City staff outlines surge in Texas bill filings, flags several proposals that would limit local land-use and utility authority

Ariel Tribe, Garland city staff, told the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee that roughly 3,000 bills were filed in the Texas Legislature this filing period, a record that staff said is about 650 more than the last session.

Tribe summarized deadlines and the committee and floor schedule, saying May 12 is the last day for House committees to report bills and May 28 is the last day for the Senate to consider bills on second and third reading. She added that “June 2, we'll hopefully be done with no special sessions.”

Why it matters: The volume of bills and several that target municipal authority could directly affect Garland’s zoning, utility regulation and local finance tools. Committee members discussed specific bills the city is monitoring and the staff positions Garland has submitted or plans to submit.

Tribe said Garland is actively tracking hundreds of bills: “We have close to 10,000 filed. We have came in at 98, 90 7. We're actively tracking 985,” and after additional review she said staff expects that list to expand closer to 2,000. She reported a large uptick in public safety, land-use, property-tax and utility bills and said many either have not yet been referred to committees or have only just been set for hearings.

Key bills and staff positions discussed

- Land use and housing: The committee was warned about Senate Bill 15, described by staff as a lot-size and density bill;…