HB5195

The original proposal required agencies to implement website updates, eliminate unnecessary paperwork where digital alternatives existed, review automation and duplicate-documentation opportunities, and submit periodic paperwork-reduction reports. It also proposed routine State Auditor compliance reviews, a mandatory technology working group, a September 2026 assessment/plan deadline and a March 2027 statewide report.

The House substitute replaced those direct upgrade requirements with assessment and consideration duties, made the working group optional, added shared templates and design guidelines, and set the November 2026 planning report. It did not retain the original specific multilingual-guideline language, paperwork report, State Auditor review or September 2026 agency-plan deadline.

The only indexed floor amendment, Curry’s House third-reading amendment adopted May 8, added the two-year agency reviews and odd-year findings reports, their September 2031 expiration, and the initial December 1, 2027 report deadline. Both amendment instructions appear in the final law. The engrossed, Senate committee and enrolled operative text matches.

Sources: all versions; amendment index; adopted Curry amendment; introduced proposal; committee substitute.

Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.

People using state services could benefit from clearer forms, more usable mobile pages and more consistent websites if agencies act on the assessments. Agencies and DIR acquire planning, coordination and reporting work. HB5195 does not guarantee that every form will become electronic or impose the original proposal’s blanket duty to implement all listed upgrades. Its accessibility reference builds on existing Government Code Subchapter M requirements rather than creating disability access protections from scratch.

The April 22, 2025 fiscal note for the original proposal warned that costs at some agencies could be significant but could not be determined, including interconnected legacy-system work at HHSC and form conversion at the environmental agency. The April 28 substitute and May 18 engrossed notes instead anticipate no significant state or local fiscal impact, assuming the narrower duties can be handled with existing resources. These later estimates are not a promise that future technology projects will be free.

Review boundary: the complete final law, history, five text versions, sole amendment and all three fiscal notes were read and compared. The chapter definitions and existing accessibility subchapter were checked. This explanation does not certify agency compliance, actual savings, completion of upgrades, or submission of the upcoming reports.

Sources: introduced fiscal note; latest fiscal note.