There are 28 days left in the Texas legislative session.
Texas House of Representatives:
- Convenes at 10 a.m.
- Will consider 94 total bills, 49 for the first time (CALENDAR)
- Postponed bills from previous calendars include HB 4139 – State Rep. Garnet Coleman (D–Houston), which would update and transfer the existing center for the elimination of disproportionality and disparities to the Office of Health Equity under the TX Health & Human Services Commission. This is a priority of Speaker Dade Phelan’s as it relates to healthcare. A bill we mentioned yesterday in HB 1869 – State Rep. Dustin Burrows (R–Lubbock) – would limit the definition of debt for the purposes of calculating property taxes to include having to be approved by an election.
- HB 3046 – State Rep. Mayes Middleton (R–Galveston) – Requires the TX attorney general 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
- HB 2497 – State Rep. Tan Parker (R–Flower Mound) – Establishes the TX 1836 Project as an advisory committee to promote patriotic education and increase awareness of TX values
- HB 1397 – State Rep. James White (R–Hillister) – Requires a contract to acquire voting system equipment from a vendor to identify each person or entity that has an ownership interest in the vendor
- HB 3979 – State Rep. Steve Toth (R–The Woodlands) – Provides for the development of students’ civic knowledge in TX social studies curriculum standards [Anti-Critical Race Theory]
- HB 3276 – State Rep. Tan Parker – Provides for the implementation of video surveillance that retains a video record of all ballot counting locations
- HB 211 – State Rep. Shawn Thierry – Imposes sales and use taxes on e-cigarette vapor products and certain alternative nicotine products
- HB 2308 – State Rep. Gary Gates (R–Rosenberg) – Provides a parent or caregiver accused of abuse or neglect with the option to voluntarily remove themselves from the home in lieu of the child’s removal
- HB 4534 – State Rep. Gary Gates – A study of the Employees Retirement System of TX
- The House Elections Committee will consider SB 1112 – State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston) – Criminal penalty for a local election official to suspend early voting ballot board requirements for voter signature verification; SB 1113 – State Sen. Paul Bettencourt – Authorizes TX secretary of state to withhold state funding from local election officials who fail to timely cancel registrations of ineligible voters
- The House Public Education Committee will consider SB 797 – State Sen. Bryan Hughes (R–Mineola) – Requires the display of the national motto in public schools and institutions of higher education
Texas Senate:
- Convenes at 10 a.m.
- Several bills still on INTENT CALENDAR
- SB 1616 – State Sen. Paul Bettencourt – Amends the TX Disaster Act of 1975 to reduce the powers of local governments during disasters
- SB 2026 – State Sen. Larry Taylor (R–Friendswood) – Requires public school students to receive an education rooted in informed patriotism or the study of America’s and Texas’ founding documents
- HB 17 – State Rep. Joe Deshotel (D–Beaumont) – Prohibits local governments from adopting or enforcing any regulations that ban or discriminate against the connection or reconnection of a utility service based on the type of the source of energy. Supporters of the bill say it protects consumer choice and access to energy sources in Texas to include affordable and reliable sources of energy, such as natural gas. [Speaker Phelan priority]
- HB 1927 – State Rep. Matt Schaefer (R–Tyler) – Constitutional carry [RPT priority]
Start your week off right and in the know as Jeramy Kitchen delivers a preview of the action in the Texas Legislature.
