HB 1353 – Expands agency bonding authority

HB 1353 gives more Texas state agencies the power to issue bonds and enter into international agreements with Mexico, specifically adding TCEQ and the PUC to the list. It encourages these agencies to form joint funding deals with the North American Development Bank to pay for infrastructure projects in Texas. While cooperation may sound appealing, this bill opens the door to more government debt and financial entanglements with foreign institutions. It risks bypassing local accountability by allowing unelected agencies to tie Texas taxpayer funds to international partnerships. Expanding bonding authority without meaningful limits promotes long-term indebtedness and invites bureaucratic overreach. Moreover, the bill weakens fiscal restraint by facilitating new borrowing mechanisms backed by state appropriations. From a limited-government standpoint, Texas should focus on internal infrastructure needs using transparent, locally accountable methods—without involving foreign entities or adding to public debt.