AN UPDATE ON THE DESALINATION STUDY BILL AND OTHER BILLS TO WATCH
Over the past month 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.
I have filed House Concurrent Resolution 59, which calls on the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the House of Representatives to provide for a joint interim legislative study regarding seawater desalination on the Texas coast. HCR 59 is being expanded to include the whole State of Texas. We will be studying this important issue. We will keep you posted on its development.
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 2010 is relating a career path initiative for public school students that includes career path guidance for students in certain grade levels, additional high school graduation programs, and a requirement for a minimum number of school counselors at certain schools.
• HB 2029 addresses the eligibility requirements for electrician licenses issued to applicants with military service.
• HB 2036 is relating to the creation of a commission to prepare for the celebration of the state’s bicentennial.
• HB 2048 is concerning the establishment of the Texas Rural Development Fund and to the establishment, operation, and funding of certain programs for rural economic development.
• HB 2054 relates to certain rights of a motor vehicle manufacturer or distributor concerning a proposed transfer of ownership of a dealership.
• HB 2103 addresses education research centers and the sharing of educational data between state agencies; redesignating certain fees as charges.
Below is a selection of the Senate bills which have been filed to-date:
• SB 1021 is relating access to certain stored communications of a provider of an electronic communications service or remote computing service in this state pursuant to a warrant issued in another state.
• SB 1052 relates to search warrants issued in this state and other states for certain customer data, communications, and other information held in electronic storage in this state and other states by providers of electronic communications services and remote computing services.
• SB 1054 is related the vaccination against bacterial meningitis of public school students and of certain entering students at public and private or independent institutions of higher education.
• SB 1057 is relating to information about private health care insurance coverage and the health insurance exchange for individuals applying for certain Department of State Health Services health or mental health benefits, services, and assistance.
• SB 1061 addresses the parking privileges of disabled veterans on the property of institutions of higher education.
• SB 1088 deals with warrants issued to obtain location information from wireless communications devices.
• SB 1102 is relating to the appointment of a state cybersecurity coordinator.
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 the filed bills 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 currently represents Part of Nueces County. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
