Texas House Bill HB4691

Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

• Filed: 3/12/25

Caption

Relating to provisions of state law requiring diversity.

Impact

If enacted, HB 4691 would significantly influence how various state boards and commissions appoint their members. It will require that governing bodies ensure diversity in their selection processes, which can potentially alter the composition of these boards to better represent Texas's demographic landscape. This change is seen as a step toward addressing long-standing inequities in state-level representation and could hold significant implications for policy-making that addresses the concerns of diverse communities.

Summary

House Bill 4691 focuses on mandating diversity within the appointment processes of state commissions and agencies in Texas. The bill seeks to amend existing laws to include specific provisions for ensuring that appointments reflect the ethnic, racial, and geographical diversity of the state's population. This includes a requirement for the submission of demographic reports that provide transparency around the diversity of appointed individuals, aiming to foster inclusive representation in state governance.

Contention

The bill may face contention relating to the specifics of how diversity is defined and measured. Critics may argue that the emphasis on demographic factors could lead to tokenism, where individuals are appointed primarily to fulfill diversity quotas rather than based on qualifications or merit. Additionally, there could be discussions around whether such measures infringe on the rights of appointing authorities to select candidates they deem most suitable for the roles, which might lead to debates about personal biases versus systemic representation needs.

Texas Constitutional Statutes Affected

Alcoholic Beverage Code

• Chapter 5. Alcoholic Beverage Commission
  • Section: New Section

Education Code

• Chapter 12. Charters
  • Section: New Section

• Chapter 21. Educators
  • Section: New Section

• Chapter 51. Provisions Generally Applicable To Higher Education
  • Section: 4032

Family Code

• Chapter 264. Child Welfare Services
  • Section: 2041
  • Section: 502

Government Code

• Chapter 157. Court Interpreters Licensing
  • Section: New Section

• Chapter 403. Comptroller Of Public Accounts
  • Section: 1042
  • Section: 503

• Chapter 444. Texas Commission On The Arts
  • Section: 023
  • Section: 024

• Chapter 467. Texas Lottery Commission
  • Section: 035

• Chapter 482. Texas Aerospace And Technology Support
  • Section: 606

• Chapter 651. General Provisions
  • Section: 009

• Chapter 2166. Building Construction And Acquisition And Disposition Of Real Property
  • Section: 404

• Chapter 2306. Texas Department Of Housing And Community Affairs
  • Section: 027

• Chapter 2308. Workforce Investment Act
  • Section: New Section

Health And Safety Code

• Chapter 102. Cancer Prevention And Research Institute Of Texas
  • Section: New Section

• Chapter 534. Community Services
  • Section: 003
  • Section: 004

• Chapter 672. Adult Fatality Review And Investigation
  • Section: New Section

• Chapter 674. Fetal And Infant Mortality Review
  • Section: 002

Local Government Code

• Chapter 318. Historic Preservation By Counties
  • Section: 003

Occupations Code

• Chapter 901. Accountants
  • Section: 654
  • Section: 659
  • Section: 660

• Chapter 2022. Texas Racing Commission
  • Section: 052

Transportation Code

• Chapter 201. General Provisions And Administration
  • Section: 9025