Texas State Representative Penny Morales Shaw, a Democrat, has outlined her legislative priorities in an interview with the Lone Star Standard. These include paid parental leave, youth pre-trial prevention, and a special environmental remediation fund. Morales Shaw is currently campaigning for re-election to represent District 148 in the Texas House of Representatives.
According to Texas Legislature Online, Morales Shaw authored House Bill 2604 which pertains to "the establishment of a paid parental leave program administered by the Texas Workforce Commission; imposing an employer contribution." The bill was referred to International Relations & Economic Development but did not advance to the Senate. If enacted, House Bill 2604 would mandate the Texas Workforce Commission to establish a paid parental leave program.
Morales Shaw also introduced HB 1977, a bill "relating to the creation of a pretrial intervention program for certain youth offenders; authorizing a fee." This legislation proposes the formation of a pretrial intervention program for specific youth offenders in Texas. The bill outlines several key features of this program such as integration of services, non-adversarial approach, early identification, access to treatment services, monitoring, judicial interaction, and evaluation. Eligible defendants—defined as children without prior serious convictions—would have the option to participate in this program which includes tailored treatment plans and supervision by the community corrections department. The latest action on this bill was its receipt in the House.
A May 2023 article from the Texas Tribune reported that residents of a Houston suburb held a public hearing demanding accountability from state regulators following a 2019 fire that released toxic chemicals into their community. In response to these concerns, Morales Shaw said she introduced three bills aimed at strengthening oversight by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). House Bill 1360 requires TCEQ to publish permit details online including public hearing dates—replacing outdated requirements for posting in newspapers and on-site. House Bill 3853 seeks to increase TCEQ's maximum daily fines for certain violations from $25,000 to $40,000. These bills are part of a broader TCEQ sunset bill. Morales Shaw also proposed House Bill 3913 which aims to allocate a portion of pollution-related lawsuit revenues to an environmental remediation fund managed by TCEQ, according to the Texas Tribune.
"The people expect us to do the right thing while they’re busy caring for their families and all the other things that life demands," said Morales Shaw, as reported by the Texas Tribune. "The buck stops with us. We’ve got to keep pushing."
According to the Texas House of Representatives, Morales Shaw is an attorney based in Houston, Texas who represents District 148. She is active in various caucuses including the House LGBTQ Caucus and the Texas Women’s Health Caucus. Her advocacy work is informed by her experiences as a single mother and she has previously served as deputy chief for Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 2.
