HOUSTON – With the state’s 89th Legislative Session coming to a close, the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA) is celebrating a series of victories that bring immediate relief with long-term stability to the state’s food service industry.
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In a news release, the TRA said these laws will help reduce costs, support the workforce, and make regulations more transparent.
“Texas restaurants are more than businesses. They are employers, economic engines, and cultural anchors for every community,” Emily Williams Knight, Ed.D., president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association, said. “After five years of incredible economic uncertainty, we are proud to deliver practical, bipartisan reforms that will strengthen restaurants and the communities they serve immediately.”
“This session, we focused on clear, actionable priorities that bring restaurants relief now and set the stage for long-term growth,” Kelsey Erickson Streufert, chief public affairs officer at the Texas Restaurant Association, added. “Lawmakers responded, backing bipartisan solutions that reduce costs, streamline rules, and strengthen our workforce.”
TRA says it worked with lawmakers to stop and/or revise dozens of proposals that would have raised costs or created more challenges for restaurants to operate.
These include:
- Reduced costs for government permit and property tax relief.
- Clearer and more consistent local health inspection rules.
- Flexibility for restaurants to play background music and receive overnight deliveries without sound permits.
- A new statewide online resource hub to connect employees with childcare support.
- New tools to help develop housing for middle-income Texans near restaurant hubs.
“Importantly, these wins benefit every foodservice business—from the mom-and-pop food truck to the larger restaurant brands that are expanding in Texas—plus the employees and guests they serve," Knight added. “And best of all, we are just getting started.”
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In the next legislative session, the TRA is looking to prioritize issues like reducing credit card swipe fees, lowering insurance costs, strengthening disaster recovery support for restaurants, and expanding access to childcare for employees with non-traditional hours.
“There is still work ahead, but this session proved what is possible when restaurants stay engaged and policymakers listen,” Streufert concluded.
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To learn more or get involved, visit the TRA’s website.