The following is a collection of news and notes from your State Capitol involving issues that affect House District 32.
HOUSE BILLS STILL IN THE HOUSE FAIL TO CLEAR DEADLINE
May 12th marked the last day for the Texas House of Representatives to pass out House Bills (HB) or House Joint Resolutions (HJR) from the Emergency, Major and General Calendars. In order to help control the flow of legislation through the Texas House, House rules limit the time frame in which the House can pass HBs or HJRs.
During the 82nd Legislative Session approximately, 4,171 bills were filed in the Texas House. Of the over four thousand bills filed, only a little over a thousand bills were able to make it through the legislative process on the House side. Below are some of the bills that passed:
• HB 6 relating to the foundation curriculum, the establishment of the instructional materials allotment, and the adoption, review, and purchase of instructional materials and technological equipment for public schools.
• HB 12 which is otherwise known as the “Sanctuary Cities” bill which is relating to the enforcement of state and federal laws governing immigration by certain governmental entities.
• HB 253 relating to the protection of children by ensuring reports of abuse or neglect, protecting children from abuse and neglect, ensuring that births are reported, and prosecuting the offense of bigamy; providing criminal penalties.
• HB 630 relating to the authority of the Texas Department of Transportation, counties, regional tollway authorities, and regional mobility authorities to enter into funding agreements to expedite the entity’s environmental review duties related to certain transportation projects.
• HB 1300 relating to funding for state sites and programs of the Parks and Wildlife Department through private contributions and partnerships and to commercial advertising on certain state sites.
• HB 1322 relating to the possession of fish in the tidal water of this state.
• HB 1616 relating to the reporting or providing of information, including information relating to political contributions, political expenditures, and personal financial information, by public servants, political candidates and committees, and persons required to register under the lobby registration law, and to complaints filed with and the functions of the Texas Ethics Commission.
• HB 2973 relates to encouraging public participation by citizens by protecting a person’s right to petition, right of free speech, and right of association from meritless lawsuits arising from actions taken in furtherance of those rights.
• HB 2975 relates to continuing education for physicians and nurses regarding the treatment of tick-borne diseases.
• HJR 48 proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran in an amount equal to the amount of the residence homestead exemption to which the disabled veteran was entitled on the same property.
Now that the deadline for House bills has passed and the end of session is rapidly approaching, the House begins to turn its attention to Senate Bills (SB). The House will have approximately two weeks to get the SBs all the way through the process on the House side and on their way to the Governor’s desk for them to pass this session.
If you have questions or comments regarding any of the bills going through the legislative process, 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).
