2025 Legislative Priorities

General Legislative Policy

As a general policy, the City of Fort Worth seeks to preserve its authority to responsibly govern the city, its citizens and its property.

The City supports any legislation viewed as advancing its comprehensive plan or strategic goals; that improves the health, safety and welfare of its citizens; or that reduces the cost of governing the City.

In addition, the City will oppose any legislation viewed as detrimental to its comprehensive plan or strategic goals; that is contrary to the health, safety and welfare of its citizens; that mandates increased costs or decreased revenues; or that would diminish the fundamental authority of the City.

State Legislative Program

Support of State Appropriations

  1. Funding for training for the law enforcement and fire departments.

  2. Funding to support institutions of higher education, including Tarleton State University in Fort Worth, University of North Texas Health Science Center, and Texas A&M Law School and Fort Worth Campus, and UTA West campus funding.

  3. Funding to the City of Fort Worth and the UNT Health Science Center for the Economic Development and Technology Commercialization Partnership.

  4. Funding for transportation.

  5. Funding for the local parks grant program.

  6. Funding for library resource sharing.

  7. Funding for housing retention and supportive services for the homeless.

  8. Funding for mental health services for the homeless.

  9. Funding for Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant Program (DEEAG).

  10. Funding for youth training and youth entrepreneur programs at the local level in an effort to prepare the next generations for financial leadership.

  11. Funding for developing plans and resources needed for greater broadband connectivity.

  12. Funding to provide additional protective equipment for the exterior of police vehicles.

  13. Funding for school resource officers in Texas.

  14. The City supports funding that allows continued recovery and growth for small businesses.

  15. Funding that incentivizes or benefits film and TV projects in the City of Fort Worth.

     

Seek Legislation

Seek to amend portions of SB 2038 (88th Session)

  • Protect ratepayer and taxpayer funds.

         - Include other agreements, including development agreements entered into under Section 212.172.

         - Include areas within a municipality's Certificate of Convenience and Necessity.

  • Protect national security.

  • Expand the radius to 15 miles around NAS-JRB.

 

Support Legislation

Support for Texas Education System

  1. Support for funding and expansion of quality early childhood education programs to include prekindergarten partnerships with community based childcare programs
  2. Support legislation expanding career pathways for students K-12
  3. Support legislation that improves the Texas education system

Support for affordable housing in Texas

  1. Support legislation to repeal or allow local waiver of the two mile/same year rule for federal housing tax credits
  2. Support legislation that limits foreign housing finance corporations (HFC) from operating in the jurisdiction of another HFC

Support for legislation that incentivizes or benefits film and TV projects in the City of Fort Worth

          

Support for public safety and law enforcement partners

  1. Support legislation to address the regulation and enforcement of temporary motor vehicle tags
  2. Support legislation to enhance catalytic converter theft prevention and enforcement
  3. Support legislation enhancing street car racing enforcement and regulations as added tools for law enforcement
  4. Support legislative efforts to address and eliminate human trafficking
  5. Support legislation to address and eliminate domestic violence in Texas
  6. Support legislation to address the drug overdose crisis in Texas
  7. Support legislation for school safety to include funding for school resource officers

Support for military and military installations

  1. Support legislation for the creation and development of a burn pit registry in Texas
  2. Support legislation that prohibits unmanned aircraft activities that impede or disrupt safe military operations
  3. Support legislation to address vertical obstructions, radar interference, drone technology, and emerging technologies that inhibit the operations around military installations
  4. Support legislation to address incompatible land use near military installation boundaries, training ranges, operating areas, and flight paths to mitigate against negative long-term impacts
  5. Support positive control of unincorporated lands along with tools and resources to buffer development near defense installations, including measures to allow purchasing rights and restrictive easements for non-conservation lands   
  6. Support legislation to increase meaningful employment and on-going education for veterans and cooperative integration of state, county, and local workforce training, education, and job placement resources
  7. Support legislation that enables tools to promote compatible growth around military installations and that protects the voluntary and collaborative participation efforts by municipalities 

Support for Texas communities

  1. Support the repeal of portions of HB 3167, to provide that the governing body may delegate one or more officers or employees of the municipality to approve, deny or conditionally approve plans and to allow for an applicant at their discretion to waive the deadline for a response     
  2. Support increased municipal land use authority in extra-territorial jurisdiction          
  3. Support legislation that promotes increased community health and wellness programs
  4. Support legislation that promotes strong Texas families
  5. Support legislation that will give cities and the state greater authority to address illegal recycling facilities
  6. Support legislation to enhance the ability of cities to address the prevention and control of graffiti
  7. Support legislation seeking to protect the personal information of animal adopters 
  8. Support legislation seeking to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, consistent with City ordinance

Support for infrastructure needs in Texas

  1. Support legislation that modifies state law and promotes developing plans and resources needed for greater broadband connectivity to enhance access to public education, healthcare, employment, news, and information
  2. Support legislation to provide flexibility in the expenditure of Public, Education and Government (PEG) funds      
  3. Support legislation and appropriations that implement and adequately fund the Texas State Water Plan to meet the water supply needs associated with future population growth and the economic development of our region and this State
  4. Support legislation that modifies state law to require the full disclosure of any known flood risk information, whether located within or outside of a floodplain, to prevent property purchasers from unknowingly purchasing flood prone properties

 

Important State Legislative Dates

 

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