The Senate adjourned until 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 31st
The House adjourned until Noon on Tuesday, August 31st
The conference committee report for SB 1 is now available.
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The Senate gaveled in around 5:00 p.m. on August 31st to refer two bills and then shortly after adjourned. The following bills were referred to committee:
HB 9 (Bonnen) relating to making supplemental appropriations relating to border security and giving direction regarding those appropriations to Senate Finance.
HB 20 (Cain) relating to censorship of or certain other interference with digital expression, including expression on social media platforms or through electronic mail messages to State Affairs.
The House postponed taking up HB 5 (Bonnen) realting to making supplemental appropriations and giving direction regarding appropriations has been postponed until Wednesday, September 1.
HB 7 (Landgraf) relating to the transportation, storage, or disposal of high-level radioactive waste was finally passed with one perfecting amendment (94-32) on 8/30. The bill will now move to the Senate for further deliberation.
HB 9 (Bonnen) relating to making supplemental appropriations relating to border security and giving direction regarding those appropriations was finally passed as amended (85-36) on 8/30. Amendments to the bill include financial reporting requirements, an eminent domain restriction, and a set aside for judicial and law enforcement costs in certain counties. The bill has now moved to the Senate for further deliberation and has been referred to Senate Finance.
HB 20 (Cain) relating to censorship of or certain other interference with digital expression was finally passed (77-49) on 8/30 with one amendment clarifying provisions related to malicious computer code. The bill has now moved to the Senate for further deliberation and has been referred to State Affairs.
SB 4 (Lucio) relating to abortion complication reporting and the regulation of drug-induced abortion procedures, providers, and facilities; creating a criminal offense was passed to third reading (83-42) on 8/30.
SB 6 (Huffman) relating to rules for setting the amount of bail was finally passed (85-40) on 8/30 with amendments to clarify language, outline restrictions on charitable bail organizations, and accommodate prison ministries, among other provisions. The bill will now return to the Senate for conference or concurrence.
SB 7 (Huffman) relating to a one-time supplemental payment of benefits under the Teacher Retirement System of Texas was finally passed unanimously on 8/30. The bill will now return to the Senate for further deliberation.
SB 15 (Taylor) relating to virtual and off-campus electronic instruction at a public school was finally passed (119-7) on 8/30 with two amendments concerning evaluations under the bill and a prohibition against coercing full-time remote learning. The bill will now return to the Senate for conference or concurrence.
SJR 3 (Huffman) proposing a constitutional amendment requiring a judge or magistrate to impose the least restrictive conditions of bail that may be necessary and authorizing the denial of bail under some circumstances with adopted amendments from second and third reading failed to meet the required 2/3rds vote on 8/30 (35-87).
Committee Spotlight
During the House Committee on Public Education yesterday, HB 233 (Huberty) was voted out unanimously. HB 141 (Leach) and HB 164 (Dutton) relating to mask policies were left pending with Chair Dutton saying he would coordinate with Rep. Leach and bring back language. Chair Dutton concluded the meeting noting, “the Senate has adopted certain principles and practices that I don’t think work well for this legislature.” He said he was told that if his committee didn’t pass the “CRT” and the “Transgender” bill, the Senate will not consider fixing the funding in Article X. He reminded the committee of the past saying if the “Senate doesn’t respect us they should expect us,”…. he left the bills pending.
The House Committee on Environmental Regulation took up HB 200 (Landgraf) in a formal meeting and voted it out favorably.