The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce convened on May 23, 2025, to discuss several key legislative proposals aimed at improving business practices and transparency in Texas. The meeting began with a focus on House Bill 3005, which addresses the issue of prolonged audits that delay payments to contractors, potentially circumventing the Texas Prompt Pay Act. The bill clarifies that audits on public construction projects must be completed within 60 days of substantial project completion. The committee heard testimony from Stephanie Cook, a construction lawyer representing the AGC Texas Building Branch, who expressed support for the bill.

Following this discussion, the committee moved on to House Bill 5093, which seeks to restore public access to the contact information of notaries. This bill aims to reverse a previous law that restricted the disclosure of personal information for occupational license holders, which inadvertently made it difficult for the public to contact notaries for important legal matters. The committee did not receive any public testimony on this bill, and it was left pending.

Next, House Bill 2037 was presented, which proposes updates to tenant rights regarding repairs. The bill removes outdated references to the Yellow Pages, allowing tenants to hire licensed contractors for necessary repairs without being restricted to a specific directory. It also facilitates communication regarding security deposits by allowing tenants to interact with managing agents via email. Roland Love, co-chair of the Texas Real Estate and Probate Trust Law Institute, testified in support of the bill, which had previously passed both chambers but was vetoed last session.

The final bill discussed was House Bill 4214, aimed at enhancing transparency in public records requests. This legislation would require governmental bodies to submit their contact information annually to the Texas Attorney General's office, creating a centralized online database for public access. James Quintero from the Texas Public Policy Foundation supported this measure, highlighting the challenges the public faces in locating the appropriate contacts for information requests.

The committee concluded the meeting with all bills left pending, awaiting further consideration and potential action in future sessions. The discussions underscored a commitment to improving operational efficiency and transparency within Texas's business and governmental frameworks.