City staff presented an overview of the Texas Legislature’s 89th session and its potential impacts on San Antonio during a Governmental Affairs Committee meeting, focusing on a set of bills city departments will monitor and next steps for council oversight.

The briefing, delivered by Sarali Basurto and other municipal staff, said the session had just opened and that state leadership would announce priorities in February. Basurto told the committee the city is tracking hundreds of bills — “more than 400 projects” identified so far — and that staff would provide monthly updates and an online bill tracker with links and memos for members.

City staff highlighted several categories of bills the city is watching: proposals that would restrict municipal contracting with advocacy organizations; measures affecting land use and residential density, including bills identified in the briefing as HB 369 and HB 282; legislation addressing bathrooms, locker rooms and sex-designated spaces (identified as HB 239 and SB 240 in the presentation); and a proposed real-time data exchange on people experiencing homelessness (referred to as HB 636).

Public-safety and health measures noted in the presentation include bills to change how animal control handles dangerous dogs, a package of bills on mental health detentions and related services (cited in the briefing as SB 1346 and SB 155), and proposals to increase penalties for vehicle theft (cited as HB 548). The briefing also cited bills on improving food safety systems and measures aimed at responsible pet ownership.

Staff described other items of legislative interest: HB 167 (a measure the presentation described as restricting diversity, equity and inclusion programs at some local entities); HB 407 (about siting of specific solar devices); SB 498 (restrictions related to certain prior offenders and food-safety roles in the presenter’s remarks); and HB 1709 (identified in the briefing as a proposal to prevent local ordinances or regulations adopted by other cities from taking effect locally where they relate to certain AI systems).

On local economic development, staff reiterated priorities tied to a new business corridor program in south San Antonio and showed a preliminary map of the corridor aligning manufacturers and partners with Interstate 35 intersections. Basurto said staff has been meeting with manufacturing partners, chambers of commerce and health care institutions to coordinate advocacy and to inform legislators about the corridor’s potential economic impact.

Procurement and municipal operations were also discussed. Staff described bills that would change procurement thresholds and public-notice requirements — the presentation cited HB 790 (raising bid thresholds), HB 386 (raising change-order thresholds) and HB 1080 (alternatives to newspaper publication for required notices). Ally Camarta, assistant finance director, said the city already posts procurement notices online and that proposed changes would allow digital publication instead of paid newspaper notices.

The committee also heard a detailed summary of proposed changes to the Fire and Police Retirement Health Care Fund (referenced to Article 6243q in the briefing). Staff said proposed amendments would aim to reduce the plan’s unfunded liability marginally and offer retired members additional flexibility in paying post-retirement health care contributions, allow certain survivorship/recurring-coverage changes and propose administrative clarifications. Staff noted the changes are technical and that the city’s financing team and pension representatives were available to answer follow-up questions.

Committee members asked for a scheduled memorandum showing which bills city leaders and the delegation support or oppose, and staff agreed to provide monthly memos and to post a searchable bill tracker on the city website. Basurto told the committee that the city’s legislative team is small — five primary staff plus supporting directors, office staff and an intern — and that they will be monitoring the session closely over the coming 140-day legislative period.

No formal votes or council actions occurred during the briefing; the presentation was informational and staff sought direction on priorities and approval to proceed with advocacy and monitoring.