(Thursday, August 21, 2025)

The Senate met at 7:06 p.m. pursuant to adjournment and was called to order by the President.

The roll was called and the following Senators were present:  Alvarado, Bettencourt, Birdwell, Blanco, Campbell, Cook, Creighton, Eckhardt, Flores, Gutierrez, Hagenbuch, Hall, A. Hinojosa, J. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, Johnson, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Miles, Nichols, Parker, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks, West, Zaffirini.

Absent-excused:  Menéndez, Paxton.

The President announced that a quorum of the Senate was present.

Senator Schwertner offered the invocation as follows:

Heavenly Father, we pause in this Chamber to acknowledge Your presence and Your goodness. We thank You for the blessing of family, for the loved ones who strengthen us, encourage us, and remind us of what truly matters. Tonight, we ask a special blessing over those who have recently lost family, so that they might find peace and a path forward with Your help and guiding light. As we approach the final days of this legislative special session, we ask for Your wisdom and Your guidance. Grant us steady minds, humble hearts, and clear vision to discern what is right and just. May every decision we make honor You and bless those we represent. We are grateful for all the work that has been accomplished and for the opportunities You have given us to serve the people of Texas. Lord, we pray the words bestowed upon Your servant, Moses, from the Book of Numbers over this body and gallery. May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you, may the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace. We pray all this in Your name. Amen.

Senator Zaffirini moved that the reading of the Journal of the proceedings of the previous day be dispensed with and the Journal be approved as printed.

The motion prevailed without objection.

On motion of Senator Zaffirini, Senator Menéndez was granted leave of absence for today on account of family illness.

On motion of Senator Zaffirini, Senator Paxton was granted leave of absence for today on account of family business.

The following Message from the Governor was read and was filed with the Secretary of the Senate:

STATE OF TEXAS

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

MESSAGE

TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EIGHTY-NINTH TEXAS LEGISLATURE, SECOND CALLED SESSION:

WHEREAS, the people of Texas through their state constitution have placed in the hands of the governor the power to call and set the agenda for special sessions of the legislature; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to a gubernatorial proclamation issued on August 15, 2025, the members of the 89th Legislature convened in a Second Called Session to consider the subjects designated in that proclamation;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GREG ABBOTT, Governor of the State of Texas, by the authority vested in me by Article III, Section 40, and Article IV, Section 8(a), of the Texas Constitution, do hereby present the following additional subjects to the 89th Legislature, Second Called Session, for consideration:

Legislation to impose penalties or punishments for legislators who willfully absent themselves during a session.

Legislation to authorize a person to purchase Ivermectin at a pharmacy.

Legislation relating to a groundwater study of East Texas aquifers by the Texas Water Development Board prior to the issuance of permits or permit amendments by certain groundwater conservation districts.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/Greg Abbott

Governor

Austin, Texas

August 20, 2025

The President announced that the introduction of bills and resolutions on first reading would be postponed until the end of today's calendar.

There was no objection.

The President at 7:12 p.m. announced the conclusion of morning call.

The President acknowledged the presence of the families of the 27 Camp Mystic victims who died in the July 4th flood.

The Senate welcomed its guests and extended its sympathy.

On motion of Senator Perry and by unanimous consent, the regular order of business was suspended to take up for consideration CSSB 1 at this time on its second reading:

CSSB 1, Relating to campground and youth camp safety.

The bill was read second time.

Senator Perry offered the following amendment to the bill:

Amend CSSB 1 (senate committee report) as follows:

(1)  In the recital to SECTION 2 of the bill, amending Section 141.002, Health and Safety Code (page 1, line 27), strike "and (2-b)" and substitute "(2-b), and (2-c)".

(2)  In SECTION 2 of the bill, amending Section 141.002, Health and Safety Code (page 1, lines 34 and 35), strike added Subdivision (2-b) and substitute the following:

(3)  In SECTION 4 of the bill, in added Section 141.0052, Health and Safety Code (page 2, lines 4 through 11), strike added Subsection (b) and substitute the following:

The amendment to CSSB 1 was read and was adopted without objection.

All Members are deemed to have voted "Yea" on the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 1 except as follows:

Absent-excused:  Menéndez, Paxton.

Senator Perry offered the following amendment to the bill:

Amend CSSB 1 (senate committee report) as follows:

(1)  In SECTION 4 of the bill:

(A)  in added Section 141.0052(a), Health and Safety Code (page 2, line 1), strike "may not" and substitute "shall not";

(B)  in added Section 141.0091(d), Health and Safety Code (page 3, line 7), strike "preparedness";

(C)  in added Section 141.0091(e), Health and Safety Code (page 3, line 11), strike "preparedness";

(D)  in added Section 141.0091(f), Health and Safety Code (page 3, lines 17 and 18), strike "revised emergency plan resubmitted under Subsection (e)" and substitute "updated emergency plan"; and

(E)  in added Section 141.0091(n), Health and Safety Code (page 4, lines 10 and 11), strike "may not" and substitute "shall not".

(2)  Add the following appropriately numbered SECTION to the bill and renumber subsequent SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:

SECTION ____.  Section 141.008(a), Health and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a)  The executive commissioner may adopt rules to implement this chapter. In adopting the rules the executive commissioner shall comply with Subchapter B, Chapter 2001, Government Code, including Sections 2001.032(b) and 2001.033, Government Code. [In developing the rules to be adopted by the executive commissioner, the department shall consult parents, youth camp operators, and appropriate public and private officials and organizations.]

The amendment to CSSB 1 was read and was adopted without objection.

All Members are deemed to have voted "Yea" on the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 2 except as follows:

Absent-excused:  Menéndez, Paxton.

Senator Perry offered the following amendment to the bill:

Amend CSSB 1 (senate committee printing) in SECTION 4 of the bill, in added Section 141.0091(c)(1), Health and Safety Code, as follows:

(1)  Strike "operable radios" (page 2, line 59) and substitute "an operable radio".

(2)  Strike "in each cabin" (page 2, line 61) and substitute "at the camp".

The amendment to CSSB 1 was read and was adopted without objection.

All Members are deemed to have voted "Yea" on the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 3 except as follows:

Absent-excused:  Menéndez, Paxton.

Senator Perry offered the following amendment to the bill:

Amend CSSB 1 (senate committee printing), in SECTION 4, (page 3, line 15), by striking "90th" and substituting "45th".

The amendment to CSSB 1 was read and was adopted without objection.

All Members are deemed to have voted "Yea" on the adoption of Floor Amendment No. 4 except as follows:

Absent-excused:  Menéndez, Paxton.

CSSB 1 as amended was passed to engrossment without objection.

All Members are deemed to have voted "Yea" on the passage to engrossment except as follows:

Absent-excused:  Menéndez, Paxton.

Senator Perry moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 1 be placed on its third reading and final passage.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 28, Nays 0.

Absent-excused:  Menéndez, Paxton.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 28, Nays 0. (Same as previous roll call)

The President announced he would present an honorary gavel to the families of the 27 Camp Mystic victims.

On motion of Senator Bettencourt and by unanimous consent, the remarks regarding CSSB 1 were ordered reduced to writing and printed in the Senate Journal.

The remarks will be printed in an addendum to this day's Journal.

Senator Blanco submitted the following reason for vote on SB 1:

For:

Mary Grace Barker (8) Anna "Margaret" Bellows (8) Lila Bonner (9) Chloe Childress (18) Molly DeWitt (9) Lucy Dillon (8) Katherine Ferruzzo (19) Ellen Getten (9) Hadley Hanna (8) Virginia Hollis (8) Janie Hunt (9) Mary Kate Jacobe (9) Lainey Landry (9) Hanna Lawrence (8) Rebecca Lawrence (8) Kellyanne Lytal (8) Sarah Marsh (8) Linnie McCown (8) Sarah Blakely McCrory (8) Virginia Wynne Naylor (8) Eloise Peck (8) Abby Pohl (8) Margaret Sheedy (8) Renee Smajstrla (8) Mary Stevens (9) Cile Steward (8) Greta Toranzo (10)

BLANCO

On motion of Senator Perry, Senators Alvarado, Birdwell, Campbell, Cook, Creighton, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, Hall, Menéndez, Miles, and West will be shown as Co-authors of SB 1.

On motion of Senator Zaffirini, the Senate at 8:44 p.m. recessed until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.

SB 1