2025 · Regular session · House bill
HB4850
HB4850 changes several economic-development programs, effective September 1, 2025.
Official caption: Relating to programs to promote economic development in the Office of the Governor and to the repeal of the governor's broadband development council.
Official report lists House author(s): Button, Lujan, Meza, Hull, Smithee. This does not identify sponsors or amendment drafters.
Bill explanation published · Version and amendment review scope is stated below · Individual amendment records may not be separately annotated.
Bill highlights
Selected points from the published explanation. Follow each point to its source-linked context; conditions and limits may matter.
- HB4850 changes several economic-development programs, effective September 1, 2025.
- For the existing Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium, the bill shifts responsibility for the strategic plan, hiring the executive director and preparing the biennial report from the consortium’s executive committee to the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office.
- The seven committee members appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker receive six-year terms at their appointing authority’s pleasure, with staggered expirations as specified in the act.
- HB4850 also adds a federal-government or U.S. armed-forces representative to the aerospace and aviation advisory committee and repeals the governor’s broadband development council statute.
What does it do?
HB4850 changes several economic-development programs, effective September 1, 2025. It lowers the “Made in Texas” program’s required Texas-origin share from “all or virtually all” significant parts and processing to at least 51 percent. This is a state labeling-program criterion, not a blanket exemption from other labeling laws or a statement that every part must be made in Texas. It also removes the requirement that the business and community economic-development clearinghouse use a statewide toll-free telephone service; the clearinghouse and its information duties remain. Final law
For the existing Texas Semiconductor Innovation Consortium, the bill shifts responsibility for the strategic plan, hiring the executive director and preparing the biennial report from the consortium’s executive committee to the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office. The committee and consortium provide advice and recommendations on planning, research, funding and workforce opportunities. The report remains due to the governor and Legislative Budget Board by December 1 of even-numbered years.
The seven committee members appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker receive six-year terms at their appointing authority’s pleasure, with staggered expirations as specified in the act. Designees of the Texas A&M and University of Texas chancellors receive two-year terms. The bill changes the staffing arrangement and updates the semiconductor fund’s staffing cross-reference; it does not create the consortium or fund anew. Legislative Budget Board approval for using fund money for staff remains required, with approval deemed given after 30 days unless expressly denied.
HB4850 also adds a federal-government or U.S. armed-forces representative to the aerospace and aviation advisory committee and repeals the governor’s broadband development council statute. Two overlaps matter: separate HB5246 removes the spaceport-corporation seats from the aviation committee, so HB4850’s repeated preexisting seat language is not a reliable stand-alone roster. And SB1405 had already repealed the broadband council chapter effective July 1, 2025. HB4850’s September repeal should not be described as the first end of the council or as abolishing all state broadband programs. HB5246, Section 1 · SB1405, Sections 10 and 13 · Rule for reading same-session amendments together
What changed along the way?
The introduced bill contained the labeling, telephone-service and broadband-council changes and a proposed federal/military liaison on the aviation committee. The House committee substitute clarified the provision as a qualified member representing a federal entity or the armed forces and corrected the statutory citation.
The adopted House amendment 1 added the semiconductor-consortium governance changes: office-led planning and hiring, committee terms, reporting responsibility and repeal of the former staff-support agreement provision. The Senate committee substitute clarified that the executive director directs staff assigned to report to that director and corrected the fund’s staffing cross-reference. The House agreed to the Senate changes; the governor signed the bill June 20, 2025. No separate Senate floor amendment is listed. History · Text versions · Amendment index
For the full amendment record, open the official amendment index.
Official bill versions
Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.
Who could benefit—and who could bear the costs?
More producers may qualify for the state’s “Made in Texas” program, while consumers should understand that the label’s statutory origin threshold is less demanding. Centralizing semiconductor administration may clarify responsibility, but also reduces the committee’s direct control over staffing and planning. Businesses relying on telephone assistance no longer have that particular service guaranteed by this statute; the bill does not itself prove that a telephone line was discontinued.
The final available fiscal note anticipates no significant state or local-government fiscal impact and assumes costs can be absorbed within existing resources. It does not quantify job creation, consumer effects, labeling benefits or savings from eliminating the council.
Official sources
- Bill history and latest recorded action
- Bill versions, analyses and fiscal notes
- Action history and votes
- Amendment index
Catalog report retrieved 2026-10-25. Check the official record for corrections or later changes.
