The House and Senate will both reconvene on Monday, April 8, at 1:15pm and 2pm. respectively.
To listen to either House or Senate deliberations: House | Senate
Calendars for the week: House | Senate
Spotlight of Bills on the Move in Committee
HB 4242 (Bernal) relating to STAAR readability/misalignment to the TEKS will be heard in the House Public Education Committee on 4/8, Tuesday at 8am.
HB 469 (Springer) relating to the sale of wine and beer on Sundays will be heard in the House Committee on Licensing and administrative Procedures on 4/9.
SB 214 (Seliger) relating to fund for the economic stabilization fund, including the rates of severance taxes on oil and gas production will be heard in Senate Finance on 4/11 at 9am.
HB 851 (Huberty) relating to the use of individual graduation committees and other alternative methods to satisfy certain public high school graduation requirements was voted favorably from House Public Education on 4/4.
SB 933 (Bettencourt) relating to the creation of the office of inspector general at the Texas Education Agency to investigate the administration of public education was voted favorably from Senate Education as substituted on 4/4.
Spotlight on Bills out of Originating Chamber
SB 14 (Nichols) Relating to use of an electric cooperative’s easements or property for broadband service was voted out of the Senate as substituted on 4/4 with one adopted amendment 30-1.
HB 3 (Huberty), the school finance bill, was referred to the Senate Education Committee on 4/5.
HB 440 (Murphy) relating to general obligation bonds issued by political subdivisions was referred to the Senate Committee on Senate Property Tax.
HB 986 (Price) relating to the deployment of advanced metering and meter information networks by certain non-ERCOT utilities was passed out of the House on 4/5 with 142 ayes and 1 nay.
HB 1397 (Phelan) relating to the establishment of rates for certain non-ERCOT utilities was passed out of the House on 4/5 with 141 ayes and 1 nay.
Spotlight on Bills on the Floor
HB 360 (Murphy) Relating to the extension of the expiration date of the Property Redevelopment and Tax Abatement Act was set on the House calendar for discussions on 4/8.
HB 1 (Zerwas), a $251 billion budget bill, was voted out of the House as substituted and amended on 3/28. The bill then moved over to the Senate for further deliberation, was heard in Senate Finance, and promptly voted out on 4/3 as substituted. The Senate version is a $248 billion spending plan and does make an investment of $9 billion in property tax relief and education broken down as follows: $4 billion for $5k raise for every teacher and librarian, $2.7 billion for property tax relief and reduction of reliance on recapture, and $2.3 in additional state aid to districts. The senate version of the budget bill also contains a provision directing the Texas Health and Human Services to cut cost by $900 million. Sen. Nelson did tell the chamber that she hopes to have the budget up on Tuesday, 4/9.
HB 596 (Hernandez) Relating to the composition of the board of trustees of the Employees Retirement System of Texas was set on the House calendar for discussions on 4/8.
HB 721 (Larson) Relating to the duty of the Texas Water Development Board to conduct studies of and prepare and submit reports on aquifer storage and recovery and aquifer recharge projects was set on the House calendar for discussions on 4/9.
HB 477 (Murphy) Relating to the notice required before the issuance of certain debt obligations by political subdivisions was set on the House calendar for discussions on 4/9.
HB 2263 (Paddie) Relating to the sale of electric power to certain public customers was set on the House calendar for discussions on 4/9.
HB 2255 (Darby) Relating to newborn and infant hearing screening results and the provision of information following a screening was set on the House calendar for discussions on 4/9.
Upcoming Committee Hearings
The latest hearing information can be found by visiting HillCo’s “Legislative News from Texas.” Please note that dates and times are subject to change and additional hearings dates may also be added at any time so you will want to re-visit the page frequently to confirm hearings.
Senate
Intergovernmental Relations – 4/8/2019
Time: 9:30 AM, Location: E1.028 (Hearing Room)
Water & Rural Affairs – 4/8/2019
Time: 2:00 PM or upon adjournment, Location: E1.012 (Hearing Room)
Administration – 4/8/2019
Time: 2:30 PM or upon adjournment, Location: 2E.20 (Betty King Cmte. Rm.)
Business & Commerce – 4/9/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: E1.012 (Hearing Room)
Intergovernmental Relations – 4/9/2019
Time: 8:30 AM, Location: E1.016 (Hearing Room)
Education – 4/9/2019
Time: 9:00 AM, Location: E1.028 (Hearing Room)
State Affairs – 4/9/2019
Time: 9:00 AM, Location: Betty King Committee Room, 2E.20
Property Tax – 4/9/2019
Time: 1:30 PM or upon adjournment, Location: 2E.20 (Betty King Cmte. Rm.)
Transportation – 4/10/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: E1.016 (Hearing Room)
Finance – 4/11/2019
Time: 9:00 AM, Location: E1.036 (Finance Room)
House
Appropriations – 4/8/2019
Time: 7:30 AM, Location: E1.030
Elections – 4/8/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: E2.016
International Relations & Economic Development – 4/8/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: E2.014
Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence – 4/8/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: E2.026
State Affairs – 4/8/2019
Time: 10:30 AM or upon final adjourn./recess or bill referral if permission granted, Location: JHR 140
Defense & Veterans’ Affairs – 4/8/2019
Time: 2:00 PM or upon final adjourn./recess or bill referral if permission granted, Location: E1.026
Energy Resources – 4/8/2019
Time: 2:00 PM or upon final adjourn./recess or bill referral if permission granted, Location: E2.010
Criminal Jurisprudence – 4/8/2019
Time: 2:00 PM or upon final adjournment/recess or bill referral if permission granted, Location: E2.012
Human Services – 4/9/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: E2.030
Insurance – 4/9/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: E2.014
Land & Resource Management – 4/9/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: E2.012
Licensing & Administrative Procedures – 4/9/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: E2.028
Public Education – 4/9/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: E2.036
Ways & Means – 4/9/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: JHR 140
Business & Industry – 4/9/2019
Time: 10:30 AM or upon final adjourn./recess or bill referral if permission granted, Location: E2.016
Environmental Regulation – 4/9/2019
Time: 10:30 AM or upon final adjourn./recess or bill referral if permission granted, Location: E1.026
Natural Resources – 4/9/2019
Time: 10:30 AM or upon final adjourn./recess or bill referral if permission granted, Location: E2.010
Culture, Recreation & Tourism – 4/9/2019
Time: 2:00 PM or upon final adjourn./recess or bill referral if permission granted, Location: E1.014
Higher Education – 4/10/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: E1.014
Ways & Means – 4/10/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: JHR 140
Juvenile Justice & Family Issues – 4/10/2019
Time: 10:30 AM or upon final adjourn./recess or bill referral if permission granted, Location: E2.012
Pensions, Investments & Financial Services – 4/11/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: E2.026
Urban Affairs – 4/11/2019
Time: 8:00 AM, Location: E2.010