The legislative team at Equality Texas has been hard at work this week! Here are a few highlights of what happened this week at the Texas Capitol and an urgent request for immediate action.

HB 3859

On Wednesday, the House voted out HB 3859, a bill that would allow child welfare organizations, agencies, employees and foster parents that contract with the state to discriminate against LGBTQ families and others when making foster care and adoption decisions. HB 3895 is now in the Senate Health & Human Services Committee, which could take action as soon as next Monday. .

TAKE ACTION NOW: Send a message to your senator and tell them to OPPOSE HB 3859

SB 2095

Also on Wednesday, the Senate voted out SB 2095, a bill that would allow Texas’ University Interscholastic League (UIL) to disqualify a student taking hormones from competing in student athletics–even if that student is only taking them because they are transgender. SB 2095 is now in the House Committee on Public Education.

Deadline for House Bills

Thursday night at midnight was the deadline for House bills to pass and clear the House chamber. This means that many bills, including HB 2899 – the alternative bathroom bill, are now dead. However, this doesn’t mean that the fight in the legislature is over. There are still many anti-LGBTQ Senate bills that could be considered and several House bills that could be vehicles for anti-LGBTQ floor amendments. We will continue to monitor all legislation over the next few weeks, and issue action alerts soliciting your help as needed.

Take ACTION NOW: Send a message to your representative now and tell them to oppose any floor amendments that would target LGBTQ Texans or redefine religious liberty by adding “religious refusals”!

Our team is working hard every day in Austin to make sure we advance our agenda, and will continue to make sure that discrimination is not written into our laws. Together, we will send the message that discrimination is not a Texas value.