Approaching Deadlines

Episode 1:

Texas Scorecard Capital Correspondent Jeramy Kitchen previews what to expect this week from the Texas Legislature.

Monday, 3/8

House of Representatives
- 10AM: Hearings
  - Ways & Means (Posting)
    - HB 59 (Murr): Elimination of School M&O Taxes & Creation of Joint Interim Cmte. on their elimination
    - HB 457/HJR 25 (Shaheen): Property Tax exemption for physicians who do not seek Medicaid reimbursement.
  - Defense & Veterans’ Affairs (Posting)
  - Juvenile Justice & Family Issues (Posting)
    - HB 451 (Moody): Changes to persons able to conduct marriage ceremonies
    - HB 567 (Frank): Procedures for terminating parent/child relationship

Senate
- 9AM: Hearings
  - State Affairs (Posting)
    - SB 12 (Hughes): Social media censorship prohibition
    - SB 26 (Paxton): Prohibition on suspending laws protecting religious freedom and prohibition on closures for places of worship
    - SJR 27 (Hancock): Constitutional amendment to prohibit the government from stopping or limiting any religious service
    - SB 155 (Perry): Use of jury service list of citizens/non-citizens for voter registration rolls
- 10AM: Hearings
  - Finance (Posting)
    - Article IX – General Provisions

- 1:30PM: Hearings
  - Local Government (Posting)
    - Organizational Meeting
  - Nominations (Posting)
    - Various nominees to appear

Tuesday, 3/9

House of Representatives
- 8AM: Hearings
  - Business & Industry (Posting)
  - Corrections (Posting)
    - Organizational Meeting
  - Public Education (Posting)
    - HB 547 (Frank): ‘Tim Tebow’ bill – Homeschool students participation in UIL athletics
    - HB 759 (Harless): Threat assessment teams in public schools and establishment of a student threat assessment database
  - Human Services (Posting)
    - HB 484 (Shahen): Direct Primary Care Pilot Program for Medicaid
    - HB 682 (Minjarez): Notification of ability to review alleged child abuse or neglect
    - HB 892/HJR46 (Frank): Designation of an ‘essential’ caregiver for in-person visitation to nursing homes (PANDEMIC Response)
  - Natural Resources (Posting)
    - Organizational Meeting
- 10AM: Hearings
  - Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence (Posting)
    - HB 19 (Leach): Procedure, evidence, and remedies in civil actions.
- 10:30AM: Hearings
  - Insurance (Posting)
    - HB 573 (Oliverson): Operation of Healthcare Sharing Ministries
- 2PM: Overall House Convenes
- 2PM: Hearings (Or Upon Final Adjournment)
  - General Investigating (Posting)
    - Organizational Meeting

Senate
- No Committee Hearings Scheduled
- 3PM: Overall Senate Convenes

Wednesday, 3/10

House of Representatives
- 8AM: Hearings
  - Corrections (Posting)
  - Public Health (Posting)
  - International Relations & Economic Development (Posting)
    - HB 7 (Button): Replenishment ratio used to determine unemployment compensation tax rate
  - Pensions, Investments & Financial Services (Posting)
    - Organizational Meeting
- 10:30AM: Hearings
  - Urban Affairs (Posting)
    - Organizational Meeting
  - Licensing & Administrative Procedures (Posting)
Senate
- 8:30AM: Hearings
  - Health & Human Services (Posting)
    - SB 25 (Kolkhorst): Designation of an ‘essential’ caregiver for in-person visitation to nursing homes (PANDEMIC Response)

Thursday, 3/11

House of Representatives
- 8AM: Hearings
  - Ag. & Livestock (Posting)
  - Elections (Posting)
  - State Affairs (Posting)
    - HB 3 (Burrows): State & Local government responses to pandemic disaster and authorities of the governor.
- 9AM: Hearings
  - Homeland Security & Public Safety (Posting)
Senate
- 9AM: Hearings
  - Special Committee on Redistricting (Posting)
    - Focus on Austin Region

Friday, 3/12

House of Representatives
- No Committee Hearings Scheduled
Senate
- 10AM: Hearings
  - Special Committee on Redistricting (Posting)
    - Focus on El Paso Region

Saturday, 3/13

House of Representatives
- No Committee Hearings Scheduled
Senate
- 9AM: Hearings
  - Special Committee on Redistricting (Posting)
    - Focus on all regions of the state

NUMBERS & THINGS:

# of Days Left in Session: 86 (Monday, May 31)
# of Days Until Bill Filing Deadline: 6 (Friday, March 12)

# of Bills Filed: 4,097 Total

# of Bills Referred to Committees: 1,768 Total

House of Representatives: 1,487 of 2,995 total bills (50%)
- Compared to previous sessions on the same legislative day: 86th – 51%, 85th – 46%, 84th – 53%, 83rd – 72%, and 82nd – 77%
Senate: 281 of 1,102 (26%)
- Compared to previous sessions on the same legislative day: 86th – 70%, 85th – 73%, 84th – 83%, 83rd – 77%, and 82nd – 73%

Time Spent on Floor:

House of Representatives: 13 Hrs Total (Convened 17 times)
- Compared to previous sessions on the same legislative day: 86th – 40 Hrs, 85th – 49 Hrs, 84th – 45 Hrs, 83rd – 47 Hrs, and 82nd – 70 Hrs
Senate: 7 Hours Total (Convened 7 times)
- Compared to previous sessions on the same legislative day: 86th – 24 Hrs, 85th – 37 Hrs, 84th – 22 Hrs, 83rd – 24 Hrs, and 82nd – 58 Hrs

MISCELLANEOUS COMMENTS:

Bill filing deadline is Friday, 3/12 marking 60 days of session and also allowing for each chamber to consider bills that are not just ’emergency items’ from Governor.
- There are still some Gov. emergency items that have yet to be filed.
- There are still some Lt. Gov. priorities that have yet to be filed.
- Both omnibus Election Integrity bills have yet to be filed in either chamber (HB 6 – Cain/SB 7 – Hughes)
HB 3 is up in a public hearing on Thursday this week in House State Affairs