Gov. Abbott announces 3rd Special Session date, agenda

AUSTIN, Texas (KBTX) - Gov. Greg Abbott will convene a 3rd Special Legislative Session on Sept. 20, he announced Tuesday.

The session will start at 10 a.m., that Monday for lawmakers to work on five agenda items.

The Texas Legislature will focus on redistricting efforts in accordance with the new census numbers. The districts will be used to elect members of the Texas House of Representatives, Texas Senate, the State Board of Education and the United States House of Representatives.

Lawmakers will work on legislation providing appropriations from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). Legislatures will also decide whether any state or local governmental entities in Texas can mandate that an individual receive a COVID-19 vaccine and, if so, what exemptions should apply to such mandate.

They’ll also take another shot at a bill the governor vetoed. Lawmakers will work on legislation that’s similar to Senate Bill 474, an animal cruelty bill that the governor said micro-managed and over-criminalized dog owners.

The governor also wants to pass an identical bill to SB 29, that targets transgender students by preventing them from joining public school and university sports teams that correspond to their gender.

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