Brady PieperTexas Gov. Greg Abbott has announced an emergency cybersecurity initiative as part of the state’s 2025 legislative session.
The cybersecurity initiative, announced during the governor’s biennial State of the State address on Sunday, proposes the creation of the Texas Cyber Command facility to reinforce the state’s digital defenses. By establishing the new facility in San Antonio, the initiative seeks to mitigate the ever-rising threat of cyberattacks on critical systems and infrastructure in Texas.
“San Antonio is the home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of cyber security experts,” Gov. Abbott said. “We must harness those assets to protect against threats from China, Iran, Russia and other foreign enemies. They could cripple our power, our water and our communications with cyberattacks. We must deploy cutting-edge capabilities to better secure our state.”
The legislation comes as cyberattacks have recently affected state systems, including infiltrations at a hospital and a major business within the last two weeks, according to the governor.
The proposed Texas Cyber Command would leverage industry expertise and resources through the University of Texas at San Antonio and several other federal, state and local partners to safeguard vital infrastructure from potential cyberattacks.
RELATED: UTSA, UT Health San Antonio to merge by 2025
The state’s strategy for improving digital security will include the ability to anticipate and detect cyber threats, to defend against cyberattacks when they occur and to prevent future attacks through preventative coordination, research and planning with agency partners.
Abbott’s emergency initiative also plans to promote cybersecurity awareness, workforce training opportunities and additional post-attack investigations that expand Texas’ efforts to strengthen cybersecurity infrastructure.
Texas lawmakers will vote on the proposed legislation in the coming months. Interested parties may view a one-pager on the emergency cybersecurity item here.
Adhering to the state Constitution, Abbott’s cybersecurity legislation will be one of seven emergency items lawmakers may pass during the first 60 days of the session.
Beyond cybersecurity, the governor’s list of emergency items features several anticipated priorities and various new initiatives for lawmakers to consider, including:
- Property Tax Relief and Reform – The state will evaluate taxing authority loopholes, tax rate compressions and property tax exemptions to provide relief for property taxpayers and small businesses. The emergency item proposes the utilization of $10 billion of the state’s budget surplus for additional relief efforts.
- Water Infrastructure – The state plans on investing approximately $1 billion over the next 10 years into new water resources and replacing or repairing existing pipelines, especially in rural communities throughout Texas. The plan also intends to develop new programs and strategies that reliably treat and move water while creating a long-term revenue stream for critical water infrastructure projects.
- Teacher Pay and School Reform – The state will take several steps to improve teacher recruitment and retention, including increasing teacher salaries through direct appropriations, expanding merit-based pay programs and investing in high-quality teacher readiness pathways such as residences and apprenticeships. Additionally, the state will waive certification fees in high-need areas, support the rehiring of retired teachers by districts, fund a statewide marketing campaign and collect data on school vacancies to address recruitment challenges proactively.
- Career and Workforce Training – The state intends to increase funding for the Jobs and Education for Texans grant program, the Pathways in Technology Early College high schools initiative, dual credit and other educational opportunities. Seeking to improve workforce training throughout Texas, the item outlines additional funding opportunities for the Rural Pathways Excellence Partnership program, the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps programs and several other career readiness and high school proficiency initiatives.
- School Choice – The state plans on investing $1 billion for the Education Savings Account program to incentivize choice when it comes to public and private schools in Texas. In addition to expanding eligibility for all Texas schoolchildren, the state intends to increase funding for open-enrollment charter schools, virtual education services and school transfer systems.
- Bail Reform – The state will reevaluate its bail laws by denying bail to criminals charged with capital murder and other violent crimes, according to Gov. Abbott.
State and local lawmakers will convene for the 89th Texas Legislative Session until June 2. Additional information on the session, meeting times and ways to provide testimony is available on Texas Legislature Online.
Photo by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash
