Government
Affairs Committee
Steve Ahlenius
Vice-Chair Govt. Affairs
McAllen
Eddie Brown
Sherman
John Darby
Hutto
Tony Felker
Frisco
Mary Frazior
Hurst-Euless-
Bedford
Jim Johnson
Lufkin
Jamee Jolly
Plano
Eddie McBride
Lubbock
Wayne Mitchell
Nacogdoches
Jason Mock
San Marcos
Tony Moline
Cedar Park
Mitch Thames
Bay City |
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WEEK 17 UPDATE
To use the commercial flight term the legislature is "preparing for landing". As you know sometime on approach there can be turbulence and crosswinds before you actually touch down. The remaining 20 days should be interesting.
A few key deadlines:
- May 8 - Last day for House Committees to report HBs/HJRs
- May 9 - Last House Daily Calendar with HBs and HJRs must be distributed by 10:00 pm.
- May 10 - Last House Local & Consent Calendar with HBs must be distributed by 9:00 a.m.
- May 11 - Last day for House to consider 2nd reading on HBs and HJRs on Daily Supplemental Calendar
- May 12 - Last day for House to consider consent HBs on 2nd and 3rd reading and all 3rd reading HBs and HJRs on Supplemental Calendar
Senate Bill 4. Governor Abbott signed a ban on "sanctuary cities" into law on Sunday (May 7, 2017). The law allows police to inquire about the immigration status of people lawfully detain. Abbott signed the bill without advance notice and streamed the signing on Facebook. MALDEF has promised to fight the bill in court.
In the SENATE:
On Monday, the Senate passed 27 bills including:
(SB 196) requiring schools that do not have a full-time nurse, school counselor or librarian to give written notice to each student's parents,
(SB 210) requiring state agencies to repeal an existing rule that imposes a cost before imposing a new rule that imposes a cost,
(SB 625) on a regulated person requiring the comptroller to establish the Special Purpose District Public Information Database, a searchable Internet database containing information regarding all active special purpose districts that are authorized to impose a tax, fee or assessment,
(SB 1001) eliminating motor vehicle safety inspections on vehicles weighing less than 7,500 pounds,
(SB 1367) authorizing the adoption and implementation of policies and training regarding the use of epinephrine auto-injectors by public institutions of higher education,
(SB 1854) requiring campus-level committees to review every six months the paperwork requirements imposed on classroom teachers and recommend to the board of trustees paperwork responsibilities that can be transferred to non-instructional staff.
On Tuesday, the Senate passed 17 bills including:
(SB 637) prohibiting state funding to regional mobility authorities unless the RMA allows state audits clarifying the fees collected,
(SB 1330) to fund operations of the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission,
(SB 1602) establish abortion complications reporting requirements for health care practitioners,
(SB 2066) clarifying provisions governing the attachment of a hospital lien on a cause of action or claim of an injured person who receives hospital services.
On Wednesday, the Senate also passed 30 bills including:
(SB 179) which would be "David's Law" prohibiting cyberbullying;
(SB 762) clarifying procedures for prosecuting offenses involving cruelty to animals
(SB 1021) re-enacting the Texas system of care framework to develop local,
mental health systems of care for minors
(SB 1289) by Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) requiring state agencies to use iron and steel produced in the United States in construction projects,
(SB 1404) require school districts to report the number and percentage of students enrolled at a campus in a voluntary after-school program and a voluntary summer program,
(SB 1437) requiring the Texas Department of Transportation to allow customers to use automatic payment of tolls through the customer's bank account,
(SB 1680) establishing the Task Force of Border Health Officials to advise the commissioner of health and human services on health conditions in the border region and
(SB 1812) prohibiting an appraisal district from using public money for directly or indirectly influencing the legislature regarding legislation.
On Thursday, the Senate passed 86 bills on the Local and Uncontested Calendar including: SCR 37 urging Congress to increase appropriations from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to properly maintain ship channels. And, they passed 19 bills from the Intent Calendar including (SB 496) the University of the Incarnate Word in state programs supporting graduate medical education programs,
(SB 1820) specifying procedures for a county clerk to follow when a duplicate mail-in ballot is requested,
(SB 1870) authorize counties to prohibit the possession of a glass container within the boundaries of state-owned riverbeds,
(SB 1893) increasing the number administrative judicial regions from nine to 11,
(SB 2144) establishing the Texas Commission on Public School Finance to develop and make recommendations for improvements to the current public school finance system or for new methods of financing public schools.
Total number of bills reported out of Senate Committees this week: 183
Total number of bills passed by the Senate this week: 179
Total passed on the Local and Uncontested calendar this week: 86
In the HOUSE:
This is partial listing of bills that passed the House.
On Monday, the House gave preliminary approval to 27 bills including:
(HB 12) making the Jail-Based Competency Pilot Program a permanent program authorizing a defendant deemed incompetent to stand trial for reason of mental illness or intellectual disability to be released on bail to receive outpatient treatment to regain competency for trial (HB 16) requiring institutions of higher education to have a policy prohibiting and reporting of campus sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking,
(HB 683) clarifying the conduct that constitutes the offense of false identification as a peace officer,
(HB 256) extending the sunset date for Texas State Board of Pharmacy;
(HB 3024) adding licensed chiropractors to the list of those able to make a determination of whether a student may have sustained a concussion during interscholastic athletic activities and
(HB 3329) prohibiting local governmental entities from collecting fees from licensed electricians who perform work in the entity's territory.
On Tuesday, the House passed the Third Reading bills and gave preliminary approval to 59 other bills including:
(HB 501) two ethics bills on the emergency calendar including requiring elected officials to disclose as part of their personal financial statement contracts for goods or services that they or their immediate family have with a governmental entity and
(HB 505) prohibiting a retired officeholder who is a registered lobbyist from making a political contribution using their campaign funds to another candidate, officeholder, or political committee,
(HB 727) bills expanding home telemonitoring services provided under Medicaid allowing a (HB 874) charitable raffle ticket to be awarded as a bingo prize
(HB 1414) extending the program allowing overseas military members to vote by email
(HCR 105) encouraging Congress to pass legislation allowing the State of Texas to manage the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery out to 200 nautical miles and
(SB 16) decreasing the fees for issuance of an original, duplicate, modified, or renewed license to carry a handgun to $40.
On Wednesday, the House passed the Third Reading bills and passed a proposed constitutional amendment from the emergency calendar that is a priority of Governor Greg Abbott - SJR 38 proposing a constitutional amendment rescinding each and every previous application made at any time by the Texas Legislature to the United States Congress to call a national convention of the states under Article V of the United States Constitution for proposing any amendment to that constitution.
They also gave preliminary approval to three additional ethics bills on the emergency calendar including:
(HB 2465) clarifying the acceptable circumstances in which a corporation or labor organization can make a political contribution to a political committee.
(HB 2470) allowing the Texas Ethics Commission to include the cost of food to people attending a seminar offered by the Ethics Commission and
(HB 2471) prohibiting an officer or employee of a political subdivision from spending or authorizing spending of public funds to make a political contribution or a political expenditure.
(HB 296) adding activities relating to the sale, marketing, packaging, or advertising of nitrous oxide for an illegal purpose a Deceptive Trade Practice Act offense.
(HB 1342) requiring age-appropriate child sexual abuse prevention training in public schools (HB 1345) deleting the requirement that the photograph on a driver's license be in color;
(HB 2639) adding Alzheimer's patients to the Silver Alert for Missing Senior Citizens;
(HB 3664) establishing the Texas Wine Foundation to market, promote, research and educate about Texas wine,
(HB 3921) requiring an employee of a financial institution to notify the institution if the employee suspects financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult who has an account with the institution, (HB 3976) restructuring health benefits for retired teachers,
(HJR 37) proposing a constitutional amendment allowing financial institutions to hold raffles and award prizes by lot to promote savings.
On Thursday, the House also passed the 78 Third Reading bills that were debated on Wednesday, and adopted constitutional amendment from the emergency calendar - SJR 2, applying to the Congress of the United States to call a Convention of the States under Article V of the U.S. Constitution to propose amendments to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government; limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government; and limit the terms of office of federal officials and members of Congress. SJR 2 was adopted by a vote of 94-51. SJR 2's implementation bill, SB 21, passed to Third Reading on Wednesday, and received final approval on Thursday by a vote of 119-20.
Governor Greg Abbott commented on the passage of SJR 2 saying, "Today marks an important step toward restraining a runaway federal government and returning power back to the states and their respective citizens as our Founders intended. The Texas Legislature has heard and responded to the voices of those they represent, and I applaud the efforts of the Texas House to pass this important resolution. A call for a Convention of States reinforces Texas' status as a champion of limited government and individual freedom, and I want to thank Reps. Rick Miller, Phil King, Drew Darby, Andy Murr, Chris Paddie, Larry Gonzales and Ken King for their work and commitment in passing this resolution."
And on Thursday, the House gave preliminary approval to 8 bills on Second Reading including: (HB 590) removing liability of first responders who provide roadside assistance, and
(HB 2463) requiring state agencies to develop written succession plans.
On Friday, the House passed the pending Third Reading bills and gave preliminary approval to 101 Second Reading bills including:
(HB 25) eliminating straight-party voting,
(HB 168) requiring the Department of Family and Protective Services to develop a voluntary program that recognizes before-school and after-school programs that promote healthy eating and physical activity,
(HB 785) requiring the Department of State Health Services to make embryo donation information available,
(HB 1217) requiring the Secretary of State to adopt standards for electronic notarization,
(HB 1290) requiring a state agency that adopts a new rule to repeal at least one old rule before the effective date of the new rule,
(HB 1988) requiring motor boat operators to have an engine cutoff switch when operating a motor boat,
(HB 2079) requiring the Texas Historical Commission to develop a Texas Music History Trail program to promote and preserve Texas Music History,
(HB 2508 and HB 3306) making changes to towing truck operator regulations,
(HB 3125/HJR 100) proposing a constitutional amendment expanding the professional sports teams eligible to hold a charitable raffle for the team's charitable foundation,
(HB 3305) making campaign donors to the governor (contributions of $2,500 or more) ineligible for a gubernatorial appointment); and
(SB 24) shielding pastors' sermons from government subpoena power.
On Saturday, the House passed 102 Third Reading bills and gave preliminary approval to 23 bills including:
(HB 238) adding persons convicted of prostitution to the DNA records database requirement,
(HB 478) providing liability protection to "Good Samaritans" who rescue domestic animals locked in a hot car,
(HB 2484) establishing a licensing requirement for animal export-import processing facilities,
making NASCAR events eligible for the Major Events Reimbursement Program),
(HB 3294) proposing a constitutional amendment establishing a lower amount for expenses that can be charged to a borrower; and
(SJR 60) removing financing expense limitations for a home equity loan.
Total number of bills reported out of House Committees this week: 378
Total number of bills passed by the House this week: 598
Total passed on the Local and Consent calendar this week: 140 |
