Bill > HB794

This bill establishes a comprehensive framework for reviewing and potentially limiting occupational regulations in Texas, requiring licensing authorities to conduct a thorough review of all occupational regulations by September 1, 2026. The bill defines key terms such as "license," "occupational regulation," and "personal qualifications," and establishes a state policy that occupational regulations must be demonstrably necessary and carefully tailored to protect public health, safety, and welfare. Each licensing authority must analyze the effects of their regulations on worker opportunities, consumer choices, unemployment, market competition, and government costs, and compare their regulations with those in other states. The bill provides a mechanism for individuals to petition licensing authorities to repeal or modify regulations that are overly burdensome, and creates a legal pathway for individuals to seek injunctive relief against enforcement of occupational regulations that unnecessarily restrict economic opportunity. If a court finds that a regulation is not carefully tailored to legitimate public health and safety objectives or that less restrictive alternatives exist, the regulation can be challenged, with the court potentially awarding attorney's fees to the plaintiff. The bill provides a detailed hierarchy of regulatory approaches from least to most restrictive and aims to balance professional standards with economic freedom, taking effect on September 1, 2025.