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Gov. Greg Abbott calls Texas special session to begin July 21 on floods, testing, taxes and other items
Summary
Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation calling a special legislative session to convene at noon Monday, July 21, 2025, in Austin to consider measures on flood preparedness and response, school assessment changes, property-tax limits and other topics; the Texas Senate recessed shortly after the proclamation was read.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday issued a proclamation calling a special session of the Texas Legislature to convene at 12:00 p.m. Monday, July 21, 2025, in Austin to consider measures on flood preparedness and response, school assessment and accountability, property-tax limits and other specified topics, the secretary of the Senate read on the chamber floor.
The proclamation — read into the record by the secretary of the Senate — said lawmakers should consider legislation to improve early-warning systems and preparedness infrastructure in flood-prone areas, strengthen emergency communications and response systems, and provide relief funding for response to and recovery from storms that began in early July 2025, including lower local match requirements for jurisdictions eligible for FEMA public assistance.
The governor’s call also listed a range of other topics for the special session. They include replacing the current statewide student test, proposals to reduce the property-tax burden and to impose spending limits on taxing entities, comprehensive regulation of hemp-derived products, criminal penalties for providing hemp-derived products to those under 21, further protections for unborn children and mothers related to abortion, prohibitions on taxpayer-funded lobbying, and measures addressing human-trafficking victims’ criminal liability. The proclamation referenced specific prior Senate bills in portions of the call and cited authority in the Texas Constitution.
On the Senate floor, the presiding officer noted a quorum was present after roll call. The presiding officer then recognized the dean of the Senate, and Senator Swartner moved that the chamber recess until 1:15 p.m. The motion drew no objection and the Senate stood in recess until 1:15 p.m.
No formal Senate action to adopt or reject any item on the governor’s list occurred during the portion of the session covered in the record; the proclamation itself is the governor’s call for the legislature to convene on the listed subjects. Specific bills, appropriation levels, deadlines or implementing language were not set on the floor during the reading and are not detailed in the record excerpt.
The secretary read language citing the governor’s authority under the state constitution in the proclamation, and the document concludes with the governor’s signature and the state seal. The Senate’s next steps on the items listed in the proclamation will depend on filings and subsequent committee and floor action after the legislature convenes.
