Texas lawmakers began filing bills Monday for next year’s legislative session, offering an early look at what could change in 2027 as Democrats prepare to take control of the governor’s office and Texas House of Representatives for the first time in decades.
The filing period opened less than a week after Democrats swept statewide races, including winning the governor’s office, and flipped control of the Texas House. Republicans will maintain control of the Senate, meaning both parties will have to work together to pass legislation.
More than a thousand bills were filed Monday, covering issues including education, health care, immigration, marijuana legalization, elections and the state’s growing data center industry.
Here’s a look at some of the most noteworthy legislation filed so far:
Immigration and border security
Democratic lawmakers hit the ground running on this issue, filing several bills that would roll back policies put in place during years of Republican control. House Bill 123 and Senate Bill 99 would repeal requirements for county sheriffs to enter into agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
HB 393 would require immigrant detention facilities to obtain state licenses and undergo monthly inspections. Meanwhile, HB 410 would restrict the use of masks by law enforcement officers, including federal agents.
Another measure, HB 392, would allow local governments to restrict their employees from cooperating with ICE in matters involving domestic violence shelters.
HB 257 would require independent audits of Operation Lone Star, the state’s multibillion-dollar border security initiative launched under Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers are pushing their own proposals to strengthen immigration enforcement, including expanding requirements for private employers and local governments to use E-Verify, a federal system that checks whether someone is legally authorized to work in the United States.
Marijuana legalization
Lawmakers are also renewing efforts to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas.
HB 362 and HB 369 would allow adults 21 and older to legally possess and purchase marijuana, while establishing rules for its cultivation, sale and taxation.
Another proposal, HB 330, would expand eligibility for the state’s medical cannabis program to include certain conditions that cause menstrual cramps.
Recreational marijuana remains illegal in Texas, and previous legalization efforts have failed to advance through the Republican-controlled Legislature.
Education and health care
Among the proposals filed Monday are bills to repeal Texas’ private school voucher program, which Republican lawmakers approved in 2025. Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa campaigned against the program, making its future a likely focus of the upcoming session.
HB 164 and SB 106 would eliminate the program, which uses public funds to help families pay for private education expenses.
Other proposals would repeal the requirement to display the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms and roll back restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion programs at public universities.
Several lawmakers also filed bills to expand Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income people.
Texas is one of 10 states that haven’t expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Similar proposals have repeatedly failed under Republican leadership.
Data centers
Lawmakers are also taking aim at the rapidly growing industry, filing bills targeting its tax breaks and resource consumption.
HB 167 and HB 408 would eliminate certain sales tax exemptions for data centers, although facilities already receiving those tax breaks could keep them until they expire.
Another proposal, HB 529, would require large data centers to report how much water they use, develop conservation plans and assess their impact on local water supplies.
Meanwhile, SB 33 would change how electricity infrastructure costs are divided, aiming to prevent other customers from paying certain costs associated with large computing facilities.
The proposals come as communities across Texas raise concerns about the industry’s growing demand for electricity and water.
Voting, minimum wage and other proposals
Several bills would change how Texans vote, including proposals to allow online voter registration and mail-in voting for any eligible voter.
Other measures would require polling places on college campuses with at least 5,000 students and expand acceptable forms of voter identification.
HB 162 would create an independent commission to draw congressional and state legislative districts. The proposal comes after Texas Republicans redrew the state’s congressional map in 2025 at President Donald Trump’s urging, aiming to give Republicans an advantage in five additional U.S. House districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Lawmakers also proposed raising Texas’ minimum wage, which has remained at $7.25 an hour since 2009. HB 110 and HB 132 would increase it to $15 an hour, while HB 246 would raise it to $17.
Other proposals would increase oversight of county jails, restrict certain gun sales and limit children’s access to social media.
What happens next?
The Texas Legislature convenes Jan. 12, 2027, and lawmakers have until March 12 to file most bills.
Thousands more proposals are expected, though few will actually cross the finish line. During the state’s 2025 legislative session, Texas House and Senate lawmakers filed more than 8,700 bills. Of those, less than 1,200 became state law.
Bills must pass both the House and Senate before reaching the governor’s desk.
With Democrats taking control of the House and Republicans maintaining their Senate majority, the fate of proposals affecting health care, education, immigration and other issues will depend on whether the two parties can reach agreements in the months ahead.
The Texas Newsroom is a public radio journalism collaboration that includes NPR, KERA in North Texas, Houston Public Media, KUT in Austin, Texas Public Radio in San Antonio and other stations across the state.