Estimated Time to Read: 4 minutes
Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) issued a new proclamation on August 26, 2025, further expanding the agenda of the second special session of the Texas Legislature. This update adds two additional policy items, following earlier amendments on August 20 and August 25.
The newly added issues are:
- Law Enforcement Records: Legislation that protects law enforcement officers from public disclosure of unsubstantiated complaints and other sensitive information contained in agency files.
- Election Procedures: Legislation relating to voter registration, specifically addressing how election officials handle outdated residence addresses and requiring the immediate effect of registration changes after official change-of-address notices are received.
Timeline of Abbott’s Special Session Proclamations
The second special session began on August 15, 2025, immediately following the abrupt end of the first special session. Since then, Abbott has steadily expanded the agenda:
- August 15: Session begins with original call.
- August 20: The first amendment expands the agenda with additional issues.
- August 25: The second amendment adds more priorities.
- August 26: The third amendment introduces law enforcement protections and voter registration reforms.
This pace underscores Abbott’s aggressive use of his constitutional authority to set and reshape the agenda of a Texas special legislative session.
Political Significance of Abbott’s Agenda Expansion
Abbott’s latest proclamation highlights two themes central to Republican priorities: law enforcement protections and election integrity reforms. Both items reflect ongoing debates within the Texas Legislature over transparency, accountability, and securing voter rolls.
By amending the call for the third time, Abbott is ensuring that these issues remain on the legislative forefront and cannot be sidelined. Lawmakers are constitutionally limited to only those topics designated by the governor, which places Abbott firmly in control of the session’s direction.
What Comes Next for the Texas Legislature
With just weeks, potentially days, remaining in the second special session, lawmakers must now determine whether to act on Abbott’s expanded agenda or risk leaving unfinished business on the table. The frequency of Abbott’s updates signals that he may be willing to keep calling lawmakers back until his priorities are addressed.
As debates unfold, Texas law enforcement policy and Texas election law reforms will likely dominate headlines, shaping both the outcome of this special session and the political landscape heading into the 2026 elections.
Complete List of Special Session Agenda Items
Original Call (August 15, 2025)
- Youth camp safety legislation.
- Improve early warning systems and preparedness infrastructure in flood-prone areas.
- Strengthen emergency communications and disaster response infrastructure.
- Provide relief funding for recovery from the July 2025 storms, including FEMA match funding.
- Streamline rules and regulations for natural disaster preparedness and recovery.
- Eliminate the STAAR test and replace it with alternative accountability tools.
- Reduce the property tax burden and impose spending limits on taxing entities.
- Ban hemp-derived products for children under 21.
- Comprehensive regulation of hemp-derived products, including potency limits and enforcement mechanisms.
- Protect unborn children and mothers from abortion harms.
- Prohibit taxpayer-funded lobbying by local governments and associations.
- Protect victims of human trafficking from criminal liability for related non-violent acts.
- Protect law enforcement officers from disclosure of unsubstantiated complaints in personnel files.
- Protect women’s privacy in sex-segregated spaces.
- Strengthen the Attorney General’s authority to investigate and prosecute state election crimes.
- Provide a congressional redistricting plan.
- Strengthen protections against title theft and deed fraud.
- Allow local governments to reduce impact fees for builders who use water conservation measures.
- Judicial administration legislation (similar to SB 2878, 89R).
First Amendment (August 20, 2025)
- Impose penalties for legislators who willfully absent themselves during a session.
- Authorize purchase of Ivermectin at pharmacies.
- Require a groundwater study of East Texas aquifers before new permits are issued by groundwater conservation districts.
Second Amendment (August 25, 2025)
- Prohibit same-day voter registration in Texas.
- Authorize sheriffs and constables to contract for law enforcement services and address related funding transfers.
Third Amendment (August 26, 2025)
- Protect law enforcement officers from public disclosure of unsubstantiated complaints and other information in agency files (expanded clarification of original call).
- Reform voter registration procedures to ensure outdated addresses are not accepted and require immediate effect of registration changes upon the registrar’s receipt of official notices.
Texas Policy Research relies on the support of generous donors across Texas.
If you found this information helpful, please consider supporting our efforts! Thank you!
