Texas House bill by Rep. Button modifies economic development and tourism regulations

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Angie Chen Button seeks to update economic development and tourism laws, aiming to strengthen local product sourcing and enhance advisory committee roles in Texas, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 50 Democrats and 65 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while three Democrats and 15 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 10 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, while one Democrat voted against it.

Angie Chen Button introduced the bill in the Texas House on Thursday, March 13, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Button, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State House in 2009 to represent the state’s 112nd House district, replacing previous state representative Fred Hill.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to programs to promote economic development in the Office of the Governor and to the repeal of the governor’s broadband development council’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill modifies various sections of the Texas Government Code related to economic development and tourism. It mandates that at least 51% of all significant parts and processing of a product must originate within Texas. The bill repeals Chapter 490H and amends the composition of the aerospace and aviation advisory committee to include members from active spaceport development corporations and a federal or Armed Forces liaison. It also requires the establishment of the Texas Business and Community Economic Development Clearinghouse to assist businesses and communities. This Act is set to take effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. John Lujan (Republican – District 118) and Rep. Terry Meza (Democrat – District 105), along with two other authors.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Friday, May 23, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.