In our preliminary review, the TCC actively mointored over 250 bills this session, of which only 21 passed the legislature as legislation. It will take us some more time to fully review the session as we review how some of our bills may have been amended into others or changed significantly. In the coming days we will begin to update our review of what passed and how we move forward. Thanks for all of those who have joined us in our work this session. Here's the short version of how our agenda fared:

Life Issues: We are disappointed that there are no major successes in terms of pro-life legislation this session. Efforts to improve reporting and informed consent for abortion were defeated and the clock ran out on the bill that would have substantially improved our state's Advance Directives statute. We remain hopeful that hospitals will implement the ideas in SB 439 during interim. We are pleased to report that legislation (HB 709) passed which will improve education on the benefits of adult stem cells and umbilical cord blood. In addition, the budget includes funding for alternatives to abortion and adult stem cells research.

Immigration:The session started with multiple anti-immigrant bills that were able to be defeated by and large. This was a defensive session on the immigration issue at the state level. We look forward to continued efforts by the U.S. Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform which will bring our immigrant brothers and sisters out of the shadows and improve our nation's security.

Health and Human Services:CHIP restoration, foster care system improvements, long-term care insurance improvements, wage and training enhancements for elder care attendants, increase in the personal needs allowance for seniors in nursing care, and legislation aimed at reducing human trafficking in Texas are among the many successful Health and Human Service initiatives of the session.

Education:Pre-Kindergarten for foster care kids was added to other education bills and child care reimbursement rates were improved. At first review, it does not appear that initiatives to improve parental choice in education had any major outcomes in this session.

Criminal Justice:Criminal Justice reform was a major highlight of the session with system-wide improvements for treatment alternatives to incarceration. The scandals of the Texas Youth Commission led to needed reforms in the juvenile justice system. We remain deeply disappointed in the passage of "Jessica's Law" which for the first time allows the death penalty in Texas when the convicted did not actually kill someone.