Gov. Greg Abbott, governor of Texas, issued a proclamation calling a special session of the 80th Legislature to convene at 12 p.m. Monday, July 21, 2025, in Austin to consider a set of specified measures, including flood early-warning and preparedness improvements, emergency communications upgrades, storm relief funding and FEMA local-match assistance, and a list of other policy matters.

The proclamation matters because it sets the House agenda for the special session and directs the Secretary of State to notify members; the House convened, a quorum was recorded, the clerk read the proclamation aloud, and members took routine procedural actions before adjourning.

The proclamation — presented to the House and signed by Abbott — lists multiple discrete topics for lawmakers’ consideration. The text directs consideration of measures to improve early-warning systems and preparedness infrastructure in flood-prone areas, strengthen emergency communications and response infrastructure for flood events, and provide relief funding for storms that began in early July 2025, including local-match funding for jurisdictions eligible for FEMA Public Assistance. It also calls for legislation to evaluate and streamline rules and regulations to speed preparedness and recovery from natural disasters.

Other items named in the proclamation include ending the STAAR test and replacing it with “effective tools” for assessing student progress and district accountability; reducing the property tax burden and imposing spending limits on entities authorized to levy property taxes; criminalizing the provision of hemp-derived products to persons under 21 and comprehensively regulating hemp-derived products by limiting potency, restricting synthetically modified compounds, and establishing enforcement mechanisms. The proclamation also lists measures "further protecting unborn children and their mothers from the harm of abortion;" prohibiting taxpayer-funded lobbying; adopting measures similar to prior Senate bills to protect trafficking victims from criminal liability for nonviolent acts tied to their victimization; shielding law-enforcement personnel records from public disclosure; protecting women’s privacy in segregated spaces; proposing a constitutional amendment to allow the attorney general to prosecute state election crimes; revising the congressional redistricting plan; strengthening protections against title theft and deed fraud; authorizing political subdivisions to reduce impact fees for builders who include water-conservation measures; and legislation relating to operation and administration of the judicial department.

The text of the proclamation cites authority in the Texas Constitution: Article 3, Sections 5(a) and 40, and Article 4, Section 8(a), and directs the Secretary of State to notify members. The clerk read the proclamation to the chamber during the convening remarks.

During the opening proceedings the House also handled routine motions to excuse absent members on the motions of several representatives; each motion was approved by the chair after the chair asked if there was objection and none was voiced. Representative Alverson moved that the House adjourn until 10 a.m. Thursday, in memory of Lisa Wilson of Austin; the chair heard no objection and the House adjourned.

The proclamation names the subjects that the Legislature may consider but does not itself enact policy; any specific bills, appropriations, or statutory language must be introduced and passed by the Legislature during the special session. The secretary of state is instructed to notify members of the Legislature of the governor’s action, and the proclamation is signed by Gov. Greg Abbott.