Lt. Governor Dan Patrick held a press conference today proposing several education initiatives including legislation requiring districts to reprioritize 5 percent of their funds over the next four years to provide an increase in teacher pay, a plan for the state to provide a bonus for long-term and retired teachers, and funding toward certain areas in TRS-Cares. He also called for $150 million in funds for districts that have approached the ASATR cliff as well as funding for facilities for fast growth districts and charters. Patrick proposed that the long-term funding for his education initiatives will come from current public education dollars coming from the Texas Lottery. Finally, Patrick proposed an end to recapture payments which could be funded with about a 1 percent savings across the entire state budget. For more details: Press Conference: Lt. Governor Dan Patrick
Governor Abbott Statement on Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s Press Conference
Today an additional 23 bills were filed as of 5:30 p.m. bringing the total of bills filed for the first called Special Session to 157 bills and resolutions.
Bills can be filed that are not related to the call but what legislation is referred, set for a hearing and brought to the chamber floor will be subject to the Texas Constitution & both House and Senate rules. Generally, a bill will not progress far if the subject is not related to the call. Items on the Governor’s call to date include Sunset Call and Supplemental Call.
Education
- HB 140 (Giddings) Relating to calculation of average daily attendance for school districts providing certain full-day prekindergarten programs.
- HB 145 (Farrar) Relating to social work services in public schools.
- HB 149 (Burkett) Relating to a reduction in required days of service for educators in public schools under certain circumstances.
- SB 37 (Rodriguez) Relating to stipends for certain public school teachers.
See also Taxes/Budget
Health Care
- HB 135 (Walle) Relating to health benefit plan coverage for certain essential health benefits.
- HB 136 (Rose) Relating to the applicability of the death penalty to a capital offense committed by a person with severe mental illness.
- HB 138 (Swanson) Relating to partial-birth abortions and dismemberment abortions; increasing a criminal penalty.
- HB 142 (Farrar) Relating to the Medicaid eligibility of certain women after a pregnancy.
- HB 143 (Farrar) Relating to a strategic plan to address postpartum depression.
- HB 144 (Farrar) Relating to a report concerning health care providers participating in the breast and cervical cancer services program, the family planning program, and the Texas women's health program.
- HB 147 (Farrar) Relating to the exclusion of certain resources in determining eligibility for the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
- HJR 28 (G. Bonnen) Proposing a constitutional amendment prohibiting the appropriation or distribution of state money for the performance of an elective abortion or to a person or entity that performs or assists in performing an elective abortion.
Taxes/Budget
- HB 139 (Giddings) Relating to the exemption from the sales tax for certain school art supplies during limited periods.
Local Control
- HB 141 (Paul) Relating to the governance and operation of municipal management districts.
Voting/Ballots
- SB 36 (Rodriguez) Relating to early voting by mail by any qualified voter.
Other
- HB 137 (Raymond) Relating to the dissemination of criminal history record information by the Department of Public Safety concerning certain intoxication offenses.
- HB 146 (Farrar) Relating to the promotion of breast-feeding and the prohibition against interference with or restriction of the right to breast-feed; creating a civil action.
- HB 148 (Herrero) Urging Congress to repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision of the Social Security Act.
- HCR 18 (Herrero) Urging Congress to repeal the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision of the Social Security Act.
- HR 23 (R. Anderson) In memory of W. Tucker Keene of Dallas.
- HR 24 (E. Rodriguez) In memory of John Benton Love of Mount Vernon.
- SB 38 (Rodriguez, Garcia, Hinojosa, Whitmire) Relating to the prohibition of certain discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression; providing an administrative penalty; creating a criminal offense.
- SB 39 (Zaffirini) Relating to the use of a wireless communication device while operating a motor vehicle; creating a criminal offense.