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GOVERNOR DECIDES FINAL OUTCOME OF LEGISLATIVE BILLS
On June 14th, the office of the Governor unveiled the final outcome of the bills which had managed to pass out of both the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate during the Regular Session of the 83rd Texas Legislature. During the twenty days following the end of a regular session, the Governor of Texas has the ability to sign bills in to law, pass them in to law without a signature or to veto them. It is during these twenty days that members of the Texas House and Texas Senate find out if the bills they worked on during the session will become law or not.
The 83rd Texas Legislature succeeded in sending a little over fourteen hundred bills to the Governor. Of the fourteen hundred bills, several bills were vetoed by the Governor. Some of the bills that were vetoed include:
• HB 217 which is related to the types of beverages that may be sold to students on public school campuses.
• HB 950 pertained to unlawful employment practices regarding discrimination in payment of compensation.
• HB 1511 which addressed the rates of sales and use taxes imposed by municipalities; authorizing an increase or decrease in the rate of those taxe
• HB 1790 relating to certain procedures for defendants who successfully complete a period of state jail felony community supervision.
• HB 1882 addresses the enterprise zone program.
• HB 2836 pertaining to the essential knowledge and skills of the required public school curriculum and to certain state-adopted or state-developed assessment instruments for public school students.
• HB 3509 is related to endangered species habitat conservation and to the creation of a board to oversee and guide the state’s coordinated response to federal actions regarding endangered species.
• SB 15 pertained to the governance of public institutions of higher education in this state.
• SB 17 which is related to the training in school safety of certain educators of a school district or an open-enrollment charter school authorized to carry a concealed handgun on school premises.
• SB 219 is relating to ethics of public servants, including the functions and duties of the Texas Ethics Commission; the regulation of political contributions, political advertising, lobbying, and conduct of public servants; and the reporting of political contributions and expenditures and personal financial information; providing civil and criminal penalties.
• SB 227 addressed the dispensing of aesthetic pharmaceuticals by physicians and therapeutic optometrists; imposing fees.
• SB 1234 pertained to the prevention of truancy and the offense of failure to attend school.
• SB 1606 which is related to ad valorem tax liens on personal property.
While certain bills were vetoed and thereby failed to make it through the final step of the legislative process, fourteen bills passed into law without the signature of the Governor. A sample of the bills passed in to law without the Governor’s signature includes:
• HB 1600 addresses the continuation and functions of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, to the transfer of certain functions from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, to the rates for water service, and to the functions of the Office of Public Utility Counsel; authorizing a fee.
• SB 567 which pertained to rates for water service, to the transfer of functions relating to the economic regulation of water and sewer service from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and to the duties of the Office of Public Utility Counsel regarding the economic regulation of water and sewer service.
I invite you to examine the complete list outlining the bills signed, passed in to law without signature or vetoed by going to Office of the Governor Rick Perry – News.
If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
- State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part). He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
83RD REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION COMES TO AN END, BUT BILLS STILL AWAIT GOVERNOR ACTION
On May 27th the 83rd Legislative Session official came to an end. The last day of legislative session is commonly referred to as “Sine Die” a phrase which means without any future date being designated does not represent the final point for the bills to become law. During the twenty days following the end of a regular session, the Governor of Texas has the ability to sign bills in to law, pass them in to law without a signature or to veto them. It is during these twenty days that members of the Texas House and Texas Senate find out if the bills they worked on during the session will become law or not. This year the deadline for the Governor to act falls on June 16th.
As a recap of the 83rd session, here are several bills which were passed this session and to date have been signed by the Governor:
• House Bill (HB) 4 is relating to the administration of the Texas Water Development Board and the funding of water projects by the board and other entities; authorizing the issuance of revenue bonds.
• HB 97 is related to the exemption from ad valorem taxation of part of the appraised value of the residence homestead of a partially disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a partially disabled veteran if the residence homestead was donated to the disabled veteran by a charitable organization.
• HB 1227 addresses the use of an Internet application to allow access by court-appointed volunteer advocates to child protective services case information.
• HB 1600 relates to the continuation and functions of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, to the transfer of certain functions from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, to the rates for water service, and to the functions of the Office of Public Utility Counsel; authorizing a fee.
• HB 1685 is relating to the continuation of the self-directed and semi-independent status of the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy, the Texas Board of Professional Engineers, and the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners.
• Senate Bill (SB) 92 deals with the designation of a juvenile court and a program for certain juveniles who may be the victims of human trafficking.
• SB 163 is relating to an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a member of the armed services of the United States who is killed in action.
• SB 365 is related to the expedited credentialing for certain podiatrists and therapeutic optometrists providing services under a managed care plan.
• SB 466 is the authority of the Texas Department of Transportation to participate in certain federal transportation programs.
• SB 567 deals with rates for water service, to the transfer of functions relating to the economic regulation of water and sewer service from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, and to the duties of the Office of Public Utility Counsel regarding the economic regulation of water and sewer service.
I invite you to follow the governor’s action by going to Office of the Governor Rick Perry or see the bills that are before him awaiting a signature by going to Texas Legislature Online.
If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
-State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part) County. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS – PUT YOUR PLAN IN PLACE
We are now in hurricane season and it is important to get your plan in place. Being prepared for hurricane season can help keep your family safe. The 2013 hurricane season officially began on June 1 and will end on November 30, 2013. It is during this time that most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic Basin pose a threat to the United States.
Nueces is included among the 14 Tier One counties along the Texas coast. This means that these counties are most likely to be affected if a hurricane makes landfall. It is important that our area, as well as all Texans, prepare for hurricanes by staying informed, creating a disaster plan and following necessary steps to keep their families safe.
When hurricanes make landfall or get close to land, they can affect the lives of thousands of Texans along the coast and across the State of Texas. There are various tips on being prepared in case of a hurricane. Some of the tips include the preparation of a family disaster plan. A family disaster plan includes planning for hazards that could affect your family as well as home. Vulnerability to storm surge, flooding and wind should be reviewed. You should locate safe rooms or places in your house to store items if a hurricane hazard develops. It is important that families determine evacuation and escape routes from your home and places to meet in case of an emergency. Also, have an out-of-state friend as a family contact so that all family members have a place of contact. Don’t forget to plan for taking care of your pets in case of evacuation.
In addition, families need to create a disaster supply kit. A disaster supply kit includes gathering blankets, pillows, seasonal clothing and special items for infants and the elderly. Please have flashlights, batteries, telephones, radios and sufficient tools in case of an emergency. It is important to have a good first aid kit with medicines and prescription drugs ready and organized.
Living along the coastline also means preparing for hurricanes by retrofitting your house. It is important to strengthen the outside of your home so wind and objects do not tear openings in your roof or walls. Some people may want to find out about flood insurance. The National Flood Insurance is a pre-disaster flood program designed to reduce flood disasters. The National Flood Insurance program can be called at 1-888-CALL-FLOOD, Extension 445. View on line at The National Flood Insurance Program.
In addition to getting your family, pets and homes safe and prepared, there are various state websites for hurricane preparedness and evacuation, including telephone numbers. Some important contacts include Statewide Road Conditions which can be called at 1-800-452-9292 and going to Texas Online – The Official Portal of Texas.
You can also go to my website which will provide you links, websites to various sources for hurricane preparedness, planning for an evacuation, tips on hurricane preparedness as well as state and federal government resources. Also, if you are elderly or disabled and need hurricane evacuation assistance, you can call 2-1-1. This service will assist you in hurricane evacuation.
Overall, being prepared for a hurricane and living in a coastal region is very important. Please again feel free to check out the campaign website Elect Todd Hunter.com, as well as the information that we’ve provided in this article. Hopefully, this will be a quiet season and a safe one.
As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
- State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces County (Part). I can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
Champions Of First Amendment Deliver For Texas
Texas Press Association | by Donnis Baggett
When the dust settles from another hard-fought legislative session, the people of Texas will have a clearer picture of current events in the Lone Star State, thanks to the hard work and determination of two Texas statesmen — one Republican, one Democrat.
Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, and Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, scored major transparency victories in the 83rd Legislature. Three of those victories will be particularly helpful in strengthening and clarifying the public’s right to complete and accurate information.
One crucial bill that Ellis and Hunter shepherded through the legislative dust storm strengthens a crucial First Amendment law they passed two years ago.
That law took aim at legal actions known as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) — suits filed against whistleblowers by individuals or entities who have plenty of money to pay lawyers.
SLAPP suits are designed to intimidate and stifle those who dare to exercise their First Amendment rights. Thanks to the 2011 law, however, it was finally possible for a David Q. Citizen with meager resources to defend himself against a SLAPP suit filed by a deep-pocketed Goliath.
Unfortunately, an appeals court ruled that the 2011 law did not include certain appeal rights for David. If a judge ruled against David’s motion to dismiss Goliath’s suit early in the process, David could very quickly find himself bankrupted by the expensive discovery process following that denial.
The legal tweak pushed through the 2013 session by Hunter and Ellis makes it crystal clear that David does, indeed, have a right to appeal, thereby stopping the discovery process until the motion is heard on appeal. It is a major victory for those who believe the quality of justice shouldn’t be determined by the depth of one’s pocketbook.
Another measure championed by Ellis and Hunter makes it clear that a government official’s use of his private electronic device for messages regarding public business does not allow him to hide those messages from public scrutiny.
In recent years, a number of local officials across Texas have maintained that their government-related messages are no business of the public so long as the official uses his private device to send or receive them. Texas attorneys general have consistently ruled against that strained and arrogant line of reasoning, but officials continue to try to evade Texas’ open records laws anyway.
Once signed by the governor, the law will establish in black and white that citizens do indeed have the right to access these electronic messages about the public’s business. There should be no doubt going forward that if a public official is discussing public business in cyberspace, those messages are, yes, public — regardless of whether they’re transmitted on the official’s government computer or his personal e-tablet.
The third bill enhances public discourse by establishing clear and fair rules for prompt corrections by publishers. Until now, there was no established legal framework for a citizen to request a correction, nor were there guidelines for publishers to follow in addressing that request. The new law establishes clear processes and deadlines, which will result in the record being corrected quickly and fully when a mistake is made.
None of these important legal advances would have happened without the hard work and legislative prowess of Hunter and Ellis. For decades the two veteran lawmakers have fought hard — often against daunting opposition — to expand and protect citizens’ access to government information and journalists’ right to cover the complex issues that affect our daily lives.
The 83rd Legislative Session of the Texas Legislature saw these two veteran legislators from different parties — men who do not consider the First Amendment a partisan issue — at the top of their game. And because they were at the top of their game, the citizens of Texas can see more clearly now.
Donnis Baggett is executive vice president of the Texas Press Association. His email address is dbaggett@texaspress.com.
Published The Vindicator
83RD REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION COMES TO AN END AND A SPECIAL SESSION BEGINS
May 27th marked the official end to the 83rd Legislative Session. The last day of legislative session is commonly referred to as “Sine Die”. This phrase means without any future date being designated. This day for legislative members and their staff marks the end to 140 days of the Texas legislative process. The Texas Constitution requires that the Texas Legislature meet in every odd numbered year for a 140 days which begins on the second Tuesday of January of that odd numbered year.
Throughout the 140 days, the Texas Legislature embarks on tackling those issues which may have affected the state during the previous two years, and to envision and address those issues which may be around the corner leading up to the next regular legislative session. Some of the bills that have made their way through the process and passed out of both the House and the Senate still have not made it across the final finish line. Following Sine Die, the Texas Governor has twenty days to sign a bill, veto a bill or to pass the bill into law without a signature. This year the deadline falls on June 16th.
As a recap of the 83rd session, here are several bills which were passed this session and that to date have been signed by the Governor:
• House Bill (HB) 200 is relating to liability of certain electric utilities that allow certain uses of land that the electric utility owns, occupies, or leases.
• HB 1550 is related to unemployment compensation chargebacks regarding certain persons who are involuntarily separated from employment.
• HB 2472 addresses the continuation and functions of the Department of Information Resources and certain procurement functions of the comptroller of public accounts.
• Senate Bill (SB) 60 deals with authorizing the placement of a security freeze on the consumer file or other record created or maintained by a consumer reporting agency regarding a person under 16 years of age.
• SB 162 is relating to the occupational licensing of spouses of members of the military and the eligibility requirements for certain occupational licenses issued to applicants with military experience.
• SB 202 is related to the continuation and functions of the Texas Commission on the Arts.
• SB 307 is addresses the transfer of adult education and literacy programs from the Texas Education Agency to the Texas Workforce Commission.
• SB 398 deals with conforming the eligibility under a major events trust fund of a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision postseason event with the changes to the Bowl Championship Series system.
As we move in to June, the Governor will continue to sign more and more of the bills that made it out of the Texas House and Texas Senate during the 83rd Regular Legislative Session in to law. I invite you to follow the governor’s action by going to Office of the Governor-Rick Perry or see the bills that are before him awaiting a signature by going to Texas Legislature Online.
At the end of May the Texas Legislature was called into special session for redistricting.
If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
- State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part) County. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
WATER : A MAJOR ISSUE THAT IS BEING LOOKED AT DURING THE 83RD LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Over the past one hundred and thirty-three legislative days, the Texas Legislature has looked at a number of very important issues facing the State of Texas. Many of these issues continue to be discussed as the 83rd Texas Legislature moves closer to its official “Sine Die” on May 27th.
In 2010 the United States Census calculated Texas’ population to be at approximately twenty five million. This was an increase of nearly four and a half million people since the census was done in 2000. It is clear that Texas is very fortunate to be in a position in which people from all over the country are wanting to move in to the state due to the job opportunities and others benefits that our wonderful state can provide for them. This increase in population while speaking well of Texas and the opportunities our state can offer also creates an increased burden on a vital resource in the state, water. Water became even more of an issue for the State of Texas in 2011, when the state experienced one of the worst one-year droughts on record. These factors have made water unarguably one of the most important and difficult issues which have been discussed this session.
It is important to remember that not only is the population of Texas directly impacted by the need for water, but the accessibility of water is also extremely important to industries located throughout the State of Texas. During the legislative session, a number of ideas were proposed and examined as possible directions the state could review in order to solve the state’s water needs. One of the ideas reviewed this session was the creation of the state water implementation fund for Texas and the state water implementation revenue fund for Texas. These funds would be used to assist the Texas Water Development Board in providing low-cost financial assistance to local and regional providers for projects identified in the 2012 State Water Plan. Some of those suggested ideas include:
• Water conservation – Water conservation can be achieved through the alteration of everyday activities. These include the use of low flow toilets and low flow shower heads. Other degrees of conservation can be done through water used by municipalities or businesses.
• Surface water strategies – Strategies relating to surface waters include the diversion of streams, the creation of new reservoirs.
• Water reuse strategies – Water reuse often relates to water used for landscapes, parks, and other irrigation needs in many Texas communities.
• Groundwater strategies – These strategies include the use of desalination to address brackish groundwater.
Other strategies include:
• Drought management – This is a temporary demand reduction technique based on groundwater or surface water supply levels of a particular utility.
• Desalination – This is the process of removing salt from seawater or brackish water. This is a process which could be implemented anywhere along the Texas coast when utilizing seawater.
• Brush control – This is relating to the management of brush which consume large amounts of water.
If you would like to learn more about the ideas that have been discussed to resolve the state’s water needs, these websites can serve as a great resource:
• Texas Legislature Online
• The Texas House of Representatives
• The Texas Senate
If you have questions or comments regarding water related issues or any of the other legislation being consider by the Texas Legislature, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
- State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part) County. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
UPDATE ON LEGISLATIVE STUDY BILLS: DESALINATION, FIREARM AND AMMUNITION INDUSTRY, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, AND WORKFORCE
There are just two weeks left in the 83rd Legislative Session, as bills try to make it across the finish line before the official May 27th deadline. This deadline looms as House Bills work their way through the Senate and Senate Bills work their way through the House. Over the past week or two I have passed several House Concurrent Resolutions and sent them to the Senate. These are House Concurrent Resolution 57, House Concurrent Resolution 59, House Concurrent Resolution 82 and House Concurrent Resolution 89.
House Concurrent Resolution 57 requests the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives to create a joint interim committee to study human trafficking in Texas. This resolution will provide the Texas Legislature with the ability to continue to look in to the practice of Human Trafficking in the State of Texas, as well as what we as a state can do to stop and prevent this practice.
House Concurrent Resolution 59 requests that the Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives create a joint interim committee to study seawater desalination in the State of Texas. As many of you know, water is a huge issue in the State of Texas right now, which has been exacerbated by the record droughts we have experienced over the last several years. This resolution will provide the Texas Legislature with the necessary means to continue to look at and review desalination as a possible solution to this ever pressing issue in the State of Texas.
House Concurrent Resolution 82 request that the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives create a joint interim committee to study education policy as it relates to developing a skilled workforce. As Texas’ economy continues to grow and diversify, the need for an evolving workforce also continues to increase. Recently, Texas and specifically South Texas have seen a spur in economic growth in connection to the Eagle Ford Shale discovery. This however has also highlighted the states need to continue to improve the diversification of our state’s workforce in order to meet workforce needs in the 21st century. This resolution will provide the Texas Legislature with the means to look at what the state can do or may need to do in order to meet these needs.
House Concurrent Resolution 89 request that the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives create a joint interim committee to study recruiting firearms and ammunition manufacturers to Texas. Many states around the country have begun to pass legislation which is not favorable to the manufacturing of firearms or ammunition, which has resulted in the elimination of good paying manufacturing jobs. This resolution will provide the state of Texas with the means to show that our state is a business friendly state and would be happy to have these manufacturing jobs available in Texas for Texans.
The filed bills for the 83rd (R) legislative session are available for the public to view at Texas Legislature Online.
If you have questions or comments regarding any of these bills or any of the other legislation being consider by the Texas Legislature, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part) County. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
THE END OF 83RD REGULAR SESSION DRAWS NEAR: DEADLINES TO WATCH
The start of May marks the final month of the 83rd Regular Legislative session. Every odd-numbered year the Texas Legislature meets for 140 days to hear and potentially pass any necessary legislation. This year, the 83rd Legislative Session began on January 8th, which puts the final day of session this year on May 27th. For those involved in the legislature, the final day of session is commonly referred to as “Sine Die”, which is a Latin phrase meaning “without day” or without any future date being designated.
Entering the final thirty days of the legislative session means that a number of deadlines will soon come to pass for the legislative members and their staff. The first such deadline is Monday the 6th of May which represents the 119th day of session. This day marks the last day for House committees to report out any House Bills that the committee heard throughout the session. The following day, on May 7th the last House Daily Calendar with House Bills and House Joint Resolutions, must be distributed for a 36 hour layout by 10 p.m. that evening. The 36 hour layout is necessary because May 9th marks the last day that the House can consider all House Bills or House Joint Resolutions on 2nd reading which were placed on the Supplemental or House Daily Calendar.
On May 10th, the House will consider House Bills that were placed on the Consent Calendar by the Local and Consent Committee. The bills that are placed on the Consent Calendar will go before the House on their 2nd and 3rd reading for the last time during the 83rd session. Bills that are sent to the Consent Calendar are those in which no opposition is anticipated and which received no nay votes in order to get out of the committee.
As these deadlines go by for House Bills, the House members will then begin to turn their focus to Senate Bills. May 18th represents the 131st day of the session and it is the last day for committees to report out any of the Senate Bills or Senate Joint Resolutions. With just seven days left, the House will consider on 2nd reading the Senate Bills and the Senate Joint Resolutions which were placed on the Supplemental or House Daily Calendar.
On the 137th day of session, or May 24th of this year, the House will have to concur or go to conference on any Senate amendments. May 26th will then be the last day for the House to adopt Conference Committee Reports. If the House and Senate do not adopt the report, then the measure will fail and the bill dies. The following day or the 140th day of session, the House and Senate are limited to only making corrections to legislation. Upon the final adjournment on May 27th, the House and Senate will officially end the 83rd Regular Session.
If you would like to follow any of the bills as these deadlines approach, these websites serve as a great resource:
• Texas Legislature Online
• The Texas House of Representatives
• The Texas Senate
If you have questions or comments regarding any of the agencies up for sunset, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
– State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part). He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
AN UPDATE ON THE CRUISE INDUSTRY STUDY BILL AND OTHER BILLS TO WATCH
Over the past several months or so of articles, I have been outlining bills which have been filed during the 83rd Texas Legislative Session. Members and their staff have been working on drafting and filing bills in the House and the Senate for the past several months leading up to the March 8th deadline. March 8th represented the 60th day of the Legislative Session and the final day to file bills in both the Texas House and the Texas Senate.
On April 18, 2013 the Texas House of Representatives passed House Concurrent Resolution 56, which calls on the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to provide for a joint interim legislative study regarding the development and potential economic impact of a cruise industry on the Texas coast between Calhoun and Cameron Counties. HCR 56 will now need to go through the Senate. We will keep you posted as HCR 56 continues to move through the process.
As of March 8th, 5,944 bills, joint resolutions, and concurrent resolutions have been filed with the Chief Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate’s respective offices. Below is a selection of those House bills which have been filed to-date:
• HB 2197 is relating to the continuation and functions of the Texas Lottery Commission; providing penalties; imposing and changing fees.
• HB 2204 addresses the authority of the Texas Transportation Commission to establish variable speed limits.
• HB 2206 is relating to the authority of a county to adopt a fire code.
• HB 2230 is concerning the orders of nondisclosure issued for records of certain fine-only misdemeanors; authorizing a fee.
• HB 2234 relates to authorizing home-taught driver education course providers to administer certain examinations required to obtain a driver’s license.
• HB 2244 addresses requiring municipalities to reimburse the Texas Department of Transportation for compensation paid for certain signs required to be relocated due to road construction.
• HB 2252 is relating to the eligibility of charitable organizations to participate in a state employee charitable campaign.
Below is a selection of the Senate bills which have been filed to-date:
• SB 1237 is relating to referral of disputes for alternative dispute resolution, including victim-directed referrals; authorizing a fee.
• SB 1243 relates to the issuance of interest-bearing time warrants and certain notes by school districts.
• SB 1247 is related to credit services organizations and extensions of consumer credit facilitated by credit services organizations; providing civil and administrative penalties.
• SB 1253 is relating to the relationship between Texas Department of Transportation toll projects and adjoining nontolled roads.
• SB 1267 addresses the liability of individuals providing labor or assistance to the Texas Forest Service in the performance of certain fire suppression duties
• SB 1289 deals with certain business entities engaged in the publication of mug shots and other information regarding the involvement of an individual in the criminal justice system; providing a civil penalty.
• SB 1298 is relating to the provision of electronic courses in public schools, the state virtual school network, and school district digital capabilities.
The filed bills for the 83rd (R) legislative session are available for the public to view at Texas Legislature Online.
AN UPDATE ON THE FIREARM AND AMMUNITION INDUSTRY STUDY BILL AND OTHER BILLS TO WATCH
Over the past several months or so of articles, I have been outlining bills which have been filed during the 83rd Texas Legislative Session. Members and their staff have been working on drafting and filing bills in the House and the Senate for the past several months leading up to the March 8th deadline. March 8th represented the 60th day of the Legislative Session and the final day to file bills in both the Texas House and the Texas Senate.
On April 15, 2013 the Committee on Economic and Small Business Development heard House Concurrent Resolution 89, which calls on the lieutenant governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to provide for a joint interim regarding the recruiting of firearms and ammunition manufacturers to Texas. We will keep you posted as HCR 89 continues to move through the process.
As of March 8th, 5,944 bills, joint resolutions, and concurrent resolutions have been filed with the Chief Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate’s respective offices. Below is a selection of those House bills which have been filed to-date:
• HB 2108 is relating to a three-year high school diploma plan and cost-neutral expansion of full-day prekindergarten programs.
• HB 2131 addresses the creation of a specialty court for certain first-time DWI offenders; imposing fees for participation and alcohol monitoring.
• HB 2133 is relating to the public policy for the use of innovative and alternative water treatment technologies for water development purposes.
• HB 2143 is concerning the evaluation by the Water Conservation Advisory Council of water conservation technologies for possible inclusion in the best management practices guide developed by the water conservation implementation task force.
• HB 2166 relates to the continuation, functions, and name of the Railroad Commission of Texas; providing for the imposition of fees, the repeal of provisions for the suspension of the collection of fees, and the elimination of a fee.
• HB 2180 addresses a lender notice to contractors regarding a construction loan or financing agreement for the improvement of real property and related procedures for suspending contractors’ and subcontractors’ performance.
Below is a selection of the Senate bills which have been filed to-date:
• SB 1161 is relating to the creation of a new category of law enforcement officer who shall be designated a school marshal, the training and appointment of certain employees of a school district or open-enrollment charter school as school marshals, and the rights, restrictions, limitations, and responsibilities of school marshals; authorizing the imposition of a fee.
• SB 1168 relates to interstate cooperation to address regional water issues.
• SB 1199 is related development of a pilot program of the Texas Veterans Commission to designate municipalities as Veteran and Military Friendly Cities.
• SB 1204 is relating to the qualifications of certain electric generation projects for programs designed to encourage the capture and utilization of carbon dioxide for use in enhanced oil recovery.
• SB 1212 addresses the applicability of certain provisions concerning the transfer of exotic species to certain transfers of water that supply populous areas.
• SB 1224 deals with the use by a property owner of a common or contract carrier to send a payment, report, application, statement, or other document or paper to a taxing unit or taxing official.
The filed bills for the 83rd (R) legislative session are available for the public to view at Texas Legislature Online>
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