Bill 14 to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation after a lengthy hearing and public testimony.

SB 14 would create a regulatory efficiency office in the governor’s office to assist state agencies in their statutorily required four‑year rule reviews, commission a user‑friendly web portal that compiles state regulations tied to particular businesses, expand cost‑benefit and impact analysis requirements for proposed and readopted rules, and codify that state courts are not required to give special deference to agency interpretations of statutes or rules.

Supporters — including business groups, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the Texas Association of Builders and regional economic organizations — said agencies face a growing inventory of regulatory text and lack capacity to do deep reviews. “The review process … is an important tool, [but] the agencies are busy implementing and enforcing the rules,” said Rod Bordelon of the Coalition for Regulatory Efficiency and Reform, who testified in favor.

Proponents pointed to research used in testimony showing a large stock of regulatory text and cited potential economic gains from targeted reductions or modernization. Scott Norman, CEO of the Texas Association of Builders, told the committee that regulatory costs add materially to housing prices and supported stronger cost‑benefit analysis for rules that affect housing.

Witnesses from the governor’s office explained how the state’s existing international trade and outreach contracts operate and described that contractors provide local in‑country staffing for trade offices; witnesses said the proposed portal would centralize already‑digitized rules into a single searchable database.

Opponents and skeptical members raised concerns about concentrating review authority in the governor’s office, possible duplication with the Sunset Advisory Commission, potential industry influence, and an initial fiscal note that showed substantial startup costs and staff. Several senators asked for language changes and for reports to be sent to the Legislature as well as the governor so lawmakers would receive the work product. Senator Johnson urged clarification and asked the authors to preserve public participation and agency independence.

Senator King, the bill’s author in committee, said he and staff had begun discussions with the Legislative Budget Board and the governor’s office about the fiscal impact and expected to resolve ambiguities before floor action.

Votes at the committee roll call were recorded after debate. Senator King moved the committee recommendation; the clerk recorded Senator Sparks as “Aye,” Senator Alvarado “Abstain,” Senator Johnson “Present,” Senator Schwartner “Aye” and Senator King “Aye.” The clerk reported “three ayes, two present,” and the committee’s action sent SB 14 to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation.

The committee left public testimony and other technical amendments open as the bill moves forward to the calendar.","After hours of testimony and debate the Senate committee voted to report Senate Bill 14 favorably; the bill would create a regulatory efficiency office in the governor’s office, require expanded cost‑benefit analysis, establish a searchable web portal of state rules and statutorily clarify judicial review of agency interpretations.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6287071,"Committee hears resolution urging tax code change to let spaceports use tax‑exempt private activity bonds; left pending",127,288000,415000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2555233-70934b92f1490e91ff1aad850b6c0c8d&start=288&end=415","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2555233-70934b92f1490e91ff1aad850b6c0c8d/thumbnail_288000.jpg","/articles/6287071/Texas/Committee-hears-resolution-urging-tax-code-change-to-let-spaceports-use-taxexempt-private-activity-bonds-left-pending","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6287071-c027152a402493a90a219a1a50de9b4d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775399982&Signature=XDKKx9FAKHpYMGHn~SXuCl0JXbRADAG5vag24l156UZjAOM7cOd4i5844sTHDb3mb8Qr9hVBclTHCtskg2iITIkNuv2rCo6u95TVQBuzj3-M6xMbVxZVGscNZsgGYU~FOOCoVAlymJvc739Y4iRQnWu2TO6XLpSkh-PSGlp4xPdIu8XmcHDwnOzoRznvcLkZ2hOCdHonA4-p3LiaNWAEB4yuADxUDmxil9GFbPxiJQ8LVTUzhFUBcMJxy4g8PTw9diwXxHUeAlly8zndOTV3RQhW2m1Rz5HGaB~sQvoTi7U~QcoBA-vWrXSEhFll5-lxOgsz1ZD5wEZ35NaOx2MIHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Hinojosa presented Senate Concurrent Resolution 12 urging Congress to amend the Internal Revenue Code to permit tax‑exempt private activity bond financing for spaceports.

Hinojosa said spaceports perform infrastructure functions similar to airports, docks and rail facilities and argued that allowing tax‑exempt private activity bond financing would help Texas retain and expand aerospace investment. He cited the economic activity around commercial launch sites and companies such as SpaceX and Firefly.

The chair asked for public testimony; none was offered. The chair closed public testimony and left SCR 12 pending, subject to the call of the chair.","Senator Hinojosa presented SCR 12, urging Congress to amend the Internal Revenue Code to make spaceports eligible for tax‑exempt private activity bonds. Committee took no public testimony and left the resolution pending.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears bills to create Freedmen’s cemetery designation and codify historic‑cemetery program

Committee hears bill to let Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station apply for Skills Development Fund grants

Senate committee hears mixed testimony on proposal for Texas trade office in Jerusalem

Senate committee advances bill to create regulatory‑efficiency office, web portal and change judicial review standard

Committee hears resolution urging tax code change to let spaceports use tax‑exempt private activity bonds; left pending