by Lisa Gonzalez, Vice-President/Executive Director, Audubon Texas

The Texas Legislature wrapped up the 89th Regular Legislative Session on Monday, June 2nd, closing the window on broad statewide policy matters until 2027.  

Following a successful advocacy day earlier in the session, Audubon Texas worked alongside a coalition of partners to support bird-friendly policies and educate lawmakers on the harmful effects of some proposed measures. Here are the highlights. 

• Senate Bill1927, which would have allowed for the widespread, unregulated removal of the Texas-native Ashe Juniper tree, failed to reach the House floor for a vote—preserving vital municipal ordinances that protect these trees. This is a meaningful win for conservation, especially in Central and North Texas, where mature Ashe Juniper-oak woodlands provide the only nesting habitat for the Golden-cheeked Warbler, a federally endangered songbird found nowhere else in the world. 
• Thanks to the work of a broad coalition of organizations, including Audubon, several harmful anti-renewable energy bills—Senate Bills 388, 715, and 819—failed to advance in the Texas House. These bills would have jeopardized the continued growth of Texas’s renewable energy sector, which plays a vital role in lowering electricity costs, strengthening grid reliability, and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. This is an encouraging outcome that reflects the growing recognition of responsibly sited renewable energy as a powerful climate solution—one that benefits both birds and people. Audubon will continue to champion policies that support clean energy progress while protecting the habitats birds need to survive and thrive. 
• Audubon, in collaboration with partners, successfully worked to strengthen House Bill 3556, which has now been sent to the Governor. The bill ensures that future coastal wind development in select counties will be guided by a deliberate administrative process and rulemaking authority housed within the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department—striking a thoughtful balance between advancing clean energy and safeguarding Texas’s vital coastal ecosystems. 
• Although House Bill 5576 did not advance to committee, it aimed to establish thoughtful best management practices for large-scale wind and solar energy projects in Texas. The bill focused on encouraging responsible development by safeguarding wildlife habitats and respecting landowner rights, while continuing to support the growth of clean energy. It proposed requirements for minimizing environmental impacts, increasing public transparency, and implementing specific lighting and construction standards. We remain hopeful that similar forward-thinking policies will gain momentum in the future. 
• Through our partners at the Texas Land Trust Council, we supported the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s request for an additional $30 million for the Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program—an important initiative for conserving working lands and wildlife habitat. While the final budget maintained funding at $2 million, the same level as the previous biennium, we remain committed to advocating for increased investment in working lands conservation in future sessions. 
• We also closely monitored and supported several bills this session aimed at advancing Lights Out initiatives, bird-friendly building standards, and pollinator health. Unfortunately, none of these measures advanced to committee. Still, our commitment to these priorities remains strong. We will continue working with partners across the state to raise awareness, build support, and lay the groundwork for meaningful progress in future legislative sessions. 

Throughout the session, Audubon Texas remained focused on advancing policies that help bend the bird curve to reverse the decades-long decline in bird populations—through responsibly sited renewable energy, bird-friendly urban strategies, and targeted investments in habitat conservation. These efforts are among the most effective ways to protect birds across Texas and the Americas. 

Our work doesn’t stop when the legislative session ends. Audubon Texas remains committed to building strong partnerships and advancing forward-looking policies that protect birds and their habitats. Over the next two years, we’ll be actively engaged—shaping the conversations and solutions that will guide conservation efforts into the 2027 session and beyond. 

Thank you for your support during this session — especially if you took the time to call or write to your elected officials about the critical issues facing bird populations today. Your voice is so important in the legislative process, and your engagement proved invaluable over the last five months. 

We look forward to keeping you abreast of our continued efforts to develop and enact evidence-based policies that keep Texas a haven for birds and our communities. ​