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.
