House Floor
Education
HB 2234 (Thompson, Senfronia) Relating to certain policies and procedures for the placement and use of video cameras in certain classrooms, including classrooms that provide special education services. Finally passed in the House (100-39) on 5/11, HB 2234 will now move to the Senate for further consideration.
HB 2273 (Oliverson) Relating to including an understanding of certain political ideologies in the foundation curriculum in public schools. Finally passed by the House (127-13) on 5/10. HB 2273 requires the SBOE to adopt, as appropriate, standards that develop each student’s understanding of political ideologies, such as communism and totalitarianism. Amendments were added on the floor that would require use of first-person accounts and include socialism and fascism. The bill applies beginning with the 2023-2024 school year. HB 2273 will now move to the Senate for further consideration.
HB 4402 (Bell, Keith) Relating to the administration of certain assessment instruments, the accountability rating system for assessing campus and district performance, and an extracurricular and cocurricular allotment under the Foundation School Program. Finally passed in the House (128-17) on 5/9, HB 4402 changes the way certain indicators are used in determining campus performance. 5 amendments on the floor were added to hold CCMR cut scores at 2023 levels, allow credits for students enrolled in JROTC or LOTC programs, allow use of a writing portfolio assessment, modify the effective date, and Sunset provisions related to the benchmark assessment instrument in 2027. The bill will now move to the Senate for further consideration.
Health Care
HB 118 (Cortez) Relating to health benefit plan coverage for certain tests to detect prostate cancer. Finally passed out of the House (92-52) on 5/11, the bill will now move to the Senate for further discussion.
HB 895 (Muñoz, Jr.) Relating to the use of extrapolation by a health maintenance organization or an insurer to audit claims. Finally passed by the House (89-52) on 5/11, the bill will now move to the Senate for further consideration.
HB 2726 (Klick) Relating to the practice of nursing, including disciplinary procedures of the Texas Board of Nursing; authorizing a fee. Finally passed in the House (143-3) on 5/11, HB 2726 would apply state law on prohibited practices and disciplinary action to nurses operating under waivers or emergency declarations, grant the BON authority to establish an expungement process for low-level violations, and provide for the confidentiality of certain disciplinary-related information. The bill will now move to the Senate for further consideration.
SB 490 (Hughes) Relating to itemized billing for health care services and supplies provided by health care providers; authorizing an administrative penalty. SB 490 was finally passed in the House (136-6) on 5/10. One House floor amendment removed doctors and FQHCs from the bill. SB 490 will now move back to the Senate to concur or not concur on the House amendment.
SB 622 (Parker) Relating to the disclosure of certain prescription drug information by a health benefit plan. Finally passed out of the House (133-7) on 5/10, a House floor amendment removed nonprofit agricultural organization health benefits from the bill. SB 622 will now move back to the Senate to concur or not concur on the House amendment.
Environment & Energy
HB 1845 (Metcalf) Relating to the licensing requirements for certain operators of wastewater systems and public water systems. The bill passed out of the Senate (30-0) on 5/9 with no amendments and was signed in both chambers. The bill will now head to the governor’s desk.
HB 2460 (T. King) Relating to a requirement that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality obtain or develop updated water availability models for certain river basins. The bill passed out of the Senate (30-0) on 5/10 with no amendments and was signed in both chambers. The bill will now head to the governor’s desk.
SB 604 (King) Relating to land services performed by a landman. The bill was finally passed out of the House (125-13) on 5/8 with one floor amendment that defines “land services” under the bill. SB 604 will now move back to the Senate to concur or not concur on the House amendment.
SB 1732 (Hancock) Relating to standards for certain electric vehicle charging stations. SB 1732 was finally passed in the House (134-11) on 5/9. One House amendment added that charging stations under the bill must not be primarily intended for private use. The bill will now move back to the Senate to concur or not concur on the House amendment.
Local Government
HB 2266 (Leach) Relating to judicial review of certain local laws applicable to state license holders. Finally passed out of the House (86-52) on 5/11. Amendments on the House floor exempted sexually oriented businesses, massage parlors, credit services organizations, and municipal employees from the bill. The bill will now move to the Senate for further consideration.
HB 2665 (Gates) Relating to an interim study of the municipal regulation of short-term rental properties and residential amenity rental properties. Finally passed out of the House (112-30) on 5/9. Two floor amendments were adopted on third reading that would add requirements for Board representatives from certain communities and add info on possible neighborhood prohibitions of short-term rentals to the task force report. The bill will now move to the Senate for further consideration.
Other
HB 7 (Guillen) Relating to services and programs in the southern border region of this state to address the effects of ongoing criminal activity and public health threats in that region. Finally passed in the House (88-56) on 5/10. Amendments on the House floor established a Border Protection Unit under DPS, required those hired for the BPU to have LEO training, prohibited those with prior convictions and who were dishonorably discharged from serving on the BPU, prohibited detention of children under age 10, and prohibited use of personal vehicles for traffic stops under the bill. The bill will now move to the Senate for further consideration.
HB 609 (Vasut) Relating to the liability of a business owner or operator arising from the exposure of an individual to a pandemic disease. The bill passed out of the Senate (19-11) on 5/11 with no amendments and was singed in both chambers. The bill will now head to the governor’s desk.
Senate Floor
Education
HB 1605 (Buckley) Relating to instructional material and technology, the adoption and revision of essential knowledge and skills of the public-school foundation curriculum, and creating allotments for procurement of instructional materials. The bill passed out of the Senate (22-8) on 5/12 with four amendments which changes the effective date of funding to September 1, 2023, clarifies the commissioner’s responsibilities are not expanded, clarifies instructional materials being reviewed are available to the public and have a final say in the review of instructional materials, and once open education resource are approved they cannot be modified unless they are re-reviewed. The bill will move back to the House for them to either concur/not concur on Senate amendemnts.
SB 1557 (Parker) Relating to providing for an election by the parent of a student who was victimized by a public school employee to transfer the student to another public school campus or receive funding for the student to attend private school. The bill passed out of the Senate (18-13) on 5/9 with no amendments. The bill will move to the House for further deliberation.
SB 1251 (Bettencourt) Relating to the authority of the governing body of a school district to adopt an ad valorem tax rate that exceeds the district’s voter-approval tax rate. The bill passed out of the Senate (30-1) on 5/8 with no amendments. The bill will move to the House for further deliberation.
SB 763 (Middleton) Relating to allowing school districts to employ chaplains to perform the duties of school counselors. The Senate did not concur on House amendments on 5/11. The Senate appointed the following conference committee conferees: Middleton (Chair), Creighton, Bettencourt, King and Paxton.
Environment & Energy
SB 1500 (Nichols) Relating to powers and duties of navigation districts and the boards of trustees of municipal port facilities. The Senate moved to not concur with House amendments on 5/9. The Senate appointed the following conference committee conferees: Nichols (Chair), West, Hancock, Alvarado, and King.
SB 1438 (Springer) Relating to a credit or refund for diesel fuel taxes paid on diesel fuel used in this state by auxiliary power units or power take-off equipment. The bill passed out of the Senate (30-0) on 5/11 with no amendments. The bill will move to the House for further deliberation.
SB 1866 (Nichols SP: Metcalf / Cunningham / Manuel / Bailes / Ashby / et al.) Relating to the use of customer-sited distributed generation facilities owned by certain non-ERCOT electric utilities. SB 1866 was passed by the House unanimously on 5/6, signed by the Senate, and will now head to the Governor’s desk
City
SB 369 (Campbell) Relating to disannexation of certain areas that do not receive full municipal services. The bill passed out of the Senate (18-12) on 5/10 with three amendments which excludes airports, does not automatically disannex under certain circumstances, and provides a process of election including a 60-day deadline to respond to a complaint. The bill will move to the House for further deliberation.
SB 1546 (Bettencourt) Relating to the authority of certain special districts and corporations created by certain special districts to exercise certain rights and powers outside district boundaries. The bill passed out of the Senate (31-0) on 5/9 with no amendments. The bill will move to the House for further deliberation.
SB 2038 (Bettencourt)Relating to release of an area from a municipality’s extraterritorial jurisdiction by petition or election. The Senate moved to concur with House amendments. The bill will now head to the governor’s desk.
Other
HB 4 (Capriglione) Relating to the regulation of the collection, use, processing, and treatment of consumers’ personal data by certain business entities; imposing a civil penalty. The bill passed out of the Senate (30-0) on 5/10 with two amendments which exempt all state agencies, but includes notice requirements to these entities, and for Texas-based companies the bill will go into effect on January 1, 2025. The bill will now be sent back to the House for them to concur or not concur on Senate changes.
SB 833 (King) Relating to consideration by insurers of certain prohibited criteria for ratemaking. The bill passed to engrossment (20-10) on 5/11.