Texas Senate bill by Sen. West limits local regulation of licensed child-care facilities

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Royce West aims to restrict regulatory authority of political subdivisions over licensed child-care facilities and registered family homes, seeking regulatory consistency through state-level standards, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition.

Meanwhile, in the House, 57 Democrats and 78 Republicans voted in favor, while six Republicans voted against it.

Royce West introduced the bill in the Texas Senate on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, ahead of the official start of the 89th regular legislative session on Jan. 14, 2025.

West graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a BA and again from University of Houston with an MA.

West, a Democrat, was elected to the Texas State Senate in 1993 to represent the state’s 23rd Senate district, replacing previous state senator Eddie Bernice Johnson.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the authority of a political subdivision to regulate a licensed, registered, or listed group day-care home or family home’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill seeks to restrict the regulatory authority of political subdivisions over licensed child-care facilities and registered family homes. It prohibits local governments from adopting or enforcing ordinances or other measures that impose health and safety standards exceeding those established by state law or the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. This aims to create regulatory consistency across child-care facilities and family homes by relying solely on state-level regulations. The bill stipulates an immediate effect upon securing two-thirds support in both legislative houses; otherwise, it takes effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Wednesday, April 30, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday, May 15.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.