The bill amends various sections of the Government Code in Texas to clarify statutory construction principles. It defines "shall" as imposing a duty without discretion and "must" as creating a requirement that may establish a duty or condition precedent. New provisions prohibit courts from considering legislative intent or history when interpreting statutes, requiring them to enforce the statutory text as written. Additionally, courts are not obligated to defer to state agency interpretations unless they are reasonable and align with the law's plain language. The bill also addresses severability, stating that all parts of a statute are severable unless explicitly stated otherwise, and clarifies that grammatical errors do not invalidate a law.

Furthermore, the bill introduces new legal language regarding the interpretation of statutory provisions deemed invalid, preempted, or unconstitutional. If a court finds a statute facially or totally invalid, it must still consider whether discrete applications of that provision can be enforced without violating federal law or constitutions, interpreting the statute as if the legislature had limited its application to those specific circumstances. The bill also repeals several sections of the Government Code, specifically Sections 311.021, 311.023, 311.032, 312.005, 312.006, 312.012, and 312.013, with the provisions set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Government Code 311.016, Government Code 311.025, Government Code 311.026, Government Code 311.028, Government Code 311.034, Government Code 311.021 (Government Code 311)