Austin, Texas – Texas cities may have to pay up if they try to cut their own police budgets, the Texas House agreed in a 91-55 vote.

House Bill 1900, proposed by three Republicans and one Democrat, passed a preliminary vote in the House on Thursday. A final House vote must take place before the bill goes to the Senate.

The House's decision comes amidst increased public pressure for law enforcement reform, including calls to reduce police budgets and reinvest the money in social services, the Texas Tribune reported. The demands were spurred by the high-profile deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Mike Ramos in Austin at the hands of local police officers.

But HB 1900 seeks to thwart those efforts. Under its provisions, a city of more than 250,000 trying to reduce its police budget could have the difference taken out of its sales tax revenue and given to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The bill would also prohibit those same cities from raising their property taxes and utility rates to make up for any funds taken away.

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There would be some exceptions to the rules. For instance, cities can get approval to reduce police budgets if the decreases are proportional to overall city budget decreases, or in the case of disaster or other emergency expenditures. In such cases, neighborhoods annexed in the last three decades may vote to separate from cities that reduce police funding.

Similarly, Senate Bill 23 seeks to protect police funding by making cities and counties hold elections before reducing the budgets.

Proponents of the measures cited rising homicide rates as justification, but critics have pointed out that crime rates are rising all across the country, even in cities that increased their police budgets.

HB 1900's passage would be a big victory for police unions but would come as a heavy blow to those who want to see law enforcement funds redirected. Even many of those calling for more moderate reforms are dismayed that HB 1900 is pushing its way through the House, all while the Texas George Floyd Act has stalled.

If sent to Greg Abbott's desk, the bill is likely to receive his signature, as the Republican governor made the legislation one of his emergency priority items in 2020.