TX SB871

Reserves to the legislature the exclusive authority to restrict or impair business operations by category or region during a declared state of disaster or emergency, requiring the governor to convene a special session if such action is needed

Limits disaster declarations to 30 days unless renewed, and requires the governor to convene the legislature in special session to renew disasters that significantly impact public health, safety, or welfare; prohibits the governor from declaring new disasters on substantially similar grounds if the legislature terminated or declined to renew a prior declaration

Restricts the governor's power to suspend laws during disasters, prohibiting suspension of the Texas Emergency Management or State of Emergency chapters, and limiting suspension of Criminal Procedure, Election, or Penal Code provisions to the first 30 days only

Narrows the definition of "disaster" to exclude events involving force or violence such as riots, civil unrest, or insurrection, which are instead addressed under the separate "state of emergency" provisions requiring local government application

Requires the governor's office and affected state agencies to publish lists of suspended statutes and rules on their websites within 24 hours, and prohibits local disaster declarations from conflicting with or expanding state-level declarations unless authorized by the governor

Takes effect January 1, 2027, contingent on voter approval of a related constitutional amendment proposed by the 89th Legislature