Mid City Times

Rep. Ben Bumgarner introduced HB 5508, a bill on Education, Labor, and State Agencies, Boards & Commissions, to the Texas House on Monday, April 7 during the 89(R) legislative session, according to the Texas Legislature website.

More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’Relating to the establishment of the Texas Film Academy to facilitate workforce development in the state's film, television, and digital media industries’’.

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

This bill establishes the Texas Film Academy with the purpose of advancing workforce development in the state's film, television, and digital media industries. Set to take effect on Sept. 1, 2025, the academy will create specialized higher education and workforce training programs in partnership with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and industry leaders. The academy will develop curriculum requirements for training programs in various high-wage job areas, such as film production, post-production techniques, and sound engineering, and will collaborate with higher education institutions and industry partners statewide. It will also facilitate internships and apprenticeships, host networking events, and foster industry partnerships. The board governing the academy will consist of nine members appointed by the governor. The bill mandates that public institutions partners must enroll students by the 2027 spring semester, and the academy is scheduled to expire on Sept. 1, 2032.

Ben Bumgarner, member of the House Committee on Pensions, Investments & Financial Services, proposed another 24 bills during the 89(R) legislative session.

Bumgarner graduated from Austin College with a BA.

Ben Bumgarner is currently serving in the Texas State House, representing the state's 63rd House district. He replaced previous state representative Tan Parker in 2023.

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.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB 5529	04/07/2025	Relating to establishing a child-care innovation pilot program
HB 5229	04/07/2025	Relating to the administration and enforcement by the Office of the Comptroller for Public Accounts against an appraisal district for a failure by a district to undertake corrective actions ordered by the Comptroller after review of the district's methods, appraisal standards and procedures
HB 2210	04/07/2025	Relating to inclusion of the United States Space Force in United States military and veteran statutory definitions
HB 5000	04/03/2025	Relating to Media Production Development Zones and the functions of the Texas Film Commission
HB 4649	04/03/2025	Relating to the investigation and reporting of certain motor vehicle collisions
HB 4596	04/03/2025	Relating to certain electioneering activities by members of a board of trustees of an independent school district
HB 4265	04/01/2025	Relating to the violation of certain laws and provisions of governing instruments by, and the recall by property owners of, a property owners' association board member
HB 3944	03/27/2025	Relating to eligibility to serve on the board of directors of an appraisal district
HB 3766	03/26/2025	Relating to designating the third Monday in October of each year as Unplug Texas Day
HB 3765	03/26/2025	Relating to the cost of requesting electronic copies of documents from a district clerk
HB 3764	03/26/2025	Relating to parental notice of certain changes relating to a school district student's teacher
HB 288	03/25/2025	Relating to creating the criminal offense of operating a premises for unlawful controlled substance consumption
HB 3495	03/24/2025	Relating to the investment and management of certain funds by the comptroller; making an appropriation
HB 2212	03/14/2025	Relating to the promotion of film and television production in this state, including the eligibility of film or television productions for funding under the major events reimbursement program, the creation of a film events trust fund and a film production tax rebate trust fund, the establishment of virtual film production institutes, and the designation of media production development zones
HB 2211	03/14/2025	Relating to the compensation and professional representation of certain students participating in University Interscholastic League activities or in intercollegiate athletic programs at certain institutions of higher education
HB 2209	03/14/2025	Relating to the period for which a person arrested for certain crimes committed against a child may be held after bond is posted
HB 2206	03/14/2025	Relating to the reporting of certain public school employee misconduct to local law enforcement
HB 2205	03/14/2025	Relating to a policy prohibiting the use of personal electronic devices by public school students during instructional time
HB 974	03/06/2025	Relating to a limitation on the salary of superintendents and chief executive officers of school districts and open-enrollment charter schools
HB 920	03/06/2025	Relating to an exemption from sales and use taxes for firearms, ammunition, and other related items
HB 759	03/05/2025	Relating to the creation of a temporary educator certificate for educators certified by other states
HB 529	03/03/2025	Relating to eligibility for the bulletproof vest and body armor grant program
HB 453	02/28/2025	Relating to increasing the criminal penalties for delivery of a controlled substance in Penalty Group 1-B to a child
HB 371	02/28/2025	Relating to the admission to public schools of children unlawfully present in the United States and the eligibility of those children for the benefits of the available school fund and Foundation School Program