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Both the House and Senate will reconvene on Tuesday, March 30 at 10:00 A.M. and XX respectively.

A House Calendar for Tuesday is available.

The Senate Intent Calendar and Regular Order of Business can be found here.

Spotlight on Bills

Winter Storm Legislation

SB 3 (Schwertner) Relating to preparing for, preventing, and responding to weather emergencies and power outages; increasing the amount of administrative and civil penalties was passed out of the Senate Chamber on 3/29 unanimously with a total of six adopted floor amendments. The bill will now move over to the House for further deliberation.

As part of ongoing energy system reform discussions, House State Affairs took up HB 1510 (Metcalf) establishing a securitization financing method for electric system restoration and HB 2000 (Huberty) proposing to create a State Utilities Reliability Fund to support production and generation weatherization. Both bills were left pending for further deliberation.

Freedom to Worship

SJR 27 (Hancock) Proposing a constitutional amendment to prohibit this state or a political subdivision of this state from prohibiting or limiting a religious service conducted by a religious organization was passed out of the Senate on 3/25 with 28 ayes and 2 nays. SB 26, the enabling legislation for SJR 27, also passed out of the Senate with 28 ayes and 2 nays on 3/25. SJR 27 and its enabling legislation will now move over the House for further deliberation.

The House companion of this resolution HJR 72 by Leach and its enabling legislation HB 1239 were both also heard in the House Committee of State Affairs on 3/25 and left pending.

Election Omnibus Bill

HB 6 (Cain) the omnibus elections bill was laid out in House Elections on 3/25 for discussion but before witnesses were called Chair Cain took a recess. Upon gaveling back in Chair Cain noted he did not recess to a time certain, so the hearing concluded and no further discussion or testimony was taken on HB 6. This bill has now been posted for hearing on 4/1.

SB 7 (Bettencourt) the Senate companion omnibus elections bill, the election integrity bill, was laid out in Senate State Affairs on 3/26. The bill passed out of committee as substituted.

Pandemic Liability Protection

SB 6 (Hancock et al.) relating to liability for certain claims arising during a pandemic or other disaster or emergency, as substituted, was laid out in Senate Business & Commerce on 3/23. The bill extends liability protections for first responders, businesses, places of worship, hospitals, nursing homes, higher education institutions, etc. who acted in “good faith” during the pandemic. The bill was left pending in committee. Its companion in the House, HB 3659 (Leach) has been referred to committee.

Entertainment Bills

HB 2127 (C. Turner et al.) relating to consumption of alcoholic beverages in public entertainment facilities and zones and HB 2168 (Krause) relating to ticket sales for charitable raffles conducted by the charitable foundations of certain professional sports teams were laid out and left pending in House Licensing & Administrative Procedures on 3/24. HB 393 (Moody) relating to the definition of a bet for purposes of gambling criminal offenses was laid out and left pending in State Affairs on 3/25.

Spotlight on Upcoming Hearings

Upcoming Senate Committee Meetings

Upcoming House Committee Meetings