SB 2010 - Bans local guaranteed income programs

SB 2010 bans cities and counties in Texas from creating or running so-called “guaranteed income” programs that give people cash or similar benefits without any conditions. These types of programs operate like taxpayer-financed giveaways, distributing money to individuals regardless of need or work. By prohibiting local governments from using public funds on such efforts—even when federally permitted—the bill reinforces Texas’s constitutional protections against public money being gifted away. This ensures tax dollars go toward essential services, not experiments in welfare expansion. It also protects taxpayers from local governments committing to unsustainable entitlement programs that could increase long-term costs.