Insight
Texas Privacy 2027 Session
Verified session dates and interim studies relevant to Texas privacy legislation.
The 90th Legislature meets in 2027, and data law will be on its agenda. No bills have been filed yet; prefiling opens November 9, 2026. The interim charges and hearings of 2026 show where lawmakers are looking.
The calendar
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| November 9, 2026 | Bill prefiling begins |
| January 12, 2027 | Session convenes (day 1) |
| March 12, 2027 | Projected 60th-day bill-filing deadline; the 90th session's rules are not yet adopted, so this is arithmetic, not a confirmed deadline |
| May 31, 2027 | Sine die (140th day) |
When bills take effect
Under Article III, §39 of the Texas Constitution, a bill passed by a record vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house can take effect on passage or on a date the bill names. Other bills take effect on the 91st day after final adjournment: August 30, 2027 for a May 31 sine die, unless the bill provides otherwise. September 1, 2027 applies only if the bill expressly chooses it.
What the interim charges point to
The House and Senate leadership released interim charges in early 2026. Those touching data and privacy include:
- House Delivery of Government Efficiency, Charge 3, "Data Privacy and Security" (p. 11): study the TDPSA's implementation and effectiveness. The committee heard invited and public testimony on this charge on August 19, 2026.
- House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence, Charge 7 (p. 28): study AI use in the legal profession and judiciary.
- House Public Health, Charge 4 (p. 39): study AI use in health care, including risks to patient safety and privacy.
- House State Affairs, supplemental charge (April 2026): protecting minors on online gaming platforms, including age verification and parental consent.
- Senate Business and Commerce, monitoring charge: review AI regulation under HB 149 and government data management under SB 1964. No Senate charge names the TDPSA or data privacy specifically.
- Senate Economic Development: "Preparing the Texas Workforce for AI."
An interim charge is a study, not a bill. It signals interest; it does not predict a result.
Questions the session may take up
Four issues carry over from 2026, though none is certain to produce legislation:
The TDPSA after two years. The interim review asks whether the law works. Amendments could address enforcement, definitions, or how the statute fits with HB 149's AI duties.
Children's laws after the courts. The Fifth Circuit left the SCOPE Act's filtering duty blocked under Section 230 and stayed the SB 2420 injunction pending appeal. Lawmakers may revise either statute in response.
AI and personal data. HB 149 took effect January 1, 2026. The first year of experience under it, and under SB 1964's government-data rules, will shape any changes.
Federal preemption. The SECURE Data Act (H.R. 8413) would preempt related state laws if enacted. Texas may respond in resolutions or by adjusting its own law, and a federal statute could overtake the session.
Sources
- Interim Committee Charges, Texas House of Representatives, 89th Legislature, March 2026 (studies prepare for the 90th Legislature; DOGE charges, p. 11)
- House DOGE committee minutes, Aug. 19, 2026 (PDF)
- Senate interim charges (Lt. Gov. Patrick)
- Texas Legislative Council, Dates of Interest
- H.R. 8413, introduced (119th Congress)
2027 session dates
- Prefiling begins: November 9, 2026
- Session convenes: January 12, 2027
- Bill filing deadline: March 12, 2027 (projected; 90th-session rules not yet adopted)
- Sine die: May 31, 2027
Source: Texas Legislative Council, Dates of Interest. March 12 and May 31 are calculated session days (the 60th and 140th days); the March 12 filing deadline is projected because the 90th session's rules are not yet adopted. See the 2027 session tracker.