Both the House and Senate will reconvene on Tues, Feb. 19th at 11 a.m.
Over 40 legislative hearings were posted for this week holding organizational meetings, hearing invited testimony from various agencies, and/or working on a variety of policy issues. In addition to continued organizational and invited testimony postings next week, it is anticipated that more postings will include bill discussion since both chambers are referring bills. HillCo Partners has monitored many of the hearings and provided reports as well as a small spotlight on the discussion by subject area below.
Budget
Subcommittees for various Articles of House Appropriations met over multiple days this week.
Senate Finance continued to meet as a whole committee hearing various Articles in the budget. This week they heard testimony on Article III for both public and higher education.
House Ways and Means met on Feb. 13th and heard an overview on the budget.
Property Tax
The Committee Substitute for SB 2 (Bettencourt), Texas Property Tax Reform and Relief Act, was voted out of committee with 15 adopted amendments. Changes included an opt-in amendment which would allow voters in jurisdictions that are under the $15 million threshold to opt-in the process and language that is intended to prohibit municipalities from reducing first responder pay as a result of SB 2 passing. Sen. Hinojosa noted his concerns with the bill regarding identifying a source revenue for public schools and the rate cap of 2.5%, but he stopped short of giving an alternative suggestion during the committee hearing. The bill was voted out of committee with 4 ayes and 1 present not voting and will now head to the Senate Floor for further discussions.
Education
On Tuesday, February 12, the House Public Education Committee heard invited testimony about the Texas Commission on Public School Finance report from superintendents and representatives of numerous education organizations. Their collective testimony addressed a variety of topics in the Commission’s report, including the need for new money, locally differentiated teacher pay plans, and transportation funding. Numerous witnesses raised questions about the 3rd grade literacy outcome recommendation that ties outcome measures funding to high stakes state assessment results. Testimony was mixed regarding teacher pay based on student performance with some witnesses opposed linking teacher pay to standardized testing. Testimony from the Texas Council of Administration of Special Education (TCASE) and Disability Rights Texas also requested modifications to special education weights in state funding formulas, noting that special ed is the program on which districts consistently spend more than the amount received via federal or state allotments.
House Public Education continued its meeting on Feb. 13 and heard additional invited testimony on the final Commission report. The first panel of the day was the “Former Chairs Panel”, with the Honorable Kent Grusendorf, the Honorable Rob Eissler, and the Honorable Jimmie Don Aycock. These three distinguished former House members spoke about “lessons learned’. Their collective testimony addressed measuring equity on a per-student basis, immersing children in early literacy, and adding more funding in the basic allotment.
On February 11, the Senate Finance Committee heard from the Legislative Budget Board, Texas Education Agency, and TRS regarding the Senate base budget bill. Discussion covered various topics including 3rd grade literacy goals, student discipline & that impact on the work environment for teachers, and school board trustees & school performance.
Senate Finance will take up SB 3 (Nelson) relating to classroom teacher salaries on Feb. 25th.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Article III will take up the Texas Education Agency on Feb. 20.
Health Care
In addition to Article II House Appropriations Subcommittee meetings this week, the House Committee on Insurance met to discuss health care issues. Testimony was invited from Texas Department of Insurance and Chair Sarah Davis and members on the committee inquired about the backlog of mediation requests and the mediation process. The HHSC Commissioner Courtney Phillips testified before Senate Nominations on Feb. 14th
Mental Health
SB 10 (Nelson), establishing the Texas Mental Health Care Consortium, was taken up and voted out as substituted in Senate Health and Human Services on 2/12.
Environmental
Senate Agriculture met to hear invited testimony from several agencies and boards including the State Soil and Water Conservation Board.
Emily Lindley with the TCEQ testified before Senate Nominations on Feb. 14th noting she bases her decisions on law, good science, and comment sense while considering all Texans.
Public Utility Commissioners Shelly Botkin, Arthur D’Andrea, and DeAnn Thomason Walker also testified before Senate Nominations on Feb. 14th.
Spotlight on Bills
SB 10 (Nelson), creating the Texas Mental Health Care Consortium, was heard in Senate Health and Human Services on 2/12 and voted from the committee favorably as substituted.
HB 10 (Thompson) Relating to grants and programs for researching and treating behavioral health and psychiatric issues was filed on 2/13.
HB 17 (G.Bonnen) Relating to public school safety measures and procedures was filed on 2/13.
HB 20 (Capriglione) Relating to the allocation of certain constitutional transfers of money to the economic stabilization fund, the Texas legacy fund, and the state highway fund was filed on 2/13.
