Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) dropped news of a special session late Sunday night, June 22, surprising legislators, staffers, and media who were awaiting the fate of multiple bills as the veto period came to a close. 

Following the end of a legislative session, the governor typically has 20 days to sign or veto legislation. If he does nothing, the bills automatically become law. Around 11:30 p.m. Sunday evening, the final day of the veto period, Abbott announced several vetoes.
Among the bills vetoed is Senate Bill (SB) 3 by Sen. Charles Perry (R–Lubbock), the controversial ban on hemp products. Abbott had been under pressure from small business owners, farmers, and the veteran community to veto SB 3, which Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) prioritized passing in the closing days of the regular session.

In total, according to the governor’s press release announcing the special session, Abbott signed 1,155 bills and vetoed 28. This is down from the previous few sessions, where Abbott vetoed more than 40 bills.

Insiders had been expecting a special session to be announced for some time now.  It was widely reported that President Donald Trump (R) has been asking for a special session in Texas to do a mid-decade redistricting of the state. Trump is concerned about the Republican Party’s chances to maintain its control of the U.S. House in 2026.

Education bills signed by the governor in the waning days of the veto period include House Bill (HB) 2 by Rep. Brad Buckley (R–Salado), the school finance bill – which Abbott apparently had not signed despite holding a signing ceremony earlier this month in Salado. Other education bills signed into law include HB 6 by Rep. Jeff Leach (R–Plano) dealing with school discipline and HB 1481 by Rep. Caroline Fairly (R–Amarillo), the cell phone ban for public school students. Abbott also signed SB 10 by Sen. Phil King (R–Weatherford), the Ten Commandments bill; SB 13 by Sen. Angela Paxton (R–McKinney), which deals with school library material access; and SB 12 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), the Senate’s primary parental rights bill. See the full list of bills signed by Abbott here.

Abbott has initially announced that the special session, starting July 21, will cover five bills he vetoed from the regular session. During special sessions, the Texas Legislature may file bills on any subject, but only bills relating to the topics placed on the governor’s call are eligible to be enacted. It is important to note, however, that Abbott can add items to the call at any time, including during the special session. While there are currently no education items listed on the call, that could change and is something ATPE will be watching.