Monitoring the Session

HB 1147

bill for a soft skills pilot in Cameron County

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Erin GámezDHouse 38

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the establishment by the Texas Workforce Commission of a workplace soft skills training pilot program.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Six weeks of ethics, communication and time management. Certificate included.

The bill orders the Texas Workforce Commission to run a pilot program in Cameron County that offers a six-week course on workplace soft skills, such as ethics, communication, leadership, organization and time management, and gives a certificate to people who finish it. The commission must write rules for the curriculum and decide who can take part, and it must report to the legislature by December 1, 2026, on whether the program worked and should go statewide. The program starts September 1, 2025, and the law expires September 1, 2027.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 2598 (Died in committee) and this bill (Did not pass). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 2598 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on Apr 23, 2025. Died in the Senate: received, never referred to a committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1147 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Erin GámezDHouse 38 Rep. Oscar LongoriaDHouse 35

ITEM

relating to the establishment by the Texas Workforce Commission of a workplace soft skills training pilot program.

WHAT IT DOES

Six weeks of ethics, communication and time management. Certificate included.

The bill orders the Texas Workforce Commission to run a pilot program in Cameron County that offers a six-week course on workplace soft skills, such as ethics, communication, leadership, organization and time management, and gives a certificate to people who finish it. The commission must write rules for the curriculum and decide who can take part, and it must report to the legislature by December 1, 2026, on whether the program worked and should go statewide. The program starts September 1, 2025, and the law expires September 1, 2027.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 23, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to s/c on Workforce by Speaker
  4. Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
  5. Considered by s/c in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
  7. Left pending in subcommittee
  8. Recalled from subcommittee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  11. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  12. Committee report distributed
  13. Committee report sent to Calendars
  14. Considered in Calendars
  15. Placed on General State Calendar
  16. Read 2nd time
  17. Passed to engrossment
  18. Record vote RV#337
  19. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  20. Read 3rd time
  21. Passed
  22. Record vote RV#389
  23. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  24. Reported engrossed
  25. Received from the House
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 98 yea · 48 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · Apr 23, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Erin Gámez

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$23KAGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND$18KTexas REALTORS Political Action Committee$15K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$22,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$22,500.00

Cash
$22,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$22,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 24, 2024 to Sep 28, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101060219, 101072494.

AGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND$18,375.00

AGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND

$18,375.00

Cash
$18,000.00
Paid by others
$375.00
Total
$18,375.00
consulting $375.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100987285, 101029258.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$15,250.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$15,250.00

Cash
$15,000.00
Paid by others
$250.00
Total
$15,250.00
advertising $250.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 19, 2024 to Sep 17, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101069662.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$22,500.00

Cash
$22,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$22,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 24, 2024 to Sep 28, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101060219, 101072494.

×

AGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND

$18,375.00

Cash
$18,000.00
Paid by others
$375.00
Total
$18,375.00
consulting $375.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100987285, 101029258.

×

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$15,250.00

Cash
$15,000.00
Paid by others
$250.00
Total
$15,250.00
advertising $250.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 19, 2024 to Sep 17, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101069662.

Votes2

House Apr 23, 2025

Yea
98
Nay
48
Present, not voting
2
Absent
2
Excused
0
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 389

HB 1147 was passed by (Record 389): 98 Yeas, 48 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 98 (published)
  • Nay: 48 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 2 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House Apr 22, 2025

Yea
102
Nay
45
Present, not voting
1
Absent
1
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 337

HB 1147 was passed to engrossment by (Record 337): 102 Yeas, 45 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 102 (published)
  • Nay: 45 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 1 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses8
For
6
Against
0
On
2
Names

For

  • Children at Risk1 registration
  • City of Brownsville1 registration
  • Methodist Healthcare Ministries1 registration
  • National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)1 registration
  • Texas Association of Goodwills1 registration
  • Texas Association of Manufacturers1 registration

On

  • Texas council for developmental disabilities1 registration
  • Texas Workforce Commission1 registration
Sources

8 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 23, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 2598

by Rep. Gámez, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, May 5, 2023: Referred to Natural Resources & Economic Development

Relating to the establishment by the Texas Workforce Commission of a workplace soft skills training pilot program.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

04/23/2025 S Received from the House

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Trade, Workforce & Economic Development · Committee vote 8 aye, 2 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

CAMERON COUNTY

Labor--Workforce Development

STAFF DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING

WORKFORCE COMMISSION, TEXAS

Text

The text as introduced · 222 words

89R3068 KSD-D

By: Gámez
H.B. No. 1147

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the establishment by the Texas Workforce Commission of

a workplace soft skills training pilot program.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is

amended by adding Section 302.0202 to read as follows:

Sec. 302.0202. WORKPLACE SOFT SKILLS TRAINING PILOT

PROGRAM. (a) The commission shall establish and administer a pilot

program in Cameron County under which the division:

(1) offers a six-week training course on workplace

soft skills, including workplace ethics and etiquette, effective

communication, leadership, organizational skills, and time

management; and

(2) awards a certificate of completion for a

participant's successful completion of the training course.

(b) The commission by rule shall establish curriculum

requirements for the pilot program and eligibility criteria for a

person to participate in the pilot program.

(c) Not later than December 1, 2026, the commission shall

evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program at enhancing the

workplace soft skills and employment outcomes of participants and

report the results of the evaluation to the legislature. The report

must include the commission's recommendation on whether the pilot

program should be continued on a statewide basis.

(d) This section expires September 1, 2027.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.