The holidays are fast approaching and we’re busy gearing up for the next legislative session. It will be here faster than we know it! 

Here are five things happening around your state:  

1. Texas Veterans Commission awards over $1.4 million in grants to 8 East Texas organizations

Last month, the Texas Veterans Commission presented over $1.4 million to eight East Texas organizations that provide services for veterans and their families. Those grants include: 

• A $300,000 grant for financial assistance to Cass County; 
• A $70,000 grant for financial assistance to the Deep East Texas Council of Governments; 
• A $230,000 grant for home modifications to Northeast Texas Habitat for Humanity; 
• A $145,000 grant for transportation programs to Rise-Resource Information Support and Empowerment; 
• A $145,000 grant for peer support services to Sabine Valley Regional MHMR Center; 
• A $100,000 grant to the Salvation Army – Lufkin; 
• And a $180,000 grant for financial assistance to Trinity County. 

These funds are critical to providing direct services to veterans. In total, TVC approved 181 grants statewide that total over $44 million. The funds are generated primarily from the Texas Lottery Commission’s games designed specifically for veterans support. Texans can also donate when registering their vehicles or getting a hunting or fishing license. These funds will help nearly 42,000 veterans, their dependents, and surviving spouses. It’s imperative we as a state continue to support those who bravely served our nation and their families. 

2. TX Space Commission launches $150 million spaceflight exploration, research, development program

The Texas Space Commission has opened grant applications for $150 million of funding available for businesses and nonprofits looking to fuel the budding Texas space industry. The Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund (SEARF) is designed to support projects related to several areas of space exploration or spaceflight including emerging technology related to human spaceflight, research involving any aspect of space exploration or spaceflight, workforce training, curation of post-mission materials, and development of infrastructure useful or necessary for the establishment of a spaceport. There is no deadline to apply and the commission will consider applications as they come in. To learn more or apply, visit www.space.texas.gov. 

3. Neches High School named Blue Ribbon School

This year, the US Department of Education announced that Neches High School is a Blue Ribbon School. They were nominated in the Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing School category. The national Blue Ribbon Schools program awards high-performing schools and schools that are making great strides in closing achievement gaps. Overall, 356 schools were recognized in 46 states, with 31 of those schools in Texas – the most of any participating state. The National Blue Ribbon Schools program is one of the Department of Education’s longest-running recognition programs. The program began over 40 years ago as a way to highlight the best schools in the country and to share best practices from those schools. The two categories include “Exemplary High Performing” public schools which have the state’s highest high school graduation rates and the highest achieving students in English and math and “Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing” public schools which have made the greatest advances in closing student subgroup achievement gaps in English and math over the past three to five years. Congratulations to all the teachers, students, and administrators at Neches High School for such a wonderful achievement and recognition! 

4. Texas Stock Exchange announces leadership

Late last month, the Texas Stock Exchange officially announced its leadership team, a critical step forward as the exchange plans its launch. The leadership team is composed of professionals with experience in market structure, regulation, and corporate governance and draws on both public and private sector backgrounds. The exchange plans to file a registration to operate as a national securities exchange in the coming months with the goal of opening for trading in 2025. 

5. Texas DPS reminds drivers inspections changes coming soon

The Texas Department of Public Safety is reminding drivers of upcoming changes to the state’s Vehicle Safety Inspection Program that eliminates most vehicle safety inspections. Beginning in January, non-commercial vehicles will no longer need a vehicle safety inspection before registration. While the state will no longer require a safety inspection, several counties will still require emissions tests for vehicles registered in those counties. Emissions tests are required in major metropolitan areas, including Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson counties. Bexar County will be adding an emissions test requirement in 2026. 

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Fall is just around the corner! Which means the 2024-2025 hunting season is here. Dove hunting season opens this weekend. Be sure to get a license from Texas Parks and Wildlife and as always be safe. 

Here are five things happening around your state:  

1. Business and Commerce Committee discusses Artificial Intelligence, Texas Energy Fund

This week, the Senate Business and Commerce Committee held a hearing on two interim charges, one regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the other on the Texas Energy Fund. The charge asks the committee to recommend a responsible regulator framework for AI development, including data privacy, industry standards, consumer protections, risk mitigation, and compliance processes. The committee heard from higher education professionals that study AI about how AI works, the levels of AI, and how it’s commonly used. Panels also discussed AI in the public sector at state agencies, AI in the private sector, and AI in media, like the press, music, movies, and broadcasting. Ultimately, the state should develop a framework that addresses AI responsibly with the consumer in mind, but is not overly burdensome on new technology. It’s an intricate, but important balance to strike. 

The second charge the committee discussed was on the Texas Energy Fund (TEF). The TEF was created last session by Senate Bill 2627, by Sen. Charles Schwertner. It created four programs designed to incentivize the construction of more generation for the power grid. The fund was appropriated $5 billion last session. This week, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) selected the initial projects that will be funded by one of the programs. Out of 72 applications, 17 projects were selected to move on to the due diligence phase of the program. These projects represent 9,781 megawatts of new generation and a technologically and geographically diverse portfolio. This is another critical step forward toward the state’s commitment to enhancing the stability of the grid and increasing generation resources. 

2. One million ineligible voters removed from rolls

Governor Abbott announced this month that Texas has removed over one million ineligible people from the voting rolls since 2021. That year, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 1, by Sen. Bryan Hughes, which further enhanced election security and integrity. Of the 1 million people removed from the rolls, over 6,500 were noncitizens, over 6,000 had felony convictions, over 457,000 were deceased, over 463,000 on the suspense list, over 134,000 had moved, over 19,000 requested to cancel their registration, and 65,000 failed to respond to a notice of examination. The safety and security of our elections is paramount and it’s our duty to maintain accurate voter registration rolls. 

3. TxDOT announces record $148 billion ten-year plan

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Governor Abbott announced a record $148 billion investment in Texas’ transportation infrastructure. That includes a $104 billion ten-year transportation plan and over $43 billion for development and routine maintenance. This plan is a $5.6 billion increase in total investment from the previous year. According to the department, many of the projects on the Unified Transportation Program (UTP) are roads included on Texas’ 100 most congested roadways list. Also included in the UTP is $17.3 billion for safety and $1.7 billion in funding for rural corridors and key roadways in economic hubs. 

4. HHSC awarding $3.3 million to rural hospitals for labor and delivery services

This month, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) announced the Rural Hospital Maternal Care Operations Grant for rural hospitals that are not currently providing in patient labor and delivery services. The funding totals $3.3 million and provides qualifying hospitals a one-time payment of $35,000 to purchase neonatal equipment, supplies, and training for emergency labor and delivery services. Grant applications are open now and close on September 13. 

5. Big Time Texas Hunts open for applications, hunting licenses now available

The Big Time Texas Hunts draw is open for applications. There are 10 premium guided hunt packages and new opportunity this year to win a chance to free-range hunt a mature male aoudad ram in the Trans-Pecos region. Also new this year, wild game chef Jesse Griffiths will join the draw winners of the Big Time Bird Hunt and give a private cooking lesson to the winner on the turkey hunt. Entries are available online for $9 each or at a licensed retailer for $10 each. The deadline to purchase is October 15 with winners announced within two weeks. Additionally, Texas hunting and fishing licenses also went on sale this month. Happy hunting! 

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This month Houston and the Gulf Coast were devastated by Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall Monday, July 8 near Matagorda. Thirty-six Texans died during and after the storm and 2.3 million were left without power, some for almost two weeks. Hearings were held in Austin to assess the response and hold utility companies accountable that did not perform well, including CenterPoint Entergy.  

Here are five things happening around your state:  

1. BDO accepting proposals for broadband grant funding

The Broadband Development Office (BDO) recently released a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for $729.9 million in state and federal funds. Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas (BOOT) is a competitive grant program to build last-mile broadband connections that increase high-speed broadband service to Texans. Proposed projects for this funding will provide service to unserved and underserved locations in targeted counties that demonstrate the greatest need for broadband service, as determined by the BDO. Qualifying projects must deploy broadband service to the entirety of the unserved and underserved broadband serviceable locations in an eligible county. Eligible counties in East Texas include Liberty County, Trinity County, and Newton County. While these are the counties eligible for this program, other programs exist that extend to other areas. Awards will be a minimum of $1 million and a maximum of $125 million. Proposed projects must be complete and operational no later than December 31, 2026. Applications are due by August 26, 2024. 

2. TRS lowering premiums for next year

The Teachers Retirement System announced it will be lowering TRS-Care Medicare Advantage monthly premiums for next year. This is due to a current surplus balance of over $3 billion. Retirees will see a decrease in premium costs between $60 and $407 per month next year. In addition, TRS is also allowing a limited-time enrollment opportunity for eligible TRS-Care Medicare Advantage participants. Most TRS-Care retirees who are eligible for Medicare will be eligible for the limited-time enrollment opportunity. For more information, visit https://www.trs.texas.gov/Pages/Homepage.aspx. 

3. Texas AG secures $1.4B settlement with Meta over biometric data privacy

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a $1.4 billion settlement with Meta, formerly known as Facebook, over capture of personal biometric data without authorization required by law. It is the largest settlement ever obtained from an action brought by a single state. This is the first lawsuit brought and settlement obtained under Texas’ “Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier” (CUBI) Act. The lawsuit centered on a feature Meta added in 2011 initially called Tag Suggestions. The feature used facial recognition software on virtually every face contained in the photographs uploaded to Facebook, capturing records of the facial geometry of the people depicted. Actions such as these are considered capturing biometric identifiers of Texans, which is against the law unless the business informs the person and receives their consent first. Meta will pay the state $1.4 billion over the next five years. 

4. TWIA considering up to 10 percent rate hike

The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association’s (TWIA) Actuarial and Underwriting Committee recommended that the TWIA Board of Directors approve a rate filing to increase rates by 10 percent for 2025 TWIA policies. The TWIA Board will meet on August 6 to consider the Committee’s recommendation, the rate adequacy analysis, and stakeholder feedback when voting to decide the required rate filing with the Texas Department of Insurance. TWIA’s board is mindful of insurance costs on policyholders and has only raised rates once over the past five years. However, based on a 2024 actuarial analysis, TWIA rates would need to increase by 39 percent for residential policies and 45 percent for commercial policies in order to be actuarially adequate. TWIA is inviting the public to comment on the potential rate increases either virtually or in-person during the meeting or ahead of the meeting via email. The public is welcome to attend the meeting at the Tremont House Hotel in Galveston. Submit written comments via email to PublicComment@TWIA.org. If you wish to make verbal public comment via Zoom, find more information on how to register at https://www.twia.org/. 

5. SpaceX, Twitter moving headquarters to Texas

Elon Musk announced he is moving the headquarters of two of his companies to Texas. SpaceX and X, formerly known as Twitter, will both be relocating from California to Texas after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law preventing schools from requiring employees to notify parents if a student requests to use different pronouns. SpaceX will move from Hawthorne, CA to Starbase, a complex and launch site near Brownsville, TX. X will move its headquarters from San Francisco to Austin. 

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Next week, we celebrate our Independence Day on July 4th. Have a safe holiday and enjoy the fireworks! 

Here are five things happening around your state:  

1. Texas Energy Fund oversubscribed

The Public Utility Commission of Texas announced this month that the newly created Texas Energy Fund (TEF) has received 125 notices of intent to apply for the In-ERCOT Generation Loan program. The notices request almost $40 billion in financing for new dispatchable power generation projects. This indicates strong industry response and interest in the low-interest loan program created by the Legislature last year. The initial program was designed to provide low-interest financing for new construction or upgrades to existing dispatchable electric generating facilities in the ERCOT power region. Currently, the program only has $5 billion available for its various programs. However, the intention of the Legislature was to fund the program in two stages, with an additional $5 billion infusion next session, for a total of $10 billion in new investment. The In-ERCOT Generation Loan Program is one of four TEF programs established by Senate Bill 2627 by Senator Schwertner. All four programs are designed to support the construction, maintenance, modernization, and operation of electric facilities in Texas both inside and outside the ERCOT power region. 

2. Teacher Incentive Allotment funds roll out to schools

This month, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced over $290 million in Teacher Incentive Allotment funds have been awarded to almost 25,000 designated teachers. The program was created by House Bill 3 (86 Regular Session) in 2019 to provide top-performing teachers with an accessible pathway to a six-figure salary. Teachers earn designations from their district’s designation system, or a National Board Certification, which generates extra funding for the district. This program incentivizes high-quality teachers to stay in the classroom while receiving better pay. Over 300 districts have fully implemented a TIA program, including many in East and Southeast Texas, and more are working through the rigorous process to implement a program. Programs like these are essential to achieving educational excellence in Texas. 

3. Battleship Texas update

The Battleship Texas is still undergoing extensive repairs before it can reopen to the public. Soon the ship will move to Pier A along the channel at Gulf Copper, where the next stage of restoration will take place. It will focus on deck replacement, painting, interior restorations, and the beginning stages of planning the new, onboard museum. While there is still a lot of work to be done before the ship can reopen, the Battleship Texas Foundation is hoping to reopen in 2025 or 2026 at its new home in Galveston. For more information, visit BattleshipTexas.org. 

4. Business and Commerce Committee interim hearing update

The Senate Business and Commerce Committee met this month to discuss interim charges including electricity market design, transmitting Texas power, and the impact of Bitcoin mining on the Texas electric grid. The committee heard from officials at the Public Utility Commission, ERCOT, Office of Public Utility Counsel, the Independent Market Monitor, and industry representatives about how the implementation of changes made during the last legislative session are effecting the market. Additionally, the panel heard from Bitcoin miners regarding the industry’s impact to the grid. Bitcoin mines can come online quickly and usually demand a large amount of electricity. The addition of large load to the grid can create scarcity within the market when grid conditions are tight. However, Bitcoin mines are considered “flexible load,” meaning that they can reduce operations and thus reduce their electricity demand. The new market entrants faced skepticism from members about their operations during the hearing, especially considering the load growth projections the committee received from ERCOT. Over the next six years, ERCOT is projecting a possible addition of 40 gigawatts of load compared to last year’s forecast of the same timeframe– a tremendous increase from last year. To meet that much demand, new generation will have to come on the market. 

5. Texas-based stock exchange in the works

This month, the Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE) announced it had raised approximately $120 million from investors to launch the new trading venture. The TXSE would be an alternative to the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, which some view as too costly and overly regulated. The financing group, which includes BlackRock, Citadel Securities, and dozens of investors, plans to headquarter in Dallas. The TXSE founders said they chose Texas because of it’s explosive economic growth and population growth. Many large companies have relocated to Texas over the past decade and Texas continues to be a pro-business state.  

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On April 21, 1836 the Battle of San Jacinto was fought and won by Sam Houston and the Texas army in a matter of minutes. Only nine Texans were killed while 630 Mexican soldiers died in the battle. Santa Anna was captured after the battle and with the victory, the Republic of Texas began.

Here are five things happening around your state:  

1. East Texas law enforcement agencies receive grants

The Comptroller’s office announced this month it has delivered nearly $126 million in grants to rural law enforcement and prosecutor’s offices as part of a program designed to provide additional support to these offices. That’s about half of the total funding provided for the program by the Legislature last year. Over 500 qualified counties and prosecutor offices applied for the grant funding. The funding supports minimum salaries, raises, hiring additional staff, or purchases of safety equipment for rural sheriff, constable, and prosecutor’s offices. Supporting rural law enforcement is imperative to ensuring public safety in every part of our state. I was proud to support this legislation and am thrilled that our communities have taken advantage of this opportunity. 

2. Rural hospitals eligible for millions in broadband infrastructure grants

The Texas Rural Hospital Broadband Infrastructure Program is open to receive grants. The program, facilitated by the Texas Department of Agriculture, is designed to improve the connectivity of rural hospitals to meet the needs of the patients they serve. The funding will support general broadband network upgrades and improvement. Requirements include strict standards for broadband speeds, installation of wi-fi infrastructure and network equipment to provide free internet coverage in the hospital for use by patients and the public, and certification that any project will not duplicate any investment from other sources of funding. Applications are due by Midnight on May 2. For more information visit https://texasagriculture.gov/Grants-Services/Grants-and-Services/Texas-Rural-Hospital-Broadband-Infrastructure-Program. 

3. Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program applications opening soon 

Senator Nichols will soon be accepting applications for the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program (TASSP). The program supports students to complete a college degree and become a member of either the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, Texas State Guard, United States Coast Guard, United States Merchant Marine, or a commissioned officer in any branch of the armed services of the United States. Each state senator may appoint one student to receive an initial conditional scholarship award. Awards will be the lesser of $15,000 or an amount not to exceed a student’s cost of attendance annually. Scholarship applicants must: submit an essay explaining why he/she believes military service is important, how he/she would fulfill the requirements of the scholarship and which university he/she would like to attend; submit a résumé, which must include his/her contact information, including his/her full name, mailing and physical addresses, Social Security number, Date of Birth, phone number and email address. Please submit up to 5 recommendation letters. Applicants may send application packets via email to Robert.Nichols@senate.texas.gov.

4. TWC awards grants to Southeast Texas schools

This month, Governor Abbott and the Texas Workforce Commission announced several Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants totaling over $2 million for Gulf Coast schools. JET grants support career and technical education training programs by helping schools purchase and install equipment to train students for high-demand occupations. The JET program helps support school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and public community, state, and technical colleges to create new or support existing CTE programs. Two of those grants are going to schools in SD 3, including: 

• Lamar Institute of Technology – a $343,340 grant to train 90 students as welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers. 
• Tarkington ISD: a $332,460 grant to train 145 students as welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers in partnership with Lone Star College System. 

5. Charter Communications deploying broadband in East Texas

Charter Communications has been building out broadband infrastructure in East Texas over the past few years. The company won a Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction award from the Federal Communications Commission which provides funding for the deployment of high-speed internet in rural areas. As of this month, Charter says they have served almost half of the locations they were awarded in East Texas through the RDOF process. Served locations are in Anderson, Hardin, Henderson, Jasper Jefferson, Newton, Orange, and Tyler Counties. Future projects are planned for Angelina, Cherokee, Houston, Nacogdoches, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, and Trinity Counties. Those counties should expect activations to start over the next year to year and a half. For more information, visit www.spectrumruralexpansion.com. 

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