MORE NEW LAWS TO WATCH
The following is a list of other laws that have been signed into law. The office of the Governor has determined the final outcome of certain 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. Here are some of the bills that were passed in to law:
• House Bill (HB) 3307 which is related to the manufacture of malt beverages, including under alternating brewery proprietorship and contract brewing arrangements.
• HB 3357 pertains to the administration of, membership in, and benefits payable by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
• HB 3361 which addresses the continuation and functions of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs; authorizing and otherwise affecting the application of certain fees.
• HB 3412 is relating to the qualifications for certain positions with the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas.
• HB 3460 addresses the requirement that certain information be reported to the Texas Department of Insurance and the confidentiality of that information.
• HB 3483 pertains to requirements for a driver education course, the eligibility of persons under 18 years of age to operate a motor vehicle, and the administration of certain driver’s license examinations by home-taught driver education course providers.
• HB 3536 is related to imposing a fee on the sale of cigarettes and cigarette tobacco products manufactured by certain companies; providing penalties.
• HB 3572 pertains to the administration, collection, and enforcement of taxes on mixed beverages; imposing a tax on sales of mixed beverages; decreasing the rate of the current tax on mixed beverages.
• HB 3605 is relating to financial assistance awarded by the Texas Water Development Board for water supply projects.
• Senate Bill (SB) 1769 pertains to the creation of an advisory committee to examine the fingerprinting practices of juvenile probation departments.
• SB 1803 which is related to investigations of and payment holds relating to allegations of fraud or abuse and investigations of and hearings on over payments and other amounts owed by providers in connection with the Medicaid program or other health and human services programs.
• SB 1812 is relating to the determination of state contributions for participation by certain junior college employees in the state employees group benefits program, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, and the Optional Retirement Program.
• SB 1814 addresses a requirement that members of the Public Safety Commission hold a secret security clearance.
• SB 1857 pertains to the certification of certain qualified handgun instructors to conduct school safety training.
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.
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.
