Texas Lege down to the wire: No NDAs in sex abuse case, yes to film incentives, ban on THC
With the 2025 legislative session heading into its final week, lawmakers spent much of the Memorial Day weekend in the Capitol in the homestretch push to either pass the hundreds of bills waiting in the queue or risk seeing them die when the final gavel falls on June 2.
Here's a roundup of some the weekend's top action.
Legislation to ban the use of nondisclosure agreements in sexual assault civil cases moved a step closer to being enacted with the House unanimously passed Senate Bill 835, called "Trey's Law" and named for an abuse victim from Dallas who took his own life.
Trey Carlock, who at age 28 died by suicide in 2019. Carlock suffered 10 years of abuse at the hands of serial pedophile Pete Newman, who was found guilty of molesting at least 57 victims while he was a counselor at Kanakuk Kamps in Branson, Mo.
State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, is the House sponsor of the legislation authored by Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney. The preliminary House vote came Sunday and the vote to send it to Abbott's desk was cast Monday.
Leach called SB 835, "One of the strongest bills for sexual abuse survivors and victims anywhere in this country. We cannot back down now, and we will not back down ever," he said.
The Lone Star State will throw its hat into the filmmaking ring with the House's passage of Senate Bill 22, which would create a $300 million Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive fund, on Monday. Lawmakers in the lower chamber approved a lower allocation than did the Senate, which set aside half of a million dollars in taxpayer funds for the initiative.
The tax breaks are meant to entice Hollywood types to bring productions to Texas and hire workers from within the state. Democratic state Rep. Jolanda Jones, who competed in the show "Survivor: Palau" in 2005, said her city of Houston lost a film studio to Louisiana because that state has approved incentives that Texas does not yet have.
"This bill is about job growth and keeping Texas competitive," Jones said.
Two of Texas' most well-known movie stars, Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, came to the Capitol several times to urge passage of the bill. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made the bill, authored by Republican Sen. Joan Huffman, of Houston, a priority.
More: Woody Harrelson, Matthew McConaughey and others testify on Senate Bill 22 at Texas Capitol
The proposal passed 114-26, with hardline Republicans voting against it. It now heads back to the Senate, where the allocation amount could be negotiated.
The sweeping ban on the sale and consumption of intoxicating hemp products is now in the hands of Gov. Greg Abbott after the Senate late Sunday accepted the changes made to a piece of legislation that was central this year's agenda of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Senate Bill 3 specifically targets presently legal products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the substance that creates the "high." Patrick has said the proliferation of retail outlets across Texas and the possibility that minors might be able to purchase products containing THC made the passage of the legislation crucial to public safety.
More: Is THC in Texas going up in smoke? House OKs ban, averting showdown with Senate
Veterans organizations, however, were among the most vocal opponents of SB 3, saying the over-the-counter available of the products are useful alternative to opioids and other medications that help former service members deal with lingering injuries and post-traumatic stress dating back to their years in uniform.
Selling and consuming non-intoxicating, non-psychoactive cannabinoids known as CBD and CBG would remain legal under SB 3. Abbott's office has not weighed on whether the governor plans to sign the bill.
This is a developing report. Please check back for updates.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Highlights from the Texas Legislature as end of session nears
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