Representative Leach Pre-Files Legislation in Advance of the 85th Session

Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas  As your State Representative I am committed to listening to you.  Seeking your feedback ideas and input concerning the various opportunities and challenges facing our community and state is the most important part of my job.  You deserve a strong voice and advocate that is responsive to your needs and it is my hope that together we may continue our work to ensure that our community and state remain strong prosperous and free. In response to the feedback from countless constituents community leaders business and non-profit leaders parents educators and students over the recent months today I pre-filed 15 bills in advance of the 85^th Legislature which convenes on January 10 2017.  For your convenience I have included each bill summary below. In addition to this list of pre-filed legislation I will continue crafting a variety of legislative initiatives over the coming weeks to pursue during the 85th Legislative Session.  As always I welcome your input and hope to hear from you soon. House Bill 610  Strengthens Texas CPS and Foster Care Systems by creating an additional voice and advocate for children placed in foster care by providing caregivers of foster children the opportunity to testify during court hearings and proceedings. House Bill 611  Commonly known as Sanctuary Cities" legislation House Bill 611 makes Texas safer by preventing political subdivisions from implementing immigration policies that violate federal and state law. House Bill 612  Protects Texas women and victims of human trafficking from being coerced or threatened to undergo an unwanted abortion. House Bill 613  Limits the growth of state spending and the Texas budget to the growth rate of population coupled with inflation. House Bill 614  Ensures Texas has the water resources for today and the water infrastructure for tomorrow by streamlining the permitting process for the development of water reservoirs under the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality eliminating burdensome red tape while adding concrete reasonable permitting timelines and deadlines. House Bill 615  Reforms the Texas STAAR Test regime by revising the mandates for fifth and eighth grade levels reducing the over-reliance on standardized testing and shifting the focus to overall student performance and growth. House Bill 616  Prohibits Texas State Representatives from unduly influencing and picking winners and losers in the Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs point-system for awarding low-income housing tax credits. House Bill 617  Promotes American Exceptionalism and Patriotism by ensuring that our states Social Studies curriculum emphasizes the significance of the key historical events surrounding the formation of our great nation including focus on our Founders core principles the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.  House Bill 618  Provides local law enforcement agencies with greater tools to keep our communities safe including real-time access to offender parole and warrant status. House Bill 619  Comforts Texas families grieving the loss of a pre-born child by allowing state-issued stillbirth certificates to be issued at the request of the parent without undue and unnecessary bureaucratic red-tape and restrictions. House Bill 620  Promotes local control by providing school districts with greater flexibility over their school calendars. House Bill 621  Removes burdensome training and fees for law enforcement personnel by allowing active law enforcement officers to obtain their state-issued License to Carry" (LTC) upon the completion of state-approved peace officer training eliminating unnecessary barriers for law enforcement who seek to obtain their LTC. House Bill 622  Promotes transparency by requiring taxpayer funded Economic Development Corporations to follow the same rules and procurement processes set forth by their authorizing unit for the design and construction of projects and services. House Bill 623  Provides greater flexibility for municipal members of certain water districts by granting additional authority over appointments made to the governing board of the district. House Bill 624  Allows District Clerks to electronically post legal notices - bringing them up to speed with processes already implemented for County Clerks in Texas.