Rep. Morales introduces bill to establish Texas Cyber Command in Texas House

A new bill authored by State Rep. Morales seeks to establish the Texas Cyber Command to enhance cybersecurity defenses and coordinate incident responses for Texas government entities and infrastructure, according to the Texas Legislature website.

The bill, introduced as HB 150 during the 89(1) legislative session on Monday, July 21, was formally listed with the short title: ’Relating to requiring certain alert messages to be in English and Spanish’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill establishes the Texas Cyber Command as part of the University of Texas System, specifically administratively attached to the University of Texas at San Antonio, with an effective date of Sept. 1, 2025. It transfers certain cybersecurity-related functions from the Department of Information Resources to the new command, aiming to prevent and respond to cybersecurity incidents affecting government entities and critical infrastructure in Texas. The command assumes responsibilities including enhancing cybersecurity defenses, facilitating workforce education and training, and establishing cybersecurity standards. It will develop best practices, provide training to state agencies, and manage a cybersecurity threat intelligence center and a digital forensics laboratory. The command will also handle statewide cybersecurity incident responses and assist state agencies with cybersecurity training programs, reporting requirements, and strategic planning for information security. The bill mandates the transfer of employees, resources, and functions related to cybersecurity from the Department of Information Resources to the Texas Cyber Command by Dec. 31, 2026, via a memorandum of understanding with the University of Texas System’s Board of Regents.

Christina Morales, a member of the House Committee on Human Services, proposed no other bills during the 89(1) legislative session. She is also a member of the House Committee on Transportation.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.