89th Legislative Session

The 89^th Session of the Texas Legislature is well underway, and THLA has been working hard to advocate for our industry’s priorities.  March 14^th was the “60^th Day” of the session, which means most legislation has now been filed and the Texas Legislature can begin passing bills.  THLA has been active on many issues pertaining to the lodging & tourism industry, and we are working hard to make sure your interests are represented at the Texas Capitol.

The Texas Legislature meets for 140 days during odd-numbered years. The 89th Session of the Texas Legislature convened in January and is set to adjourn on June 2^nd.  To date, over nine thousand bills have been filed this session; this is a record number for Texas lawmakers.  By comparison, only about eight thousand bills were filed during the 2023 session, preceded by nearly seven thousand filed in 2021.

THLA reviewed each measure that was filed and we are tracking many of them as they move through the legislative process. Historically, our lobby team has been instrumental in championing bills that would benefit our industry, and we have also successfully opposed or amended many bills which would have been a detriment to the hotel industry. This session, we will continue this tradition of strong advocacy for our shared interests.

Of the 820+ bills currently being tracked by THLA, some of the most critical relate to hotel occupancy tax, employment law, short-term rentals, and property taxes.  We encourage you to review all of the bills THLA is tracking here.

 

• • As of the 60^th Day this session, more than 9,000 bills were filed. 
    • In 2023, 8,300 bills were filed in total.
    • In 2021, 6,927 bills were filed in total.
    • In 2019, 7,324 bills were filed in total.

 

• • We are tracking over 820 bills.  In some of our more important track categories:
    • 31 hotel occupancy tax bills.
    • 13 ETF / MERP bills.
    • 60 qualified hotel project / project finance zone bills.
    • 18 convention center operations bills.
    • 99 local government bills.
    • 83 general tourism bills.
    • 10 gambling / casino bills.
    • 79 bills related to hotel operations or hotel development.
    • 98 bills related to personnel and staffing.

Labor and Employment

In recent years, various cities across Texas have imposed costly employment regulations on businesses operating within their city limits. These regulations, if imposed, would dictate private hiring practices, mandate paid sick leave or require predictive scheduling. Hotel operators with properties in multiple cities understand the burden of complying with the haphazard patchwork of regulations that may differ or vary in each jurisdiction in which they operate. THLA works to ensure these excessive local regulations are limited or prevented outright, and that our state laws help strengthen the business-friendly environment that Texas & Texans enjoy.

Hotel Occupancy Tax

Over 30 bills were filed relating to hotel occupancy tax this session. Many of them were local bills, which only affect a specific community in Texas and address their unique needs relating to hotel tax use. However, a number of the hotel occupancy tax bills that were filed seek to allow non-traditional uses for hotel tax revenues which would not benefit the tourism and hotel industry. We are working on each bill that would expand the uses of hotel occupancy tax in these non-traditional ways and have been successful in amending many of those bills thus far. As we approach the busiest period of the 89^th Legislative Session, we will continue to monitor each hotel occupancy tax bill to ensure that the tax remains dedicated to benefiting tourism and the hotel industry.

THLA Legislative Updates

THLA is hard at work this legislative session offering bills, tracking legislation, and advocating for our industry’s priorities. You may follow our efforts on our website, and we will also continue to provide updates as these issues evolve.

Thank you for all your engagement and support during these critical times of the 89th Legislature!