Senator Paul Bettencourt (Senate District 7)
Senator Paul Bettencourt, Texas Senate District 7
(512) 463-0107: Austin office
(713) 464-0282: District office
Email
Report Card Scores
Now that the 88th Texas Legislative Session has ended, the following grassroots organizations have published report cards so you can see where your current legislators stand on issues that are important to you.
Senator Bettencourt’s Senate Votes
Click here for instructions on how to use Texas Legislature Online to look up your legislators’ votes on bills filed during the regular and special sessions of the 88th Texas Legislature.
Bills Filed:
See below for a list of bills filed by Senator Bettencourt during the 88th Texas Legislative Session. These bills were tracked by the Montgomery County Republican Party Legislative Committee, focusing on the Republican Party of Texas Legislative Priorities. Click here to view bills we followed by topic.
Election Integrity
SB 2 - Relating to conduct constituting the criminal offense of illegal voting; increasing a criminal penalty. Passed the Senate.
SB 220 - Relating to the enforcement of laws relating to elections. Passed the Senate.
SB 221 - Relating to requirements for certain petitions requesting an election and ballot propositions and to related procedures and provisions. Passed the Senate.
SB 260 - Relating to confirmation of a voter's residence by a voter registrar. Passed the Senate.
SB 823 - Relating to the suspension of a county elections administrator. Out of Senate committee. Republican Party of Texas Priority Bill.
SB 824 - Relating to the use of public schools as polling place locations. In Senate committee.
SB 825 - Relating to the deadline for submitting certain recount petitions. Signed into law.
SB 1039 - Relating to processes to address election irregularities; providing a civil penalty. Passed the Senate. Republican Party of Texas Priority Bill.
SB 1070 - Relating to the interstate voter registration crosscheck program. Signed into law.
SB 1251 - Relating to the authority of the governing body of a school district to adopt an ad valorem tax rate that exceeds the district's voter-approval tax rate. Passed the Senate.
SB 1252 - Relating to the text of ballot propositions that increase taxes. Passed the Senate.
SB 1253 - Relating to number of races displayed on an electronic system ballot screen at a time. In Senate committee.
SB 1254 - Relating to a notice of the delivery of provisional ballots. In Senate committee.
SB 1750 - Relating to abolishing the county elections administrator position in certain counties. Signed into law.
SB 1907 - Relating to preparing and delivering precinct election returns; increasing a criminal penalty. Passed the Senate.
SB 1910 - Relating to access to certain election records under the public information law. Passed the Senate.
SB 1911 - Relating to election supplies and the conduct of elections; creating criminal offenses; increasing criminal penalties. Passed the Senate.
SB 1933 - Relating to certain oversight procedures of the state over county elections. Signed into law.
SB 1938 - Relating to the failure of a voter registrar to comply with voter registration laws. Passed the Senate.
SB 1950 - Relating to accepting an early voting ballot voted by mail; creating a criminal offense. Passed the Senate.
SB 1993 - Relating to the authority of the Secretary of State to order a new election in certain counties. Passed the Senate.
SJR 35 - Proposes a Constitutional amendment clarifying that a voter must be a US citizen. Passed the Senate.
Secure the Border & Protect Texans
SB 3 (Special Session 4) - Relating to an appropriation to provide funding for the construction, operation, and maintenance of border barrier infrastructure and border security operations, including funding for additional overtime expenses and costs due to certain increased law enforcement presence. Signed into law.
SB 4 (Special Session 4) - Relating to prohibitions on the illegal entry into or illegal presence in this state by a person who is an alien, the enforcement of those prohibitions and certain related orders, including immunity from liability and indemnification for enforcement actions, and authorizing or requiring under certain circumstances the removal of persons who violate those prohibitions; creating criminal offenses. Signed into law.
SB 4 (Special Session 3) - Increases penalties for human smuggling and operating a stash house. It establishes a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for violations. This bill has been sent to the governor to sign. Sent to the Governor.
SB 466 - Relating to the prosecution and punishment of the offense of trafficking of persons. In Senate committee.
Ban Gender Modification of Children
SB 14 - Relating to prohibitions on the provision to certain children of procedures and treatments for gender transitioning, gender reassignment, or gender dysphoria and on the use of public money or public assistance to provide those procedures and treatments. Signed into law.
SB 15 - Relating to requiring a student of a public institution of higher education who competes in intercollegiate athletic competitions to do so based on the student's biological sex. Signed into law.
Stop Sexualizing Texas Kids
SB 12 - Relating to restricting certain sexually oriented performances on public property, on the premises of a commercial enterprise, or in the presence of a child; authorizing a civil penalty; creating a criminal offense. Signed into law.
SB 13 - Relating to a school district's library materials and catalog, the creation of local school library advisory councils, and parental rights regarding public school library catalogs and access by the parent's child to library materials and to affirmative defenses to prosecution for certain offenses involving material or conduct that is obscene or otherwise harmful to children. Passed the Senate.
Defend Our Gun Rights
None
Parental Rights and Educational Freedom
Member of the Education Committee
SB 1 (Special Session 4) - Relating to the establishment of an education savings account program. Passed the Senate.
SB 2 (Special Session 4) - Relating to a local optional teacher designation system implemented by a school district, the basic allotment and guaranteed yield under the public school finance system, and certain allotments under the Foundation School Program; making an appropriation. Passed the Senate.
SB 8 - Texas Parental Bill of Rights: Relating to public education, including parental rights and public school responsibilities regarding instructional materials and the establishment of an education savings account program. Passed the Senate.
SB 29 - Relating to prohibited governmental entity implementation or enforcement of a vaccine mandate, mask requirement, or private business or school closure to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Signed into law.
SB 1630 - Relating to an attendance policy adopted by public schools to prevent truancy. Passed the Senate.
SB 1631 - Relating to certain student records required on a child's enrollment in a public school or on a child's transfer from one school district to another school district. In Senate committee.
SJR 29 - Proposing a constitutional amendment establishing a parent's right to direct a child's education. Passed the Senate.
School Safety
SB 1632 - Relating to a review by a local law enforcement agency of a school district's multi-hazard emergency operations plan. In Senate committee.
SB 1633 - Relating to the establishment of a school marshal and guardian training grant program. In Senate committee.
SB 1635 - Relating to the establishment of a list of approved school safety vendors by the Texas School Safety Center. In Senate committee.
DEI in Public Education
SB 17 - Relating to the purpose of public institutions of higher education and the powers and duties of the governing boards of those institutions. (Seeks to prohibit universities from using tax dollars to push Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices which have resulted in increased polarization and racism.) Signed into law.
Energy Independence
SB 330 - Relating to the resilience of the electric grid and certain municipalities; authorizing an administrative penalty. Passed the Senate.
Disaster & Emergency Powers
SB 1104 - Relating to the authority of the legislature, governor, and certain political subdivisions with respect to disasters and emergencies. Passed the Senate.
SJR 58 - Proposing a constitutional amendment regarding the powers of the governor, the legislature, and the supreme court following certain disaster or emergency declarations. Passed the Senate.
Property Tax & Inflation Reduction
SB 1 (Special Session #2) - Relating to providing property tax relief through the public school finance system, exemptions, and limitations on taxes and providing franchise tax relief. Passed the Senate.
SB 2 (Special Session #2) - The agreement struck between Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan on property tax relief. Signed into law.
SB 3 - Relating to an increase in the amount of the exemption of residence homesteads from ad valorem taxation by a school district, an adjustment in the amount of the limitation on school district ad valorem taxes imposed on the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect increases in the exemption amount, and the protection of school districts against the resulting loss in local revenue. Passed the Senate & House.
SB 4 - Relating to the maximum compressed tax rate of a school district. Passed the Senate.
SB 1791 - Relating to the issuance of bonds by certain local government corporations. In Senate committee.
SB 1818 - Relating to the text of ballot propositions that increase taxes. Filed, not assigned to committee.
SB 1819 - Relating to the authority of the governing body of a school district to adopt an ad valorem tax rate that exceeds the district's voter-approval tax rate. Filed, not assigned to committee.
SJR 3 - Proposing a constitutional amendment to increase the amount of the exemption of residence homesteads from ad valorem taxation by a school district and to adjust the amount of the limitation on school district ad valorem taxes imposed on the residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect increases in the exemption amount. Passed the Senate & House.
Medical Freedom
SB 7 (Special Session 4) - Prohibits a private employer from adopting or enforcing certain COVID-19 vaccine mandates; authorizing an administrative penalty. Sent to the Governor.
China Purchase of Texas Land
SB 147 - Relating to the purchase of or acquisition of title to real property by certain aliens or foreign entities. Passed the Senate.
Montgomery County
SR 168 - Recognizing February 14, 2023, as Montgomery County Day. Adopted.
View all regular session bills filed by Senator Bettencourt »
(512) 463-0107: Austin office
(713) 464-0282: District office