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There are 15 days left in the Texas legislative session.
Impending Legislative Deadlines: (Reference)
- Saturday, May 22 – Last day House committees can pass out Senate bills or Senate joint resolutions
- Tuesday, May 25 – Last day the overall House can consider Senate bills or Senate joint resolutions on second reading calendar
Status of Legislative Priorities: (Reference)
- Children & Gender Modification: HB 1399 – State Rep. Matt Krause (R–Haslet) – The bill died last week sitting on a House calendar. A similar bill was just put on Senate Intent Calendar late last week in SB 1311 – State Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood). This bill would prohibit physicians from conducting gender transition surgeries or administering puberty blockers to children. It would also prohibit physicians that act this way from getting insurance while also requiring the TX Medical Board to revoke their license. The bill has been sitting around since passing out of the Senate State Affairs Committee on April 19. As a reminder, a related bill in SB 1646 by State Sen. Charles Perry (R–Lubbock) would add to the definition of child abuse any parent who submits their children to gender transition surgery or administers puberty blockers. It passed the Senate on April 28 and has been sitting in House Public Health Committee since May 3. (RPT priority)
- Broadband Expansion: HB 5 by State Rep. Trent Ashby (R–Lufkin)/State Sen. Robert Nichols (R–Jacksonville) would set up the regulatory structure for the expansion of broadband services to rural and underserved areas. This bill has now passed both chambers, and the differences in the versions are being reconciled in a conference committee. One of those differences is with regard to an amendment that was added when the bill was in the House by State Rep. Jeff Cason (R–Bedford), which would prioritize internet service providers who, by default, include a pornography filter. The amendment was taken off by Nichols in Senate. (Read more about it here.) (Gov. Abbott emergency priority)
- Ban on Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying: SB 10 – State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston)/State Rep. Chris Paddie (R–Mashall) – A ban on taxpayer-funded lobbying for local jurisdictions. When the bill passed the Senate on April 15, it was just a ban for city and county governments. The new committee substitute has supposedly expanded the jurisdictions the ban would apply to. (RPT priority)
Texas House of Representatives:
- Convenes at 1 p.m.
- Has 10 bills on SUPPLEMENTAL CALENDAR
- SB 155 – State Sen. Charles Perry (R–Lubbock)/State Rep. Stephanie Klick (R–Ft. Worth) – Use of jury disqualification lists to verify residency and citizenship in election registration (RPT priority – Election Integrity)
- SB 581 – State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston)/State Rep. Mike Schofield (R–Katy) – Limiting the authority of a property owners’ association to regulate the display of religious items by a property owner (RPT priority – Religious Freedom)
Texas Senate:
- Convenes at 2 p.m.
- Several bills still on INTENT CALENDAR
- SB 917 – State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R–Mineola) – Relating to advanced directives; when a physician refuses to honor a patient’s or surrogate’s medical directives, the physician must continue to provide treatment for 90 days instead of just 10 days (Related to Baby Tinslee case)
- SB 1313 – State Sen. Bob Hall (R–Edgewood) – Allows individuals to refuse control measures such as immunization and testing and choose quarantine instead; includes the ability to decline medical treatment on behalf of a child
- SB 1489 – State Sen. Bob Hall (R–Edgewood) – Requires DSHS to make information available on how to fortify the immune system as a line of defense against COVID-19
- Senate Committee on State Affairs meeting to discuss HB 3979 – State Rep. Steve Toth (R–The Woodlands) – Anti-critical race theory bill; HB 3046 – State Rep. Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston) – Requires the TX AG to issue a monthly report identifying certain rules adopted by federal government agencies in response to a presidential executive order that violates rights guaranteed by U.S. Constitution and prohibiting state agencies and political subdivisions from cooperating with a federal government agency to enforce certain unconstitutional federal rules