(Wednesday, May 28, 2025)

The Senate met at 12:54 a.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, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, J. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, Johnson, King, Kolkhorst, Menéndez, Middleton, Miles, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks, West, Zaffirini.

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

Senator King offered the invocation as follows:

Father, we're almost through, not just with today but with these 140 days. We are just grateful that You've helped us to get a lot of good things done, and we know we've still got some work to do. We pray to please help us to wrap it up. As we move toward that, please just continue to just keep us healthy, give us energy to finish the course to accomplish what You sent us here to get done. Please help us to treat each other the way we want to, we ourselves want to be treated and to always remember that our first duty is to serve You. Please continue to hold our families and all our families back home in good order and hold everything together until we can get home and get back to our real jobs and taking care of our families and being the citizens that You've given us the privilege to be. So, we start a new day for us, and I start it asking for Your blessings in Christ's 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.

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 12:57 a.m. announced the conclusion of morning call.

Senator Middleton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration HB 223 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

HB 223, Relating to competitive requirements for a procurement by a municipality for lobbying, government relations, or similar services.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Creighton, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Middleton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration HB 229 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

HB 229, Relating to general definitions for and collection of governmental information regarding biological sex.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 11.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 11. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Paxton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration HB 521 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

HB 521, Relating to accommodating voters with a disability; creating a criminal offense.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 11.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 11. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Hall moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration HB 1106 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

HB 1106, Relating to the definitions of child abuse and neglect.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 11.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 11. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Middleton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration HB 1403 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

HB 1403, Relating to the collection and confidentiality of information regarding firearms in agency foster homes; creating a civil penalty.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 22, Nays 9.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, J. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks, West.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 22, Nays 9. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Hughes moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSHB 1056 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

CSHB 1056, Relating to the recognition of gold and silver specie as legal tender and the establishment of a transactional currency based on gold and silver; authorizing a fee.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 11.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Menéndez, Middleton, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Miles, Nichols, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 18, Nays 12, Present-not voting 1.

Yeas:  Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Menéndez, Middleton, Parker, Paxton, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Miles, Nichols, Perry, West, Zaffirini.

Present-not voting:  Bettencourt.

Senator Hall moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration HB 3053 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

HB 3053, Relating to municipal and county firearm buyback programs.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 11.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 11. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Hughes moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration HB 5115 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

HB 5115, Relating to the penalty for the crime of election fraud; increasing a criminal penalty.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 21, Nays 10.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, J. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 21, Nays 10. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Hughes moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSHB 5138 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

CSHB 5138, Relating to the duty of the attorney general to prosecute criminal offenses prescribed by the election laws of this state.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, King, Kolkhorst, Middleton, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks.

Nays:  Alvarado, Blanco, Cook, Eckhardt, Gutierrez, J. Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, Nichols, West, Zaffirini.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 12. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Hall announced that a Local and Uncontested Calendar had been furnished to each Member of the Senate. He then gave notice that the Local and Uncontested Calendar Session would be held at 3:00 p.m. today and that all bills and resolutions would be considered on second and third reading in the order in which they were listed.

On motion of Senator Middleton, Senators A. Hinojosa and Hagenbuch will be shown as Co-sponsors of HB 229.

On motion of Senator Hall, Senators Hagenbuch, A. Hinojosa, King, Kolkhorst, and Middleton will be shown as Co-sponsors of HB 1106.

On motion of Senator Middleton, Senators A. Hinojosa and Kolkhorst will be shown as Co-sponsors of HB 1403.

On motion of Senator Hall, Senator A. Hinojosa will be shown as Co-sponsor of HB 3053.

On motion of Senator Zaffirini, the Senate at 1:28 a.m. recessed until 11:00 a.m. today.