Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas With just 14 days left in the session there is unfinished business but much progress has been made. So far weve approved a balanced and disciplined budget focused on education and transportation. Weve increased transparency in the states finances this session to ensure fees collected for a specific purpose are used for that purpose and weve eliminated millions of dollars of fees.
Weve voted to meet our financial obligation and fund shortfalls in the state employees pension system and weve passed multiple bills to address border security and human trafficking. We are still working out the detail on tax relief but I voted for more than $4B in tax cuts for hard working Texans.
Pro-Life Bill Passed House
The House approved HB 3374 to require physicians to provide state-provided educational materials to parents of an unborn child newly diagnosed with Down Syndrome. We also voted unanimously in favor of HB 3074 to give patents at the end of life the right to food and water if requested by the patient or the patients family. A large coalition of pro-life and disability rights organizations supported HB 3074. HB 3994 passed the House 93-46 in an effort to reform the judicial bypass process for abortions on minor girls. All three bills are now in the Senate.
Capital Appreciation Bond Reform Passes Texas House
On May 13th Texas House passed HB114 by a vote of 140-0. The bill of which I am a joint author will for the first time place restrictions on the use of controversial Capital Appreciation Bonds. The bill requires full disclosure on school websites of the principle and interest of existing CAB debt. It specifies that CABs cannot be used for maintenance items or for buses. It reduces the maximum maturity of the bonds to 25 years down from a maximum of 40 years. It also restricts school districts to have no more than 25 of their total bond indebtedness in CABs. The Fast Growth School Coalition of which Leander ISD and Round Rock ISD are members agreed to the provisions in the bill before it was voted out of committee.
Online Solicitation of a Minor Bill Sent to Governor
SB344/HB861 is a bill to protect children from adult online predators. The measure has passed the House and Senate and is on the Governors desk for his signature. Senator Huffman authored the Senate bill and Rep. Dale authored the House version. KXAN Story
Update on Rep. Dales Legislation:
HB115 to award the Texas Purple Heart to the Fort Hood terror attack victims: sent to Governor
HB183/HB374 to require E-Verify for state agencies and public universities: SB374 is in the House Calendars Committee
HB939 allowing homeowners in HOAs to install backup generators: passed House in Senate
HB1446 preventing surprise medical billing for sexual assault victims: passed House in Senate
HB 1447 allowing sexual assault victims to get a protective order on convicted criminals at time of conviction instead of waiting for them to be released from jail: passed House in Senate
HB1783 requiring school employees to report crimes to law enforcement and prohibiting schools from adopting policies or coercing employees not to report crimes: passed House in Senate
HB2604 reducing red tape for law enforcements to obtain a concealed handgun license: sent to Governor
HB3128 setting time requirements for serving protective order to help victims of family violence: passed House in Senate
HB4030 requiring alarm installers and private security personnel to have criminal background check complete prior starting work: passed House in Senate
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas With just 14 days left in the session there is unfinished business but much progress has been made. So far weve approved a balanced and disciplined budget focused on education and transportation. Weve increased transparency in the states finances this session to ensure fees collected for a specific purpose are used for that purpose and weve eliminated millions of dollars of fees.
Weve voted to meet our financial obligation and fund shortfalls in the state employees pension system and weve passed multiple bills to address border security and human trafficking. We are still working out the detail on tax relief but I voted for more than $4B in tax cuts for hard working Texans.
Pro-Life Bill Passed House
The House approved HB 3374 to require physicians to provide state-provided educational materials to parents of an unborn child newly diagnosed with Down Syndrome. We also voted unanimously in favor of HB 3074 to give patents at the end of life the right to food and water if requested by the patient or the patients family. A large coalition of pro-life and disability rights organizations supported HB 3074. HB 3994 passed the House 93-46 in an effort to reform the judicial bypass process for abortions on minor girls. All three bills are now in the Senate.
Capital Appreciation Bond Reform Passes Texas House
On May 13th Texas House passed HB114 by a vote of 140-0. The bill of which I am a joint author will for the first time place restrictions on the use of controversial Capital Appreciation Bonds. The bill requires full disclosure on school websites of the principle and interest of existing CAB debt. It specifies that CABs cannot be used for maintenance items or for buses. It reduces the maximum maturity of the bonds to 25 years down from a maximum of 40 years. It also restricts school districts to have no more than 25 of their total bond indebtedness in CABs. The Fast Growth School Coalition of which Leander ISD and Round Rock ISD are members agreed to the provisions in the bill before it was voted out of committee.
Online Solicitation of a Minor Bill Sent to Governor
SB344/HB861 is a bill to protect children from adult online predators. The measure has passed the House and Senate and is on the Governors desk for his signature. Senator Huffman authored the Senate bill and Rep. Dale authored the House version. KXAN Story
Update on Rep. Dales Legislation:
HB115 to award the Texas Purple Heart to the Fort Hood terror attack victims: sent to Governor
HB183/HB374 to require E-Verify for state agencies and public universities: SB374 is in the House Calendars Committee
HB939 allowing homeowners in HOAs to install backup generators: passed House in Senate
HB1446 preventing surprise medical billing for sexual assault victims: passed House in Senate
HB 1447 allowing sexual assault victims to get a protective order on convicted criminals at time of conviction instead of waiting for them to be released from jail: passed House in Senate
HB1783 requiring school employees to report crimes to law enforcement and prohibiting schools from adopting policies or coercing employees not to report crimes: passed House in Senate
HB2604 reducing red tape for law enforcements to obtain a concealed handgun license: sent to Governor
HB3128 setting time requirements for serving protective order to help victims of family violence: passed House in Senate
HB4030 requiring alarm installers and private security personnel to have criminal background check complete prior starting work: passed House in Senate
