Bills: SCR39

Keywords: border security, southern border, federal immigration policy, illegal immigration, cartels, transnational cartels, fentanyl, drug trafficking, human trafficking, Operation Lone Star, Texas border, National Guard, state guard, border wall, border barriers, customs and border protection, CBP, Department of Homeland Security, reimbursement, state sovereignty

Bills: SB12

Keywords: election laws, attorney general, prosecution, criminal offenses, law enforcement, criminal prosecution, jurisdiction

Transcript Highlights:

• Our national security begins at our borders.
• border, and even smuggle illegal items into Texas.
• So there's no difference along the border.
• southern part of the United States.
• individual states to improve border security cooperation.

Bills: HCR98, HB180

Keywords: counter-unmanned aircraft systems, C-UAS, counter-drone, drone mitigation, unmanned aircraft systems, UAS, border security, U.S.-Mexico border, aviation safety, airspace regulation, federal preemption, Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Department of Energy, FBI, state-local coordination, tribal and territorial partners, border patrol, cartels

Summary: The Senate Committee on Border Security met with a quorum present and first took up HCR 98, a resolution urging Congress to improve coordination among federal, state, and local authorities on counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) technology for border security. The author and sponsor described increasing drone activity along the border, saying unauthorized drones are used to track agents, identify weaknesses, and smuggle contraband, and argued for clearer procedures to detect, identify, and neutralize such aircraft. There was no public testimony, and the committee voted 4-0 to report HCR 98 favorably to the full Senate; the resolution was also ordered for local and uncontested calendar placement without objection. The committee then heard HB 180, sponsored by Chairman Birdwell, which would authorize the governor to coordinate directly with Mexican officials and individual Mexican states on border security agreements and appoint representatives to implement them. Birdwell said the bill would codify prior border-security cooperation efforts, improve responses to cross-border challenges such as drug and human trafficking, and include a finding that entrants from foreign countries must use a legal port of entry. No questions were asked, and there was no invited or public testimony. After the hearing, the committee left HB 180 pending. The meeting concluded with no further business and the committee standing in recess subject to the call of the chair.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate Committee on Border Security will come to order. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
• Look, we, we've been doing an incredible job on the border.
• We've had to invest in that border.
• The bill refers to private organizations participating in border security.
• There's some comments that were made, but implementation like on the border strategy border operation

Bills: SB 36, SB 2202

Keywords: homeland security, border security, critical infrastructure, Department of Public Safety, intelligence operations, public-private partnerships, SB 2202, firearm trafficking, gun trafficking, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, Texas-Mexico border, United Mexican States, Mexico, DPS, second-degree felony, weapons transfer, illegal firearms transfer, arms smuggling, cross-border crime

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Committee on Border Security will come to order. Uh, Mr.
• The offense seeks to prosecute bad actors who knowingly arm cartels.
• However, the relationship between the United States and Mexico is still evolving.
• Tweed, I'm the elected district attorney in the 452nd judicial district and chair of the border prosecution
• unit.

Bills: SB36, SB2202

Keywords: homeland security, border security, critical infrastructure, Department of Public Safety, intelligence operations, public-private partnerships, SB 2202, firearm trafficking, gun trafficking, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, Texas-Mexico border, United Mexican States, Mexico, DPS, second-degree felony, weapons transfer, illegal firearms transfer, arms smuggling, cross-border crime

Summary: The Senate Committee on Border Security heard Senator Birdwell present SB 2202, which would create a state offense for knowingly transferring a firearm for profit or other remuneration to a member of a foreign terrorist organization. Birdwell argued the bill responds to cartel violence and southbound gun trafficking, and he explained a committee substitute that removed an exemption for federally licensed gun dealers and removed a requirement that DPS coordinate with Mexican law enforcement. He said the goal was to give Texas a state-level tool if federal enforcement is lacking. Invited testimony came from DPS Colonel Freeman Martin and border prosecution unit chair Tanya Ash. Both said the bill could be useful in some organized-crime and cartel cases, but they emphasized that proving a defendant knowingly transferred a gun to a foreign terrorist organization would be difficult and would usually require strong direct or circumstantial evidence, such as recorded statements, informants, or coordinated investigations. They said the measure would be more workable in complex cartel cases than in routine patrol stops, and they noted existing state and federal tools already address straw purchases, firearms trafficking, and related offenses. Members also discussed tracing seized firearms, cooperation with ATF, and the limits of state jurisdiction over international issues. No public testimony was offered, and SB 2202 was left pending. The committee then took up SB 36 as pending business. A committee substitute was adopted without objection, and the substitute bill was reported favorably to the full Senate by a 4-0 vote, with Senators Birdwell, Flores, Hinojosa of Hidalgo, Eckhardt, and Hinojosa of Nueces participating. The committee also accepted a motion in writing and ordered the bill recommended for local and uncontested calendar placement. The chair then announced the committee would recess subject to call.

Transcript Highlights:

• Border Patrol.
• If confirmed, I will continue to push out the strategy that we built out in the United States Border
• So, we're focused on people coming into the United States illegally at the borders or an international
• border.
• United States Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection, they arrest people from 150 different

Keywords: Customs and Border Protection, Rodney Scott, border security, asylum, transparency, Hernandez Rojas, migrant treatment, public testimony

Summary: The meeting centered on the nomination of Rodney Scott to serve as the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Throughout the session, various senators expressed concerns regarding CBP's recent practices, including issues related to border security and the treatment of migrants. Questions were raised about Scott's involvement in previous incidents, particularly surrounding the controversial death of Mr. Hernandez Rojas while in custody, which sparked a heated discussion about accountability and transparency in current border policies. Senators emphasized the importance of balancing efficient border security with humane treatment of individuals seeking asylum.

Bills: HB176, HB180, HB176, HB180, HB333, HCR35

Keywords: tax, ad valorem, voter-approval, local government finance, property tax, repeal, tax rates, school finance, tax reduction, compressed tax rate, education, funding, HB 176, Texas border security, interstate compact, Government Code Chapter 794, Texas-Mexico border, border enforcement, immigration enforcement, ICE 287(g)

Transcript Highlights:

• Our national security begins at our borders.
• border, and even assist smugglers. smuggled illegal items into Texas.
• , particularly in the southern part of the United States.
• Coordinate directly with Mexican officials to enhance border security.
• individual states to improve border security cooperation.

Bills: HCR98, HB180, HB180

Keywords: counter-unmanned aircraft systems, C-UAS, counter-drone, drone mitigation, unmanned aircraft systems, UAS, border security, U.S.-Mexico border, aviation safety, airspace regulation, federal preemption, Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Department of Energy, FBI, state-local coordination, tribal and territorial partners, border patrol, cartels

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:47:08.160> This<00:47:08.400> same across the United States.
• This same across the United States.
• And with Operation the United States.
• My grandfather and my father came to the United States. They're both citizens now.
• My grandfather and my father came to the United States. They're both citizens now.

Bills: HF3435, HF3409

Keywords: school access, school site, school district, charter school, federal agents, DHS, Department of Homeland Security, ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, CBP, Customs and Border Protection, USCIS, immigration enforcement, judicial warrant, student privacy, school safety, sanctuary schools, warrant requirement, federal warrant, school grounds

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Committee on Border Security will come to order. Mr.
• The offense seeks to prosecute bad actors who knowingly arm cartels.
• I'm the elected district attorney in the 452nd Judicial District and chair of the Border Prosecution
• Unit.
• They're operating in our borders.

Bills: SB36, SB2202, SB 36

Keywords: homeland security, border security, critical infrastructure, Department of Public Safety, intelligence operations, public-private partnerships, SB 2202, firearm trafficking, gun trafficking, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, Texas-Mexico border, United Mexican States, Mexico, DPS, second-degree felony, weapons transfer, illegal firearms transfer, arms smuggling, cross-border crime

Transcript Highlights:

• Look, we've been doing an incredible job on the border.
• We've had to invest in that border.
• But if you back up to 1993, that was my first deployment to the border to deal with border operations
• But as far as related to border security...
• Border Patrol agent, and a... ...22-year military veteran.

Bills: SB36, SB2202, SB 36

Keywords: homeland security, border security, critical infrastructure, Department of Public Safety, intelligence operations, public-private partnerships, SB 2202, firearm trafficking, gun trafficking, terrorism, foreign terrorist organization, Texas-Mexico border, United Mexican States, Mexico, DPS, second-degree felony, weapons transfer, illegal firearms transfer, arms smuggling, cross-border crime

Transcript Highlights:

• We're way up in northeast Texas on the Louisiana, Arkansas border. uh.
• And then other taxing units moved into the space with a $3.9 billion increase, which at the end of the
• And, and also this chart reflects only school taxes, but the table reflects all taxing units.
• And so it's really the same analysis across all taxing units. Thank you.
• Will the owner of a multi-family unit, will they see their property tax bill go down?

Bills: HB8, HB9, HJR1, HB 22

Keywords: HB 8, Texas public school accountability, school accountability, public school transparency, STAAR, state assessments, instructionally supportive assessment program, Student Success Tool, Texas Education Agency, TEA, accountability ratings, A-F ratings, through-year assessment, benchmark testing, norm-referenced assessment, college career military readiness, CCMR, local accountability plan, school district performance, campus turnaround

Transcript Highlights:

• You probably know my district is a border district, but it's a northeast Texas border district that borders
• , but they're on the New Mexico border.
• Critically, this resolution does not... ...weaken border security.
• However, for routine crossings at the border, visas and...
• From the border, 50 miles from the border, is that their policy and rule for...? That's correct.

Bills: HB3484, HCR112, HCR125

Keywords: border municipalities, agreements, funding eligibility, infrastructure, intergovernmental cooperation, REAL ID, travel document, border crossing, Texas, U.S. citizens, Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, defense innovation, national security, U.S. Army Futures Command, military technology, economic growth, 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So the gap, probably the biggest gap now, is the ability to cover the entire border. borders 1,254 miles
• You see a... a drone cross the border, if there is not a unit or personnel nearby to interdict that drone
• , Parks and Wildlife, Border Patrol.
• One of the worst things I ever had to do was when I was in a joint unit, a joint special forces unit.
• The first is a defense to prosecution.

Bills: HB2034, HB2436, HB3010, HB3033, HB3138, HB3177, HB3426, HB3686, HB3858, HB4176, HB4257, HB4264, HB4804, HCR98

Keywords: groundwater, foreign ownership, national security, water permits, environmental health, deadly conduct, firearm, recklessness, peace officer, prosecution, Penal Code, Texas laws, disaster recovery, infrastructure, rural communities, grants, state funding, emergency management, HB 3033, Texas Department of Public Safety

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Committee on Border Security will now come to order. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
• structures and real property, and adding continuous smuggling of persons to the list of recognized border
• Many properties along the southern border are managed by lessees rather than the landowners themselves
• You know, there's been a real challenge for us down in South Texas, especially along the border from
• Is there any other business to come before the Senate Committee on Border Security?

Bills: SB2601

Keywords: landowner compensation, border crime, agriculture damage, law enforcement, crop loss

Summary: The Senate Committee on Border Security met with a quorum and heard only one bill, Senate Bill 2601 by Senator Blanco, laid out by Senator Hinojosa of Hidalgo. The bill was presented as a committee substitute to revise the Landowner’s Compensation Program created last session under SB 1133. The changes would expand eligibility to include land lessees with the landowner’s permission, cover damage to the land itself as well as structures and real property, add continuous smuggling of persons as a qualifying border crime, prohibit insurers from using claims under the program in rate calculations, and require law enforcement to provide requested border crime reports to the Attorney General within 14 days. Public testimony was unanimously supportive. Charles Maley of the South Texans Property Rights Association said the program has been beneficial and that the bill helps clean up implementation issues, including clarifying compensation for debris and pollutants left on land. Stephen Diebel of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association also supported the bill, saying it would help address fence damage, destroyed infrastructure, and other harms along the border, and that lessees who manage properties day to day should be eligible for direct compensation when they have the landowner’s permission. Members discussed border-related property damage, including vehicles crashing through fences, broken sheds, livestock escaping, and resulting highway hazards. Senator Hinojosa asked about how conflicts between landowners and lessees would be handled, and testimony indicated documentation of lease authority would be required. After public testimony closed, the committee adopted the committee substitute without objection and voted to report SB 2601 favorably to the full Senate by a 5-0 vote, recommending it as local and uncontested.

Transcript Highlights:

• We're way up in northeast Texas on the Louisiana-Arkansas border.
• It's not just about the tax rates and the ability of other taxing units to fill in the void.
• And so, it's really the same analysis across all taxing units. Thank you.
• So, let me ask you this way, if this bill passes, will the owner of a multifamily unit, will they see
• We are the leading advocacy association for small businesses all across the United States and in Texas

Bills: HB8, HB9, HJR1, HB22, HB8, HB9, HJR1, HB22

Keywords: HB 8, school finance, compressed tax rate, maximum compressed tax rate, MCR, PYMCR, property tax, school district taxes, Education Code, Tax Code, state aid, school funding formula, local school taxes, Texas school finance, tax rate compression, public education funding, ad valorem tax, tangible personal property, income-producing property, business personal property

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Committee on Border Security will now come to order. Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.
• structures and real property, and adding continuous smuggling of persons to the list of recognized border
• Many properties along the southern border are managed by lessees rather than the landowners themselves
• You know, there's been a real challenge for us down in South Texas, especially along the border from
• Is there any other business to come before the Senate Committee on Border Security?

Bills: SB2601

Keywords: landowner compensation, border crime, agriculture damage, law enforcement, crop loss, 1185, senate, all

Summary: The Senate Committee on Border Security met with a quorum and heard one bill, Senate Bill 2601 by Senator Blanco, laid out by Senator Hinojosa of Hidalgo. The bill amends the Landowner’s Compensation Program, which was created last session and is administered by the Office of the Attorney General, to expand eligibility to land lessees, cover damage to the land itself as well as structures and real property, add continuous smuggling of persons as a covered border crime, prohibit insurers from using claims under the program in rate calculations, and require law enforcement to provide border crime reports to the Attorney General within 14 days. The committee substitute also makes the bill a legislative council draft. Public testimony was unanimously supportive. Representatives of the South Texans Property Rights Association and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association said the program has helped landowners but needed cleanup and broader access, especially for lessees who manage property day to day and may otherwise not receive compensation. Testimony also emphasized ongoing problems with fence damage, debris, pollutants, and other border-related property damage. Members asked about implementation, including how conflicts between landowners and lessees would be handled; the response was that documentation of authority and lease responsibilities would be required. After public testimony closed, the committee adopted the committee substitute without objection. Senator Hinojosa then moved that SB 2601 be reported favorably to the full Senate with the committee substitute, and the motion passed on a 5-0 vote. The bill was also recommended for the local and uncontested calendar, with no objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• . $6.5 billion provided for border security operations across 13 state agencies.
• One, if we still have 519 people. who are in need of a maximum security unit spot where are they?
• They are most likely in jail waiting for a transfer to a maximum security unit.
• Thank you. to completing construction on time on all four units or Four units. I'm so sorry.
• Contractor that operates our claims administrator program and they're paid per unit of service.

Keywords: budget, House Bill 1, public education, healthcare, border security, federal funding, spending limits

Summary: The meeting primarily focused on reviewing the proposed budget for the upcoming biennium, with substantial discussions around House Bill 1 and its implications for public education, healthcare, and border security. The Comptroller presented a revenue overview indicating a total of $194.6 billion available for general purpose spending, which reflects a slight decrease compared to previous years due to fluctuating economic conditions. Members raised questions regarding spending limits and the impact of federal funding on state programs, highlighting concerns about the sustainability of funding in light of potential changes at the federal level.

Transcript Highlights:

• I think we're bordering on being truthful in their testimony.
• And then finally, The to prosecute these cases, unfortunately.
• It is not one of the most robust programs in the United States.
• I don't want it coming from anywhere outside the United States.
• It should be made only here in the United States. Whatever is legal, United States only.

Bills: SB 5, SB 11, SB 12

Keywords: disaster relief, flood preparedness, emergency funding, local government support, meteorological forecasting, human trafficking, trafficking victim, compelling prostitution, affirmative defense, criminal defense, coercion, force fraud or coercion, sexual exploitation, victim protection, Penal Code, Texas criminal law, prosecution, party liability, affirmative defense statute, survivor rights

Summary: The Senate Committee on State Affairs took up Senate Bill 5, which Senator Perry described as a ban on intoxicating THC consumer products while preserving legal CBD, CBG, hemp seed, hemp seed protein powder, and hemp seed oil products. Perry argued that most retail THC products are already illegal under federal law, that the industry has used loopholes and misleading labeling to sell high-potency products, and that regulation would be ineffective because chemists can quickly alter formulations. He also said the bill would steer people with medical needs toward the Texas Compassionate Use Program (T-Cup), which he and other supporters described as the proper physician-guided alternative. Committee members and witnesses repeatedly discussed the distinction between legal hemp-derived products and intoxicating THC products, and Perry said the bill would not touch non-consumable hemp uses such as fiber and clothing. Invited testimony came from law enforcement and medical witnesses who supported the bill. Texas Police Chiefs Association representative Steve Dye, Kaufman County District Attorney Early Wiley, and Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne all said regulation would be too costly, too complex, and ultimately unenforceable, while a ban would be clearer and easier to enforce. They cited overloaded DPS labs, the need for expensive private testing, limited police and prosecutor resources, and the difficulty of keeping up with constantly changing cannabinoids and out-of-state products. Hawthorne and Wiley described raids and investigations involving warehouses, retail stores, cash seizures, and products they said were marketed to young people and often mislabeled or imported from other states. They also said the bill would help law enforcement by creating a clearer legal line and protecting legitimate CBD/CBG businesses. Dr. Lindy McGee, speaking for the Texas Medical Association and Texas Pediatric Society, testified that retail THC products pose serious risks to children and adolescents, including addiction, impaired brain development, psychosis, suicide attempts, self-harm, accidental toddler ingestions, and possible long-term cognitive effects. She said there is no effective medication treatment for THC addiction comparable to nicotine cessation tools, and she supported restrictions such as child-resistant packaging, no marketing to minors, and age limits, while opposing criminal penalties for possession by minors. Senators asked follow-up questions about brain development, memory, dementia risk, pregnancy, and cardiovascular effects. No vote was taken during the portion provided, and the committee continued with invited testimony and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• We have people on both sides of the border, and we didn't cross the border. The border crossed us.
• She said, ‘I don’t want the border closed.’” “She said, ‘I don’t want the border closed.
• I don’t want the border closed.’
• And so this is why we have a border, because a country without a border is not a country.
• Certainly, when we talk about the border issues and me coming from the border situation, I live on the

Bills: SB1152, SB1156, SB1157, SB1213, SB1232, SB1268

Keywords: immigration, public benefits, asylum, verification, Arizona Revised Statutes, appropriation, public safety, detention, unauthorized aliens, local government funding, border security, fencing, appropriations, southern border, local government, immigration enforcement, probation, law enforcement, court notification, civil rights

Summary: The Military Affairs and Border Security Committee met and approved the January 26, 2026 minutes, then took up several bills related to veterans, immigration, and border security. SB 1268 was described as an emergency cleanup measure clarifying that a 100% service-connected disabled veteran’s primary residence is fully exempt from property tax, including when jointly owned with a spouse; county assessors supported it as needed to fix ambiguous language before the 2026 tax year, and it passed 7-0. SB 1152 would make people with pending asylum applications eligible for state or local public benefits until asylum is granted; supporters framed it as limiting state spending on pending cases, while opponents argued it was redundant, could encourage racial profiling, and conflicted with humanitarian and economic considerations. It passed 4-3. SB 1156 would appropriate $20 million to reimburse cities, towns, and counties for short-term detention costs involving unauthorized persons; supporters said local governments were bearing an unfair burden, while opponents said the money should go elsewhere and that the state was already spending heavily on border issues. It passed 4-3.