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.
