Penny is a native Houstonian, attended Houston public schools, and has lived in northwest Houston for the past ten years, where she raised four successful children as a single mother while managing her multi-state law practice.

Penny Morales Shaw Biography

Penny Morales Shaw is a native Houstonian. She attended Houston public schools. She raised four children as a single mother.

Rep. Morales Shaw, Penny - Texas House of Representatives

Penny Morales Shaw is a native Houstonian. She attended Houston public schools. She has four children and lives in Northwest Houston.

Penny is a native Texan and attended Houston public schools. She is a mother, daughter of an Air Force veteran, and has practiced law for two decades. As an attorney, Penny worked for a civil rights law firm and later opened her own practice, where she dedicated a branch of her practice to working with the federal government to pass humanitarian laws such as the International Violence Against Women Act.

Meet Penny

Penny Morales Shaw worked for a civil rights law firm and later opened her own multistate law practice.

State Representative Penny Morales Shaw is an attorney in Houston, where she represents constituents in House District 148. Penny is currently serving her 3rd term at the Texas House of Representatives.

Penny currently serves as a state representative for Texas House District 148 and is serving her third term.

2026 Texas General Election

HB 3059

Author:

Morales Shaw

Last Action:

03/20/2025 H Referred to s/c on Workforce by Speaker: Mar 20 2025 11:50AM

Caption:

Relating to the establishment of a paid parental leave program administered by the Texas Workforce Commission; imposing an employer contribution.

Bills Authored / Joint Authored

HB 4226

Author:

Morales Shaw | Raymond | Lujan | Little | Ordaz

Sponsor:

Campbell

Last Action:

06/20/2025 E Effective on 9/1/25

Caption:

Relating to exemptions from the taxes imposed on the sale, use, or rental of a motor vehicle for a vehicle purchased, used, or rented by a nonprofit food bank or a provider of housing and related services.

Sponsored HB 3059 to establish a Texas Workforce Commission-administered paid parental leave program funded partly by employer contributions.

Sponsored HB 4226, exempting nonprofit food banks and housing-service providers from certain motor-vehicle taxes.

- Sponsored HB 3059 to establish a Texas Workforce Commission-administered paid parental leave program funded partly by employer contributions.
- Sponsored HB 4226, exempting nonprofit food banks and housing-service providers from certain motor-vehicle taxes.

Economy

HB 1150

Author:

Morales Shaw

Last Action:

03/07/2025 H Referred to Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs: Mar 7 2025 2:33PM

Caption:

Relating to prohibiting the transfer of certain semiautomatic rifles to certain recipients; creating a criminal offense; increasing a criminal penalty.

HB 5240

Author:

Morales Shaw

Last Action:

04/07/2025 H Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence: Apr 7 2025 5:28PM

Caption:

Relating to the creation of a pretrial intervention and diversion program for certain nonviolent offenses; authorizing a fee.

Sponsored HB 1150 to prohibit transferring certain semiautomatic rifles to certain recipients and increase related criminal penalties.

Sponsored HB 5240 to create a pretrial intervention and diversion program for certain nonviolent offenses.

- Sponsored HB 1150 to prohibit transferring certain semiautomatic rifles to certain recipients and increase related criminal penalties.
- Sponsored HB 5240 to create a pretrial intervention and diversion program for certain nonviolent offenses.

Public Safety

3. How would you address the challenge of rising healthcare costs facing Texas educators and ensure that active and retired educators have access to affordable healthcare?
To start, according to studies, when Texas accepts Medicaid expansion, the State will see an infusion of much-needed federal funding. This, in turn, will bring down healthcare costs for everyone by bringing down billions in annual unpaid healthcare costs.
Until that happens, educators need healthcare that is affordable.

Penny Morales Shaw | TTV

Until that happens, educators need healthcare that is affordable. Our current healthcare model, while working for some, continues to fail to meet the needs of all.
We must work to improve the current healthcare model so that working families have coverage that is not only affordable, but that covers medicine, preventative care, and pre-existing conditions. No one should have to experience rapid, unexpected, and excessive jumps in healthcare costs, especially not someone that is on a fixed income.

HB 1146

Author:

Morales Shaw

Last Action:

03/07/2025 H Referred to s/c on Dis Prev & Women's & Children's Health by Speaker: Mar 7 2025 2:33PM

Caption:

Relating to the medical use of low-THC cannabis by patients with certain medical conditions.

HB 1578

Author:

Morales Shaw

Last Action:

03/12/2025 H Referred to Public Health: Mar 12 2025 11:15AM

Caption:

Relating to exceptions to and the repeal of certain laws prohibiting abortion.

Supports expanding Medicaid in Texas to bring additional federal healthcare funding to the state.

Advocates affordable health coverage for working families that includes medication, preventive care, and coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.

Sponsored House Bill (HB) 1146, allowing cannabis with low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol for patients with certain medical conditions.

Sponsored HB 1578 to repeal certain abortion prohibitions and create exceptions to others.

- Supports expanding Medicaid in Texas to bring additional federal healthcare funding to the state.
- Advocates affordable health coverage for working families that includes medication, preventive care, and coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.
- Sponsored House Bill (HB) 1146, allowing cannabis with low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol for patients with certain medical conditions.
- Sponsored HB 1578 to repeal certain abortion prohibitions and create exceptions to others.

Healthcare

1. If elected, what will be your top priorities for public education?
My top priorities for public education include, sourcing and allocating sustainable funding; establishing access to the resources and tools needed for online public school learning for all children and teachers in light of COVID-19; reviewing recapture for improvements to funding high-need public schools; prioritizing tax dollars to fund community public schools; and ensuring that there be stricter adherence to regulations and oversight for charters.
I am a strong believer in the benefits of traditional public education for every child, regardless of their background or circumstances.

2. What are your recommendations for funding public education, including securing the necessary revenue to sustain the improvements made by House Bill 3 in 2019? Do you believe additional funding is needed?
House Bill 3 was a stopgap measure. Sustained adequate public school funding will be a priority issue in this session, along with other major items like redistricting and CoronaVirus recovery.

Our school population continues to grow, while federal funding continues to decrease- making challenges greater. This year we face the 5th year of this Administration's federal education funding cut proposals (proposed cut is over 5 billion).
Rethinking the recapture model so that more money stays locally in districts where it is needed the most, reevaluating changing needs, and reprioritizing public schools over privatization, are some common-sense approaches to secure funding. Identifying new revenue streams could also be a possible source of additional available funds.

4. Do you believe the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) should be maintained as a traditional defined benefit pension plan for all future, current, and retired educators, or do you support converting TRS to a defined contribution plan that is more like a 401(k) plan, in which future benefits are not guaranteed?
I am in favor of maintaining and strengthening the Teachers Retirement System as a traditional defined benefit pension plan in a sustainable way. As education needs and models evolve, we must make sustainable choices that make fiscal sense.

5. What do you feel is the proper role of standardized testing in Texas's public education system? For instance, should student test scores be used for school accountability purposes, for evaluating teachers, for measuring student progress, etc.?
I agree with educators that testing, while useful when reasonably applied and balanced with student needs, has become overly burdensome, costly, and counter-productive in its application. Relying heavily or solely on test scores to measure teachers, students and schools isn't working. Testing tied to teacher evaluations inevitably begets a system where teachers are forced to teach to the test, instead of teaching to the needs of their students.

6. To what extent should student performance determine teacher pay?
Determining teacher pay should certainly take student performance into consideration while equally considering the many other key factors that play into a student's performance. These could include the availability of public education student support services; a student's unique needs, challenges, and abilities; and the kind and amount of education resources available.
While teachers play an important role in student performance, there are other important factors that also affect the way our students perform. For that reason, I am opposed to allowing student performance to solely determine teacher pay.

7. Would you vote to create any type of voucher, tax credit, scholarship, education savings account, or other program aimed at paying for students, including any subpopulation of students, to attend non-public K-12 schools, such as private or home schools?
At a time when our public school system needs more funding and resources, not less, I would reject measures for more vouchers, tax credits, scholarship, or other program aimed at paying for students to attend non-public K-12 schools, unless such measures are warranted and prove beneficial to public education.
Given that the majority of families and children rely heavily on their community public schools as a basic life cornerstone, I believe that the Texas legislature should continue to strive to serve those families and children, (and in turn, society), by strengthening and supporting our public school system.

9. What role, if any, should charter schools have in the public education system, and do you feel the number of charter schools operating in Texas should be reduced or expanded?
Charter schools should have a minimal role in Texas public education. I do not support charter expansion at the expense of funding children who attend community public schools. Charters may serve a needed purpose in communities that cannot otherwise be served by a traditional public school -for example, extreme rural communities.

Prioritizes sustainable funding for public schools, including online-learning resources and greater oversight of charter schools.

Advocates changing the system that redirects some school funding so more funding remains in districts with the greatest need.

Supports maintaining and strengthening the Teacher Retirement System as a pension plan with a set benefit.

Opposes relying heavily or solely on standardized test scores to evaluate teachers, students, and schools.

Opposes allowing student performance alone to determine teacher pay.

Opposes most measures that provide funding for attendance at non-public K-12 schools, including vouchers and education tax credits.

Opposes expanding charter schools at the expense of funding community public schools.

- Prioritizes sustainable funding for public schools, including online-learning resources and greater oversight of charter schools.
- Advocates changing the system that redirects some school funding so more funding remains in districts with the greatest need.
- Supports maintaining and strengthening the Teacher Retirement System as a pension plan with a set benefit.
- Opposes relying heavily or solely on standardized test scores to evaluate teachers, students, and schools.
- Opposes allowing student performance alone to determine teacher pay.
- Opposes most measures that provide funding for attendance at non-public K-12 schools, including vouchers and education tax credits.
- Opposes expanding charter schools at the expense of funding community public schools.

Education

HB 1145

Author:

Morales Shaw

Last Action:

03/07/2025 H Referred to Energy Resources: Mar 7 2025 2:33PM

Caption:

Relating to a study regarding the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals in hydraulic fracturing.

HB 3728

Author:

Morales Shaw

Last Action:

04/23/2025 H Left pending in committee

Caption:

Relating to the adoption by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality of salinity requirements for bays and estuaries.

HB 4572

Author:

Morales Shaw

Last Action:

04/14/2025 H Left pending in committee

Caption:

Relating to the regulation by the Railroad Commission of Texas of certain pits used for the storage and disposal of oil and gas waste.

Sponsored HB 1145 to study the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals in hydraulic fracturing.

Sponsored HB 3728 to require Texas Commission on Environmental Quality salinity requirements for bays and estuaries.

Sponsored HB 3728 to require the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to establish salt-level requirements for bays and estuaries.

- Sponsored HB 1145 to study the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals in hydraulic fracturing.
- Sponsored HB 3728 to require Texas Commission on Environmental Quality salinity requirements for bays and estuaries.
- Sponsored HB 3728 to require the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to establish salt-level requirements for bays and estuaries.

Energy & the Environment

HB 1321

Author:

Morales Shaw

Last Action:

03/10/2025 H Referred to Elections: Mar 10 2025 2:24PM

Caption:

Relating to electronic voter registration.

HB 5239

Author:

Morales Shaw

Last Action:

04/07/2025 H Referred to Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs: Apr 7 2025 5:28PM

Caption:

Relating to requiring certain governmental entities to allow interested persons to comment on the proposed adoption or revision of certain emergency management plans.

Sponsored HB 1321 to establish electronic voter registration.

Sponsored HB 5239 to require public comment opportunities on certain proposed emergency-management plans.

- Sponsored HB 1321 to establish electronic voter registration.
- Sponsored HB 5239 to require public comment opportunities on certain proposed emergency-management plans.

Voting & Elections

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Penny Morales Shaw

- Sponsored House Bill (HB) 1146, allowing cannabis with low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol for patients with certain medical conditions.
- Sponsored HB 1578 to repeal certain abortion prohibitions and create exceptions to others.

Penny Morales Shaw is from Houston, Texas. She attended Houston public schools. She is a mother and has lived in northwest Houston for the past ten years.

Penny is an attorney in Houston. She previously served as a deputy chief for Harris County Commissioner Precinct 2, where she oversaw policy and legislative affairs. Before taking public office, she worked as a teacher and an advocate for public education. 

Texas Rep. Penny Morales Shaw - Texas Tribune Directory

Penny is currently a member of the Texas House of Representatives representing District 148. She was first elected in 2020 and is currently serving her third term.

As of July 22, 2026, Penny Morales Shaw’s website did not contain information on this issue.

As a state representative, focused on improving college graduation rates.

Is a founding member of the Climate and Energy Caucus.

Buket Urgen

Alejandra Gracias

Amanda Labrie

- Your state representative represents the interests of your local district in the Texas House of Representatives. The State House of Representatives, along with the State Senate, makes up your state lawmaking body: the Texas State Legislature
- Your state representative can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws. 
- There are 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives, each representing a single district. Representatives must be at least 21 years old and reside in the state for at least two years before their election. 
- State representatives are elected to two-year terms during even-numbered years. There are no term limits. 
- State representatives make $7,200 annually in addition to a $221 payment per day during legislative sessions and mileage reimbursements.

Your representative and state lawmaker in the Texas House of Representatives.