House Floor
Education
SB 798 (Middleton SP: Buckley) Relating to the certification requirements for a public school counselor. SB 798 prohibits requirements that a candidate have experience as a classroom teacher as a qualification for certification as a school counselor. The bill was passed out of the House (91-52) on 5/17.
Environment & Energy
SB 28 (Perry) Relating to financial assistance provided and programs administered by the Texas Water Development Board. Finally passed out of the House as amended (136-8) on 5/17. Amendments on the floor included cleanups of the fund management language provided by the Comptroller’s Office, includes projects that would mitigate water loss, and clarifications that EDAs can participate in the program. The accompanying SJR 75 (Perry), creating the Texas Water Fund, was adopted by the House (135-4) on 5/16. The bill will now move back to the Senate to concur or not concur on House amendments.
SB 1397 (Schwertner) Relating to the continuation and functions of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Finally passed by the House as amended (142-2) on 5/17. SB 1397 updates TCEQ enforcement practices to focus on severe and repeat violations. Amendments added language directing TCEQ to develop and publish best practices for aggregate production operations on its website. The bill will now move back to the Senate to concur or not concur on House amendments.
SB 1424 (Perry / et al. SP: Clardy / Canales / Goldman / Holland / Bell, Keith) Relating to the continuation and functions of the State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the Texas Invasive Species Coordinating Committee. SB 1424 was passed out of the House (142-3) on 5/17. The bill will now move back to the Senate to concur or not concur on House amendments.
Other
SB 621 (Parker / et al. SP: Capriglione) Relating to the position of chief information security officer in the Department of Information Resources. SB 621 was finally passed out of the House (143-1) on 5/17 and would codify and outline the scope of the position of Chief Information Security Officer within DIR. The bill will now need to be signed in both chambers before heading to the governor’s desk.
SB 1659 (Schwertner SP: Holland / Bell, Keith / Canales / Clardy / Goldman) Relating to the sunset review process and certain governmental entities subject to that process. The bill passed out of the House as amended (136-8) on 5/17. The bill will now move back to the Senate to concur or not concur on House amendments.
Senate Floor
Education
HB 3993 (Paul) Relating to the automatic admission of students with a nontraditional secondary education to certain public institutions of higher education passed through the Senate (20-11) on 5/16 with no amendments.
HB 2729 (Harris) Relating to teacher requirements for high quality prekindergarten programs passed out of the Senate (20-11) on 5/16 with no amendments.
HB 1416 (K. Bell) Relating to accelerated instruction provided to public school students who fail to achieve satisfactory performance on certain assessment instruments passed out of the Senate (29-2) on 5/16 with one floor amendment.
Health Care
SB 773 (Parker) Relating to access to certain investigational drugs, biological products, and devices used in clinical trials by patients with severe chronic diseases. The Senate did not concur on House amendments on 5/16. Senate conferees: Parker, Hughes, Creighton, LaMantia and Campbell.
SB 622 (Parker) Relating to the disclosure of certain prescription drug information by a health benefit plan. The Senate concurred on House amendments on 5/16.
SB 2173 (Alvarado / et al. SP: Dean) Relating to a pilot program for the safe disposal of prescription drugs, including controlled substance prescription drugs. The bill was passed out of the House (130-11) on 5/16, signed in both chambers, and will now move to the Governor’s desk.
HB 2545 (Capriglione) Relating to an individual’s genetic data, including the use of that data by certain genetic testing companies for commercial purposes and the individual’s property right in DNA; authorizing a civil penalty passed through the Senate (31-0) on 5/15 with one amendment which specifies property rights over DNA and clarifies the bill is directed between consumers and genetic testing companies.
Environment & Energy
HB 3514 (Burns) Relating to the authority of a municipality to annex property in certain water districts passed through the Senate (26-3) on 5/16 with no amendments. The bill will now head to the governor’s desk.
City
HB 2127 (Burrows) Relating to state preemption of and the effect of certain state or federal law on certain municipal and county regulation passed through the Senate (18-13) on 5/16 with three amendments. The bill will go back to the House for them to concur/not concur with Senate amendments.
HB 260 (Murr) Relating to the calculation of net to land in the appraisal of open-space land for ad valorem tax purposes passed through the Senate (31-0) on 5/16 with no amendments. The bill will now head to the governor’s desk.