LIST: Bills vetoed by Gov. Abbott this session

AUSTIN - More than 1,100 bills from the 89th Texas Legislature were signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott, but not every bill that reached the governor's desk received his approval.

Gov. Abbott completely vetoed 26 bills this session, including Senate Bill 3, which would ban the sale of THC products. There were also two line-item vetoes, rejecting portions of Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 500.

Here's a closer look at the bills the governor rejected.

Senate Bill 3: THC Ban

Senate Bill 3 will ban all cannabinoids in consumable hemp products except CBD and CBG.

Businesses in the state were allowed to sell THC products after a 2019 expansion of the hemp industry in Texas opened a loophole. Those products included THC-laced edibles, drinks, vapes and more.

Abbott, in his explanation for the veto, said Senate Bill 3 would likely face "unsuccessful constitutional challenges" and create a "conflict between federal and state law," given the 2018 federal Farm Bill's legalization of hemp products. He instead called for a special legislative session for July 21, to establish a "regulatory framework that ensures public safety, complies with federal law, includes robust enforcement mechanisms, and can be implemented without delay."

This proposed regulatory approach, similar to how alcohol is overseen, includes suggestions such as prohibiting sales and marketing to minors, requiring product testing, allowing local jurisdictions to ban sales locations, and increasing funding for law enforcement.

House Bill 305: Pretrial hearing time period

House Bill 305 would have required a pretrial hearing on any evidentiary or procedural issue that could prevent a criminal proceeding from going to trial to be resolved within 14 days after a criminal defendant has been restored to competency.

In Abbott's veto, he noted that the "artificially compressed timeline" could harm both the state and the defense.

Abbott said he hopes to work with the bill authors to develop a more careful approach.

House Bill 353: Trespassing at schools, day-care centers

House Bill 353 would have made trespassing on or near a school or day-care center its own criminal offense.

Abbott argued that the bill is too broad, and that under it anyone near a school or day-care center could be in violation, even without an unlawful or threatening act.

The governor argues that it could have unintended impacts on school-sponsored events and that there are current laws allowing school officials and law enforcement to remove individuals who do not belong on school grounds or who pose a risk to student safety.

House Bill 413: Pretrial detention

House Bill 413 would have changed the Code of Criminal Procedure to not allow a defendant charged with the Class B misdemeanor offense or higher to be detained for longer than the maximum term of their confinement, if convicted.

Abbott say the bill fails to specify the method of release and any steps to ensure public safety or appearance at trial.

The governor says he looks forward to considering the reforms in the future, with certain clarifications.

House Bill 449: AI deep fakes

House Bill 449 would have made it illegal to produce or distribute sexually explicit "deep fake" photos or videos.

Gov. Abbott vetoed the bill at the request of the bill's author, Mary Gonzalez, because other more comprehensive bills, like SB 441, were passed this session.

House Bill 705: Cosmetology licenses

House Bill 705 would have provided framework to "reduce unnecessary burdens related to Cosmetology licensure." 

The bill would enter Texas into an agreement with other states to change the process for getting a cosmetology license.

Gov. Abbott took issue with the proposal only allowing Texas to "enact and enforce laws" only if they are "not inconsistent with" the agreement.

"Texas lawmakers must adopt the rules that will bind Texans. We should not ask some other sovereign-or a conglomerate of them-to do the lawmaking for us," wrote Abbott.

House Bill 1690: Groundwater permit

House Bill 1690 would require a notice to transfer groundwater out of a groundwater conservation district.

Gov. Abbott opposed an increase to regulatory hurdles to convey water resources.

House Bill 2243: Teacher Job Satisfaction and Retention Commission

House Bill 2243 would create a 13-member commission on teacher job satisfaction and retention in the state.

The commission would have given a report to the governor and legislature with their findings before being disbanded in September 2027.

Gov. Abbott opposed the commission, saying it would have given members of the legislative branch executive powers, violating the Texas Constitution.

He also raised concerns about the cost of the commission's staff and legal counsel.

House Bill 2520: Open meetings law

House Bill 2520 would require TEA-appointed board of managers follow requirements of the Open Meetings Act.

Gov. Abbott argues that the bill is not necessary because it is already required the law.

House Bill 3120: Residential child detention facilities

House Bill 3120 would require owners of residential child detention facilities to send reports to the owner or operators to make reports to cities or counties about illnesses and criminal history.

Residential child detention facilities are state-licensed facilities under contract with federal agencies, like US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to provide care to unaccompanied immigrant or refugee children.

In his veto, Abbott said the bill seems like good policy, but the arrangements should be "things of the past."

The governor cited a federal court case looking to dissolve a settlement agreement governing child detention facilities and said "now is not the right time to adjust the rules governing such facilities."

House Bill 4530: Texas Water Trust

House Bill 4530 would create a process for private individuals to dedicate their groundwater to the Texas Water Trust.

In his veto, Gov. Abbott argues the bill fails to explain how the water will be transferred and a way to accurately determine the amount of groundwater added to the trust.

House Bill 4885: Disclosure of juvenile records

House Bill 4885 would allow for confidential juvenile case information be shared with assigned counsel programs responsible for appointing an attorney to a case.

Gov. Abbott did not release a reasoning behind the veto, only saying in his proclamation "I veto this bill."

House Bill 5671: Johnson County Special Utility District

House Bill 5671 would have set rules for the election of directors and the authority to issue bonds by the Johnson County Special Utility District.

In his veto, Gov. Abbott says he opposed a portion of the bill removed the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality from the approval of water and wastewater construction projects in the district.

Senate Bill 268: Healthcare complaints

Senate Bill 268 would have required a licensing entity who receives a complaint about a health care practitioner who holds a license issued by another entity to forward a copy of a complaint to that entity.

Gov. Abbott opposed that the bill would prohibit the original board from taking any disciplinary action.

"The Medical Board, for example, should not be prohibited from issuing a cease-and-desist order for unlicensed medical practice simply because the specific practice at issue is also regulated by another board," Abbott wrote.

The governor said he looks forward to working with the author to find a solution without gaps in enforcement.

Senate Bill 378: Prohibited services by barbers, cosmetologists

Senate Bill 378 would have banned barbers and cosmetologists in the state from making "an incision into the dermis layer of a person's skin" for injecting medication or other substances.

Gov. Abbott raised concerns that under the law a barber that nicks a customer's neck could face the loss of their license.

In his veto, the governor called the bill "overly burdensome" and that the regulations are counterproductive.

Senate Bill 614: Texas Forensic Science Commission

Senate Bill 614 would have authorized the Texas Forensic Science Commission to refer to the Office of Capital and Forensic Writs a case dismissed by the commission with an express referral to a previously published report covering the same subject matter.

The governor's veto says the Office of Capital and Forensic Writs "should not be seeking to assist convicted criminals with undoing final criminal judgments" that the Texas Forensic Science Commission has already determined was baseless.

Senate Bill 648: Title theft

Senate Bill 648 would have added protections in an attempt to stop title theft and deed fraud by requiring additional steps in the transfer process. 

In his veto, Gov. Abbott raised concerns about barriers that would impact low-income and rural Texans.

Senate Bill 974: Appraisal district

Senate Bill 974 would have made it a criminal offense for school district employees to attempt to influence decisions by appraisal board members who are also employed as teachers for that school district.

In his veto, Gov. Abbott said it is "imperitive" for board members to be free from allegations that their professional career colors their judgement.

"While the intent of Senate Bill No. 974 is well taken, we must ensure members of appraisal review boards can exercise judgment without compromise," he wrote.

Senate Bill 1032: Governor's University Research Initiative

Senate Bill 1032 would have allowed private or independent institutions of higher education to be eligible for the Governor's University Research Initiative.

Gov. Abbott says the bill was a worthwhile cause, but that the program is not fully-funded by the legislature.

The governor says he would be "happy to reconsider" the legislation when the initiative is funded.

Senate Bill 1253: Water conservation

Senate Bill 1253 would have authorized political subdivisions to provide a credit against water and wastewater impact fees if they construction or contribute to water conservation programs.

Gov. Abbott said the bill changed dramatically when it was amended in the House and would provide a burden for those exercising private property rights.

Senate Bill 1278: Human trafficking

Senate Bill 1278 would have made being a victim of human trafficking or compelling prostitution an affirmative defense to prosecution.

In his veto, Gov. Abbott argues that, as written, the bill would make the person not only immune for acts of prostitution, but for any other crimes.

"Legal responsibility cannot always be passed off to someone else. Some who started off as victims later make a choice to perpetrate similar crimes against others," wrote Gov. Abbott.

The governor says he would work with the bill's authors to create a law that is more narrow in scope.

Senate Bill 1838: Fees for Attorneys Ad Litem

Senate Bill 1838 would have commissioners courts set a schedule for fees to be paid to attorneys ad litem in Texas.

An attorney ad litem in Texas is appointed to make sure children are represented adequately in family law proceedings.

Gov. Abbott argued the bill invites attorneys to argue with courts about how much money they are owed.

The governor says it incentivizes court-appointed attorneys to inflate their fees.

Senate Bill 1937: Testing biological evidence in capital cases

Senate Bill 1937 would require nuclear DNA testing in capital cases and require experts to take part in the pretrial process.

Gov. Abbott says DNA evidence is different in each case and nuclear testing may not be scientifically appropriate in every situation.

Abbott also opposed the scientists taking part in the process.

"Senate Bill No. 1937 would require overworked laboratory experts to participate in pretrial discovery meetings and hearings, potentially diverting scarce resources away from essential testing in other cases. Rather than expedite justice, this bill may inadvertently delay it-or prevent it altogether by limiting the evidentiary tools available to hold murderers accountable," he wrote.

Senate Bill 2111: Appointment of attorney

Senate Bill 2111 would have given poor convicted criminals with a potentially meritorious claim for relief to be appointed an attorney to investigate the claim.

"Every petitioner claims he may be innocent or may have been convicted in violation of the law. But our legal system rests on the law, evidence, and authoritative judgments, not guesswork, surmise, and endless petitions," Gov. Abbott wrote in his veto.

Abbott said he looks forward to considering other parts of the bill if "legislators can agree to deny bail to repeat murderers, rapists, and human traffickers."

Senate Bill 2501: Appointment of attorney in suits affecting parent-child relationship

Senate Bill 2501 would have given poor parents more paths to select attorneys for court proceedings that affect a parent-child relationship.

Gov. Abbott argues the bill goes too far, saying that parents could pick an attorney that would be paid by the county and then have the parent change the attorney for any reason.

Abbott believes the bill could let parents appoint new attorneys in a stall tactic and create conflicts of interest.

Senate Bill 2878: Judicial branch proceedings

Senate Bill 2878 would have provided several changes to help the Texas judicial branch run more efficiently.

In his veto, Abbott said some of the proposals in the bill should be their own standalone bills and need individual consideration.

"For example, the bill would allow unlimited automatic expunctions for completing any pretrial intervention program. While most of this bill should become law, parts of it should be excluded," wrote Abbott.

SB 2878 was placed on the special session agenda.

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