AUSTIN – State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) and his fellow Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives are calling on Texas Democrats to return to work for Texas foster children. Among the items placed on the call by Governor Abbott for the current special session of the Texas Legislature is a bill to use newly-available funds to direct resources to help vulnerable children in the state’s foster care system.

Last week, more than fifty Texas Democrats fled the Texas Capitol on private jets and are staying in Washington, D.C. in a tactic to keep the Texas House of Representatives from passing any legislation, including this measure to fund the state’s foster care system.

“We have an opportunity to immediately improve living conditions for some of Texas’ most vulnerable youth and a majority of House Democrats are refusing to come to work,” Landgraf said. “They are not only wasting taxpayer dollars by stalling the legislative process, they’re putting handcuffs on the state’s ability to respond to a crisis.”

According to the state’s child protective services office, 415 Texas foster children are currently forced to sleep in office buildings or other unlicensed facilities.

Earlier this year, projections indicated that funds were not available to fully address the issues plaguing the state’s foster care system. The number of children needing to be placed in licensed foster care facilities is growing as the number of available facilities becomes fewer and fewer, in large part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Texas economy has rebounded faster than expected and projections now show that the Texas Legislature has the opportunity to provide $91 million to foster care programs in Texas to alleviate this problem.

“We’ve been waiting for the Democrats to return for more than a week,” Landgraf continued. “But Texas foster children have been waiting for much longer than that. It’s time for the political stunt to end. We need to do the jobs Texans elected us to do.”

The current special session of the Texas Legislature is scheduled to last until August 7th. If the agenda items are not passed into law, another 30-day session could be called to begin.

AUSTIN — State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) has been appointed to serve on the Texas House Select Committee on Constitutional Rights and Remedies. The purpose of the select committee is to ensure thoughtful consideration of legislation related to constitutional issues that are expected to be addressed during the upcoming special session.

“I’m honored to be appointed to this important committee and want to thank Speaker Phelan for his leadership and trust,” Landgraf said. “As I’ve said many times before, as state representative, I take seriously my sworn oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. I look forward to continuing to fight for our constitutional rights as a member of this select committee.”

Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) announced the creation of the House Select Committee on Constitutional Rights and Remedies on Tuesday. The 15-member committee, chaired by Representative Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin), has jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to rights guaranteed under the United States and Texas constitutions, and remedies for a violation of those rights. The committee also has jurisdiction over all matters pertaining to several state agencies, including the Office of the Governor, the Office of the Secretary of State, and multiple divisions within the Office of the Attorney General.

“The fundamental role of government is to protect the rights of the people,” Landgraf continued. “The creation of this select committee is only the most recent example of the Speaker’s commitment to prioritizing the constitutional rights of Texans.”

The Texas Constitution gives the governor authority to call the legislature into a special session that can last no more than 30 days. During these special sessions, the legislature can only consider legislation related to subjects designated by the governor. Governor Greg Abbott announced that he will convene a special legislative session on July 8, 2021.

ODESSA — State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) submitted a letter to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) demanding an explanation for the large number of offline generators that prompted a call for Texans to conserve energy for the rest of the week.

“Once again, ERCOT is leaving Texans with more questions than answers,” Landgraf writes in the letter. “In order to ensure I can answer the flood of questions I’m now receiving from my constituents, I demand pertinent information related to this most recent incident.”

On Monday, ERCOT issued a conservation alert asking Texans to safely reduce their electric usage through Friday, June 18, citing tight grid conditions due to a high number of forced generation outages.

AUSTIN — House Bill 103, a bill filed by State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) to create the Texas Active Shooter Alert System, was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on Monday. Landgraf’s bill, also referred to as the Leilah Hernandez Act, received unanimous support at every stage of the legislative process.

"The passage of the Leilah Hernandez Act means that Texans will be able to receive timely alerts, similar to Amber alert messages we currently receive, if there is an active shooting taking place in their area," Landgraf said. "This alert system could have saved the lives of some of my constituents back in 2019, like high school student Leilah Hernandez. The goal of this legislation is to save lives and prevent mass violence while protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Texans."

Landgraf crafted HB 103, the Leilah Hernandez Act, after working with constituents and families of victims from the August 31, 2019 mass shooting in Odessa and Midland. Leilah Hernandez, a 15-year-old Odessa High School student, was the youngest victim killed that tragic day. Leilah’s mother, Joanna Leyva, provided powerful testimony in support of the bill at the Texas Capitol, explaining how an active shooter alert system could have saved Leilah’s life.

“I am proud to sign the Leilah Hernandez Act into law, and I thank Representative Landgraf for championing this legislation,” Governor Abbott said. “With the Leilah Hernandez Act, the Lone Star State will now have an Active Shooter Alert System that will notify Texans of violent threats in their communities and help save lives. We will never forget the lives tragically cut short in the Midland-Odessa shooting, including 15-year old Leilah Hernandez. And we will never stop working towards a safer future for our state.”

HB 103 would require the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to develop and implement the Active Shooter Alert System. The alerts are intended to be issued quickly via SMS text and other available communications to the public in proximity to an active shooter situation.

“I want to thank everyone who had a hand in the passage of this legislation, especially Leilah's family and other victims and witnesses of the Odessa shooting. Speaker Dade Phelan, Senator Judith Zaffirini, Chairman James White, Governor Abbott, and many others played important roles in getting this bill over the finish line. Now it is time to get the system in place so we can start saving lives," Landgraf concluded.

The 87th Texas Legislative Session began in January and is underway through May 31st.

AUSTIN — House Bill 103, a bill filed by State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) to create the Texas Active Shooter Alert System, passed out of the Texas Senate with unanimous support on Wednesday. Landgraf’s bill was passed by the Texas House of Representatives last month, so the measure now heads to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk, the final stage of the legislative process.

“I’m thankful to my colleagues in the House and Senate—especially Sen. Judith Zaffirini, who represents Sutherland Springs—for the unwavering support for this necessary policy,” Landgraf said. “HB 103 did not receive a single negative vote at any stage of the legislative process. Texans have spoken: our state needs the active shooter alert system required by the Leilah Hernandez Act.”

Landgraf crafted HB 103, the Leilah Hernandez Act, after working with constituents and families of victims from the August 31, 2019 mass shooting in Odessa and Midland. Leilah Hernandez, a 15-year-old Odessa High School student, was the youngest victim killed that tragic day. Leilah’s mother, Joanna Leyva, provided powerful testimony in support of the bill at the Texas Capitol, explaining how an active shooter alert system could have saved Leilah’s life.

“We can never replace the lives we lost over Labor Day weekend in 2019,” Landgraf continued. “But we believe that fewer Texans would have perished if this system had been in place at the time, and we are hopeful implementing the alert system now will save lives in the future.”

HB 103 would require the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to develop and implement the Active Shooter Alert System. The alerts are intended to be issued quickly via SMS text and other available communications to the public in proximity to an active shooter situation. 

Landgraf has described this bill as a way to save lives and prevent mass violence while protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Texans.

The 87th Texas Legislative Session began in January and is underway through May 31st. In accordance with the Texas Constitution, the state legislature meets for a 140-day regular session every odd-numbered year to vote on legislation and pass a balanced state budget. The governor has up to 20 days after each session in which to sign and veto bills passed by the House and Senate. Any bill that has not been signed or vetoed by that deadline goes into effect without the governor’s signature.

AUSTIN — Legislation by State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) to stop the implementation of any overreaching new federal regulations on oil and gas production in Texas passed out of the Texas House on Tuesday. House Bill 1683, dubbed the “Texas Energy Independence Act,” passed with the support of 110 out of 150 Texas state representatives.

“I filed HB 1683 to protect the livelihood of my fellow West Texans, the hardest working men and women on the face of the earth,” Landgraf said. “But, as is often the case, what is good for the Permian Basin is good for the state as a whole. The Texas Energy Independence Act ensures taxpayer dollars collected on the state level will not be expended to enforce unnecessary federal oil and gas regulations.”

House Bill 1683 prohibits Texas state agencies and officials from contracting with or providing assistance to any federal agency or official regarding the enforcement of a federal statute, order, rule, or regulation regulating oil and gas operations if the regulation is not already in existing state law.

“Our way of life is under attack. But those who wish to stifle production fail to recognize the micro and macro importance of what we do out here. So many things that are necessary to daily life, including everything from baby diapers and children’s toys to car tires and cell phones, are a direct result of the hydrocarbons we pull from the ground. HB 1683 protects Texas jobs and American freedoms. It really is as simple as that,” Landgraf concluded.

The 87th Texas Legislative Session began in January and is underway through May 31st, 2021. In accordance with the Texas Constitution, the state legislature meets for a 140-day regular session every odd-numbered year to vote on legislation and pass a balanced state budget.

AUSTIN — Legislation by State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) to bolster the state’s online protective order registry passed out of the Texas House by a vote of 145 - 1 on Tuesday.

“Last session, we passed Monica’s Law to create the Texas Protective Order Registry to include protective orders issued as a result of domestic violence,” Landgraf said. “The registry has been a huge success, so we want to improve the tool further with HB 2702 by including protective orders for victims of sexual assault or abuse, indecent assault, stalking, and human trafficking in the database as well.”

“Monica’s Law” was named in honor of Monica Deming, an Odessa mother who was murdered by an abusive ex-boyfriend in 2015 with multiple protective orders issued against him. He was able to hide his violent past by exploiting the information gap in the system. Prior to the Texas Protective Order Registry going into place, protective orders issued in one county were unknown and inaccessible by law enforcement and courts in another county.

“Monica’s Law closed the information gap that existed between the courts, law enforcement and the public as it relates to protective orders arising from incidents of domestic violence so that repeat offenders of domestic abuse can no longer hide their crimes by moving from county to county,” Landgraf continued. “Now HB 2702 ensures the same thing applies to other horrible acts like assault and human trafficking. This is all about catching the bad guys and protecting and empowering the public.”

HB 2702 bolsters the protection the registry provides by amending the language to include protective orders issued under Chapter 7A of the Code of Criminal Procedure. HB 2702 also provides the process for vacated protective orders to be removed from the database. No statute currently provides for the removal of the record when the protective order is vacated by a court.

The 87th Texas Legislative Session began in January and is underway through May 31st, 2021. In accordance with the Texas Constitution, the state legislature meets for a 140-day regular session every odd-numbered year to vote on legislation and pass a balanced state budget.

AUSTIN — Legislation joint authored by State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) to reduce STAAR testing passed out of the Texas House by a vote of 136 - 6 on Friday.

“House Bill 764 ensures Texas students are tested only as required by federal law, instead of the State of Texas imposing additional standardized tests on our students, parents and teachers,” Landgraf said. “The bill eliminates any statewide test that is not federally required and eliminates end-of-course exams for high school students.”

HB 764 eliminates the overly burdensome social studies test for 8th graders as well as the writing tests for 4th and 7th graders. End-of-course exams for high schoolers are also eliminated and replaced with a process to allow for high school students to be able to take the SAT or ACT or another norm-referenced secondary-level test in order to satisfy the federal assessment requirements. Finally, the bill stipulates that if federal testing requirements are reduced, Texas will immediately follow suit to reduce state testing accordingly.

“I hear more concerns about the STAAR test than just about anything else. These complaints come from students, parents, teachers, administrators and taxpayers. HB 764 is a direct response to those complaints,” he added. “We still have a lot of work to do to fix this problem, but the passage HB 764 clearly demonstrates that the members of the Texas House are listening to the voices of their constituents,” Landgraf concluded.

HB 764 now heads to the Texas Senate for consideration. If passed by the Senate before the end of May, the bill will be sent to Governor Abbott’s desk to be signed into law.

The 87th Texas Legislative Session began in January and is underway through May 31st, 2021. In accordance with the Texas Constitution, the state legislature meets for a 140-day regular session every odd-numbered year to vote on legislation and pass a balanced state budget.

AUSTIN — Legislation cosponsored by State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) to prohibit abortion procedures after detection of a fetal heartbeat passed out of the Texas House by a vote of 83 - 64 on Thursday.

“Senate Bill 8 is one of the most important pro-life bills I’ve been proud to support,” Landgraf said. “The heartbeat bill provides a shield of protection for the most defenseless among us: unborn children. This is a historic day in Texas, a day long overdue. Every human life is precious. And my faith tells me that life begins at conception. That is why I strongly supported this legislation.”

Senate Bill 8, the “Texas Heartbeat Act,” seeks to prohibit abortions from being performed after detection of a fetal heartbeat. A fetal heartbeat can be detected as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. Current state law permits abortions until 20 weeks of pregnancy. SB 8 also authorizes a private civil right of action against any person who performs an illegal abortion in Texas.

“This is a landmark day in the Texas House, and I am proud of what we have done to protect the unborn. This is what I was sent here to do, to represent the values I was raised with, the values of our community,” Landgraf concluded.

The Texas Heartbeat Act passed out of the Senate by a vote of 19 to 12 before it was sent to the Texas House. Changes were made to the bill in the House, so SB 8 is on its way back to the Senate. If the House and Senate can agree to a final draft of the bill before the end of the month, SB 8 will head to Governor Abbott’s desk to be signed into law.

The 87th Texas Legislative Session began in January and is underway through May 31st, 2021. In accordance with the Texas Constitution, the state legislature meets for a 140-day regular session every odd-numbered year to vote on legislation and pass a balanced state budget.

AUSTIN — Legislation by State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) to create the Texas Active Shooter Alert System took another important step in the process to becoming law as it was passed unanimously out of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee on Tuesday, May 4, 2021. May 4th happens to also be the birthday of the bill’s namesake, Leilah Hernandez.

“To get HB 103 over this important hurdle on this special day is a big deal,” Landgraf said. “The Leilah Hernandez Act is one step closer to going into effect to keep Texans safe.”

Landgraf crafted House Bill 103 after working with families of victims from the August 31, 2019 mass shooting, when a mobile gunman killed 7 people and injured 25 others across Odessa and Midland. Leilah Hernandez, a 15-year-old Odessa High School student, was the youngest victim killed that tragic day.

“I hope this is welcome news to Leilah’s family, who are still grieving along with the friends and family of the other victims on that horrible day. I will continue to work hard to ensure we get this bill across the finish line in honor of all of those we have lost,” Landgraf concluded.

HB 103 will now go to the Senate floor to be debated by the full Senate. The bill will head to the governor’s desk to be signed into law if it successfully passes out of the Senate before the end of the month. Senator Judith Zafferini, a long-standing and well respected member of the Texas Senate known for her eloquent speeches, is sponsoring HB 103 in the Senate.

The 87th Texas Legislative Session began in January and is underway through May 31st, 2021. In accordance with the Texas Constitution, the state legislature meets for a 140-day regular session every odd-numbered year to vote on legislation and pass a balanced state budget.