HB 11

"🚨 HB 11: What Really Happened—and Why You Should Care 🚨

Texas lawmakers just passed HB 11, a bill that claims to help licensed workers from other states start working faster in Texas.

Sounds great, right? Less paperwork, more jobs?

Here’s what they didn’t tell you 👇

✅ What the bill says:
It gives the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) the power to make “reciprocity agreements” with other states. If someone has a professional license somewhere else, TDLR can decide to let them skip Texas-specific requirements—training, exams, even safety rules.

But…

❌ Here’s what it actually does:

It cuts all other licensing boards out of the process—teachers, engineers, medical professionals were removed from the original version.

It gives TDLR total control over who gets a pass and who doesn’t.

There are no public hearings, no required transparency, and no way to appeal bad decisions.

TDLR decides what “substantially equivalent” means—and can change that definition any time.

💡 Why was the bill rewritten like this?
The original version included all state licensing boards. But that version would have triggered real oversight and pushback.

So lawmakers rewrote it to apply only to TDLR, which regulates politically favored trades—builders, electricians, plumbers, cosmetologists—heavily lobbied by:

Texas Association of Business

Goldwater Institute

NFIB

Greater Houston Partnership

Texas 2036

Texans for Lawsuit Reform

These groups testified in support. No teachers. No nurses. No consumer watchdogs.

🟥 The result?
If you’re from out of state and your lobbyist has TDLR’s ear, you might get fast-tracked.

If you’re a Texan?
You’re still stuck paying every fee, taking every test, waiting months for approval.

And none of us get a say.

⚠️ This isn’t about cutting red tape—it’s about who controls the gate to the Texas workforce.
It hands that power to one agency, behind closed doors, with no public accountability.

🤔 Ask yourself:

Who got special treatment in this bill?

Why was the scope narrowed after it was introduced?

What happens when private companies or national orgs ask for the same shortcut next session?

📢 Texas deserves better.
HB 11 didn’t just fast-track workers—it fast-tracked lobbyists' influence over who gets to work here.

We need licensing that’s fast and fair—not fast for some and rigged for others.

#TXLege #HB11 #TexasPolitics #AccountabilityNow #FollowTheMoney #PolicyMatters"