2021 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

The Texas Young Republicans routinely survey our membership to determine what they think should be priority items of the Texas Legislature. At the TYRF 2020 Convention we passed a resolution with these legislative priorities for 2021:

Constitutional
Carry

Safeguard the right of all Texans to bear arms by adopting Constitutional Carry.

Abolish Abortion

Abolish
Abortion

Supporting bills that promote adoption, supporting Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act, the Heartbeat Bill, and the ultimate end of abortion in Texas.

Government
Reform

Protecting the freedom of Texans to engage in economic activity without abusive “emergency” regulations, and restoring the proper balance of power between the Texas legislature and governor.

Cannabis Policy

Cannabis
Policy

Penalty reduction for personal possession of small amounts of cannabis. Expand the Texas Compassionate Use Program to allow greater access to medical cannabis for Texans.

Bail Reform

Bail
Reform

Bail in Texas should be based only on a person’s danger to society and risk of flight, not that person’s ability to pay.

2021 Legislation that TYRF Supports or Opposes

The TYRF Policy Committee regularly meets to discuss bills introduced by the Texas Legislature.

Below you will find a list of bills that we, the TYRF Policy Committee, have chosen to support or oppose. You can read the bills in their entirety by going to https://capitol.texas.gov/ and looking up the bill by its number.

For questions or comments please contact our policy director, Jason Vaugn, at [email protected]

UpdatedPriorityHB NumberSB NumberTopicTYRF PositionHB AuthorSB AuthorWhere in ProcessDescription
YESHB1165Pro-lifeSupportsSlawsonFiledRelating to prohibiting abortions after detection of an unborn child's heartbeat; authorizing an administrative penalty.
HB1291Pro-lifeSupportsBell, KeithFiledRelating to notice of the right to object to participation in an abortion procedure for health care personnel of a hospital or health care facility.
HB1137Government PowersSupportsCainFiledRelating to limiting the assessment of certain fees and taxes during a declared state of disaster.
HB340Government PowersSupportsCainFiledRelating to the governor's power to control the sale, dispensing, transportation, storage, and use of alcoholic beverages, ammunition, explosives, combustibles, and weapons during a declared state of disaster or state of emergency.
HB329Government PowersSupportsCainFiledRelating to election integrity.
HB335Government PowersSupportsCainFiledRelating to the cancellation of a person's voter registration on notice that the person has acknowledged that the person is not a citizen; providing a civil penalty; creating a criminal offense.
HB61Government PowersSupportsSwansonFiledRelating to the signature required on an application for voter registration or for a ballot to be voted by mail.
HB25Government PowersSupportsSwansonFiledRelating to a prohibition on the distribution of an application form for an early voting ballot.
HB906Government PowersSupportsKrauseFiledRemoves the state or local government's authority to distinguish between "essential" and "nonessential" employment and services during a declared disaster
HJR47Government PowersSupportsKrauseFiledA special session is triggered if certain disaster or emergency declarations last for 30 days
HB26Government PowersSupportsSwansonFiledRelating to the governor's power to control the sale, transportation, and use of weapons and ammunition during a declared state of disaster or state of emergency.
HB1452Pro-LifeSupportsShaheenFiledRelating to prohibiting certain discriminatory abortions; authorizing disciplinary action; authorizing an administrative penalty.
YESHB99CannabisSupportsTothFiledRelating to the possession of two ounces or less of marihuana; authorizing a fee.
HB 439CannabisSupportsCanalesFiledRelating to the criminal penalties for possession or delivery of marihuana and marihuana concentrate.
HB 441CannabisSupportsZwienerFiledRelating to the criminal and licensing consequences of certain marihuana possession and drug paraphernalia possession offenses; imposing a fee.
SB 90CannabisSupportsMenéndezFiledRelating to authorizing the possession, use, cultivation, distribution, transportation, and delivery of medical cannabis for medical use by qualifying patients with certain debilitating medical conditions and the licensing of dispensing organizations and testing facilities; authorizing fees.
YESSB540GunsSupportsSpringerFiledRelating to authorizing certain person to carry a handgun
HB1587GunsSupportsWhiteFiledRelating to provisions governing the carrying of a handgun by certain unlicensed persons and to other provisions related to the carrying, possessing, transporting, or storing of a firearm; providing criminal penalties.
YESSB546GunsSpringerFiledRelating to the places where a person may carry a handgun if the person is licensed to carry a handgun and to certain related criminal offenses.
HJR72SJR27Government PowersSupportsLeachHancockFiledProposing a constitutional amendment to prohibit this state or a political subdivision of this state from prohibiting or limiting a religious service conducted by a religious organization
SB551Government PowersSupportsCampbellFiledRelating to wages and employment benefits