Accomplishments

Real Results, Real Impact: Legislation That Made It Across the Finish Line

This year in the 89th session, several bills primarily authored or sponsored were signed into law—turning bold ideas into tangible progress for Fort Bend County and Texas. These legislative wins reflect a commitment to safety, equity, innovation, and opportunity for all Texans.

Protecting Texans in the Digital Age

Online threats have evolved—and Texas law needed to catch up. HB 783 now gives victims of online impersonation a clear path to justice. If someone misuses your name, voice, or likeness to create a fake social media profile meant to harm or deceive, this law empowers you to sue for damages, attorney’s fees, and court-ordered takedowns. It draws the line between free expression and malicious exploitation.

Building on that foundation, SB 441 tackles the growing danger of deep fake intimate images created or distributed without consent. The law makes such actions a criminal offense, and it holds platforms and payment processors accountable if they fail to remove harmful content. With clear timelines and serious penalties, this legislation helps protect Texans’ dignity in a rapidly changing digital world.

Opening Doors to Opportunity

Every young person deserves a second chance—and a future. SB 1728 expands access to Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grants by allowing juvenile justice agencies to create career and technical education programs. This gives youth in the justice system the tools to re-enter their communities with skills, purpose, and hope.

In higher education, SB 2055 ensures fairness in the Texas Leadership Scholars Program by removing barriers that favored students from select institutions. Now, high-achieving, low-income students across the state will have a clearer path to scholarships and leadership development.

Improving Patient Awareness

When it comes to health, knowledge is power. SB 1084 updates mammography reporting requirements to align with new federal standards. It ensures patients receive clear, standardized information about breast density—a factor that can affect cancer detection—so they can make informed decisions and seek additional screening when needed.

Other Notable Legislative Wins

In addition to the previous bills, I was proud to help advance a wide range of policies as a joint or co-author. These bipartisan, people-focused bills span health, education, safety, technology, and energy—and reflect the breadth of what we can accomplish together.

Protecting Our Seniors 

• SB 1283 improves safety transparency in senior retirement communities and empowers residents to report criminal activity.
• HB 3595 mandates emergency power and temperature regulations and safety plans in assisted living facilities during crises.

Health, Wellness & Crisis Response

• HB 5342 establishes the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Trust Fund to strengthen mental health crisis services statewide.
• HB 3062 mandates fentanyl and substance abuse education for all incoming college students.
• HB 37 (Everly’s Law) Mandates hospitals with maternal care designation to offer bereavement counseling and support devices to families after fetal or neonatal loss.
• SB 5 creates and funds the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to fund and coordinate care and research.
• SB 25 enacts statewide nutrition standards and physical activity requirements in schools, plus nutrition training for healthcare professionals.
• SB 31 (Life of the Mother Act) clarifies medical exceptions in abortion law to protect doctors and pregnant patients in emergencies.
• HB 2516 (Chris Larkin ALS Act) expands access to Medicare supplemental plans for Texans with ALS or end-stage renal disease.

Public Safety 

• HB 451 strengthens trauma-informed screening to protect children at risk of sexual exploitation.
• SB 1316 restricts e-cigarette ads near schools and churches to align with traditional tobacco regulations.
• HB 908 improves coordination in missing child cases by requiring law enforcement to notify the national database within two hours.

Education & Student Success

• HB 2 delivers $8.5 billion in new public education funding, the largest in Texas history—including major teacher raises and full-day Pre-K.
• HB 27 makes personal financial literacy a high school graduation requirement starting in 2026.
• HB 20 creates a technical education pipeline through the Applied Sciences Pathway Program.
• SB 365 shortens the timeline for students to receive a “fresh start” in college admissions from 10 to 5 years.
• HB 824 enhances civics instruction in high school government classes.
• HB 1188 ensures families of intellectual disability or a developmental delay students receive information on disability services at the first individualized education program (IEP) committee meeting.

Innovation, Tech, & Cybersecurity

• HB 4751 launches the Texas Quantum Initiative to promote innovation in quantum technology and economic development.
• HB 150 establishes the Texas Cyber Command to centralize and strengthen state cybersecurity efforts.
• HB 149 creates the Texas Responsible AI Governance Act—regulating AI systems and safeguarding privacy rights.
• SB 2308 funds FDA-approved clinical trials of ibogaine for opioid use disorder and mental health treatment.

Infrastructure, Energy & Environment

• HB 1584 requires utilities to maintain priority restoration lists for hospitals, water plants, and other essential facilities.
• HB 5323 creates the Texas Energy Waste Advisory Committee to improve grid reliability and reduce waste statewide.
• SB 22 launches the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Fund to support film, TV, and digital media production across Texas.

Public Wellness

SB 2232 designates October 21 as Unplug Texas Day—encouraging families to take a break from screens and explore outdoor recreation.

The 89th Special Session Recap

REDISTRICTING: KEEPING THE FOCUS ON TEXANS

While flooding and disaster relief were the urgent issues at hand, the first priority placed on the house floor was mid-decade redistricting. I opposed this unnecessary and uncalled-for effort, which fails to reflect the real needs of Texans. I was an essential part of the Democratic quorum break to fight Gov. Abbott & President Trump’s illegal redistricting scheme. In fact, I was one of a dozen members that was directly targeted by Gov. Abbott for removal from office as a direct result of my activism on behalf of Texans. Thanks to these efforts, my fellow House Democrats and I succeeded in creating a nationwide movement to push back.

TURNING TRAGEDY INTO ACTION: CAMP SAFETY, FLOOD RELIEF, AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS LEGISLATION

In response to the 27 young lives tragically lost at Camp Mystic on July 4th, we moved quickly to find solutions and work together. The House and Senate came together and overwhelmingly passed legislation to make camps safer across Texas.

HB 1, the Youth CAMPER Act, requires every youth camp to have a written evacuation plan (muster points, headcounts, and EMS/staff/parent communication), designate an emergency-preparedness coordinator, share the plan with parents, and give a safety orientation within 48 hours of each session. Camps must keep radios, an emergency warning system, monitor safety alerts, meet broadband standards, and notify DSHS of layout or activity-site changes. Noncompliance can lead to license denial or suspension. Creates a Youth Camp Safety Multidisciplinary Team at DSHS to propose minimum standards. 

SB 1, the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act, requires rooftop emergency access ladders on cabins in floodplains and keeps updated disaster evacuation plans. Expands required plan scenarios and communications, ensures camps can send and receive emergency alerts, and mandates staff training and camper safety orientation. Prohibits licensing camps with cabins in certain floodplains, requires license renewal after boundary or cabin changes, and creates an online youth-camp registry.

And to better protect Texans in future emergencies, we also advanced a set of critical bills: HB 2 requires training and licensing for emergency managers and sets up systems for volunteer and fatality management; HB 3 improves statewide emergency communication by centralizing planning and upgrading local systems; HB 5 allocates $324 million for disaster readiness, including FEMA match funds, flood warnings, and forecasting improvements; and HB 22 expands interoperable communication systems while investing in rural broadband. SB 3 requires outdoor warning sirens in flood-prone Texas communities, backed by state grants and standards, to better protect residents during flash floods. Together, these measures significantly improve Texas's ability to respond to future disasters.

While we cannot bring back the precious lives lost, we can honor them by making sure no other family endures this pain again. Proud to have been an co-author on these reforms and remain committed to building a safer tomorrow for every child in Texas. 

TOWN HALLS THAT PUT PEOPLE FIRST

Throughout the summer, we hosted two town halls grounded in transparency and accountability. At our Legislative Update Town Hall, we reviewed the success of our 89th Regular Session and answered questions about how new laws affect Fort Bend families. At the People’s Town Hall on Redistricting, we opened the floor to everyday Texans, and every speaker opposed the mid-decade maps, sharing what they mean for our neighborhoods, our votes, and our future. Thank you to the neighbors, organizations, and advocates who showed up and spoke up; your voices guide our work.

Dr. Lalani’s First Term: The 88th Session

Dr. Lalani did not go to Austin only to hand out proclamations and take photos. He got to work as fast as any freshman representative in recent history. Fort Bend communities in Sugar Land, Richmond, Mission Bend, Stafford, Meadows, and all over House District 76 have been waiting for a Democrat who will take action.

• Help Defeat Abbott’s School Voucher Scams
• Co-Sponsor SB 532 to Expand Mental Health Services on Texas Campuses
• Co-Sponsor HB 12 to Extend Medicaid for Postpartum Mothers to 12 Months
• 36 Bills Signed Into Law
• Founding Member AAPI Caucus
• Freshman of the Year by award by AAPI Caucus
• Patient Advocacy Award by Texas Academy of Family Physicians
• Civil Rights Community Award by SL95 - S.O.J.E.S
• Raise Your Hand Texas Public Education Champion Award, 88th Legislature
• Texas PTA Champion for Children, 88th Legislature 

Health Care for Women, Mothers, and Uninsured

As a lifelong physician, Dr. Lalani has seen firsthand the effects of poor healthcare access. Texas is the least insured state in the Nation. Dr. Lalani has brought expertise that has been lacking in Austin for decades. He is the only medical doctor on the Democratic side of the aisle, and he is the only active practicing doctor in all of the legislature. That means Representative Lalani is seeing patients and advocating for them on the Texas house floor the next day. That's why he became a co-sponsor for HB 12, which expanded Medicaid for new mothers from six months to twelve months. This crucial postpartum period is when mothers and infants are most vulnerable.

Public Education Champion and Higher Education Advocate

It is well known that Dr. Lalani is an education advocate, which is why he was placed on the Higher Education Committee as a freshman Representative. Here, he ensures that higher education is not limited to the most fortunate but open to all Texas families. When Governor Greg Abbott called multiple special sessions to defund public schools with his private school voucher scam, Dr. Lalani stood up to Abbott. Thanks to relationships with fellow Democrats and pro-public education conservatives, Representative Lalani was part of a coalition that defeated the private school voucher scam. The fight is still ongoing but there is plenty of fight left in Dr. Lalani when it comes to protecting the public schools that serve our most economically disadvantaged communities.

A Leading Advocate for Mental Health Services and Funding

As a specialist in geriatric medicine and hospice care, Dr. Lalani knows that health care does not end with our physical bodies; our mental health is directly related to our physical well-being. This can be especially true for young adults and seniors. Developing minds and older citizens facing cognitive decline can be more susceptible to mental health issues. Texas and the rest of the nation must start giving equal importance to our mental health. I Co-sponsored SB 532 to expand mental health services on Texas campuses to ensure the state supports young people during one of their most challenging transitions. 

Making Our Legislature Reflective of Texas Families

Being among the first Muslims to serve in the Texas Legislature has been an honor for Representative Suleman Lalani. He helped form the AAPI Caucus and hosted the first Iftar celebration ever held in the Capital. In a place that showed open hostility to Muslims only a session earlier, Dr. Lalani is breaking barriers. This has not gone without a cost for him and those who have embraced the diversity of adding Muslim legislators. Ultra-conservative organizations have attacked any Representative who attended Dr. Lalani's Iftar. These Islamophobic attacks cannot change the fact that Texas has prospered thanks to the diversity of places like Fort Bend County. These hateful attacks will fail, and Dr. Lalani will continue to champion our diversity in Austin and celebrate your family's religion, heritage, and history.