According to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), SB 1946 is not expected to have a significant fiscal impact on the state budget. The bill creates the Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force within the Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division. While the legislation authorizes the reimbursement of certain task force members for per diem and travel costs, these expenses are anticipated to be minimal and absorbable within existing agency resources.

The task force will include at least 22 members from across various sectors, including state agencies, advocacy organizations, and survivors of family violence. Administrative costs—such as coordinating meetings, preparing reports, and supporting task force operations—are expected to be managed with the current budgeted funds of the Office of the Governor.

Furthermore, the bill sets a clear timeline: the task force must deliver a written report with policy recommendations to top state leadership by December 1, 2026, and will be abolished on January 1, 2028. This sunset provision helps limit long-term fiscal obligations and ensures that any expenditures are temporary and task-specific. The bill also does not impose financial burdens on local governments, as no significant local fiscal impacts are projected.

The bill establishes the Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force within the Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division, bringing together a broad coalition of stakeholders, including law enforcement, prosecutors, family violence centers, health professionals, and survivors. Its goal is to identify lethality risk factors, improve coordination among existing service providers, and recommend data-informed policies to prevent deadly outcomes in family violence cases.

The legislation is notable for its built-in accountability: it requires a written report by December 1, 2026, and includes a sunset date of January 1, 2028, ensuring the task force remains a temporary, solution-oriented body rather than a permanent bureaucracy. Additionally, the Legislative Budget Board has determined the bill will have no significant fiscal impact on the state or local governments, as any administrative costs are expected to be absorbed within existing resources.

Still, a degree of caution is warranted. In recent years, Texas has established a growing number of task forces and advisory committees to address overlapping issues like human trafficking, sexual assault, and domestic violence. While the intent of each initiative is laudable, continued expansion without consolidation can lead to redundancy, fragmented oversight, and diluted effectiveness. Lawmakers should closely monitor the implementation of SB 1946 to ensure it complements, rather than duplicates, existing efforts. Moving forward, stronger integration and evaluation standards should be applied to all such entities.

In summary, Texas Policy Research recommends that lawmakers vote YES on SB 1946, but its implementation must be watched closely to uphold the principles of limited and effective government.

• Individual Liberty: The bill strongly aligns with the principle of individual liberty by seeking to prevent family violence-related homicides. These crimes are direct violations of an individual’s right to life and personal safety—core liberties the state has a legitimate role in protecting. By analyzing risk factors and improving coordination among service providers, the task force aims to reduce lethal outcomes in domestic settings, particularly for vulnerable populations. The bill also gives survivors a voice in shaping solutions, further reinforcing individual autonomy and representation.
• Personal Responsibility: The bill encourages personal and institutional responsibility by bringing together professionals from the criminal justice system, healthcare, and advocacy groups to assess and improve how they handle high-risk cases. It promotes better training, data use, and interagency cooperation—practices that help ensure that individuals and systems are held accountable for recognizing and responding to warning signs before violence escalates.
• Free Enterprise: While the bill does not directly affect private businesses, it may have an indirect positive effect on economic freedom by reducing the social and economic costs associated with domestic violence. These include lost productivity, healthcare expenses, and burdens on the justice system. The bill relies on partnerships with nonprofit organizations rather than creating new state-run service providers, which helps avoid encroachment on the nonprofit and private sectors.
• Private Property Rights: The bill does not affect ownership or use of private property and therefore is neutral in relation to this principle.
• Limited Government: The bill expands government coordination temporarily, which may raise concerns for those wary of government growth. However, the bill includes several safeguards that mitigate these concerns: it does not create a new permanent agency, grants no new enforcement powers, and mandates that the task force be abolished by January 1, 2028. Its reliance on existing funding streams and administrative infrastructure further ensures minimal expansion of state functions. For liberty-minded observers, this structure represents a cautious and principled approach to addressing a pressing public concern within the bounds of limited government.

• HB 4155 (Same As)