CRTX NEWS LEGISLATIVE REPORT: PRIORITY BILLS IDENTIFIED BY CATEGORY

ABORTION

PATRICK PRIORITY: SB 24, by Sen. Kolkhorst, relating to the powers and duties of the Health and Human Services Commission and the transfer to the commission of certain powers and duties from the Department of Family and Protective Services. Establishes the Texas Pregnancy and Parenting Support Network to ensure it is implemented as a continuation of the current Alternatives to Abortion Program. 05/19 Placed on the H Major State Calendar.

SB 2381, by Sen. Paxton, requires the Texas Health and Human Services to create a mobile friendly website and mobile application that provides comprehensive information about resources available to expectant mothers. 05/18 reported favorably without amendments from the House Public Health Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Stephanie Klick. 512.463.0599. This committee paperwork needs to be sent to Calendars.

PATRICK PRIORITY: SB 1, by Sen. Huffman and HB 1, by Rep. Bonnen, includes increased funding for the Alternatives to Abortion Program. This bill, the state budget, is in the conference committee process. 

BIOLOGICAL SEX RESTRICTIONS FOR PARTICIPANTS IN WOMEN’S COLLEGE ATHLETICS/CONFINEMENT OF INMATES

PATRICK PRIORITY: SB 15, by Sen. Middleton, protects women’s college athletics from being invaded by men who claim to be women. 05/18 House final passage as amended reported to the Senate.

BORDER SECURITY

SB 423, by Sen. Paxton, authorizes the use of unmanned aircraft by the Texas military forces. 05/08 sent to the Governor.    

ABBOTT EMERGENCY ITEM: SB 600, by Sen. Birdwell, increases the minimum term of imprisonment for human smuggling from 2 years to 10 years. 04/14 referred to the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Todd Hunter. 512.463.0672. This bill needs a hearing. 

SB 602, by Sen. Birdwell, grants U.S. Border Patrol Agents the powers of a Texas peace officer to arrest and conduct a search and seizure for any offense under Texas or federal law. 05/12 sent to the Governor. 

SB 1403, by Sen. Parker, establishes interstate compact for border security, including building a border wall. 05/17 sent to the Governor. . 

SB 1621, by Sen. Kolkhorst, requires state contractors, political subdivisions of this state, and private employers to participate in the federal electronic verification of employment authorization program, or E-verify. 05/08 placed on the Senate Intent Calendar. E-verify would have to pass both the Senate and the House by 5/23. 

SB 2424, by Sen. Birdwell, enforces border protection by creating a criminal offense for improper entry from a foreign nation. Those who have a criminal record and enter illegally would commit a first degree felony offense punishable by a life sentence in prison. 04/17 referred to the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Todd Hunter. 512.463.0672. This bill needs a hearing in House State Affairs.

SCR 23, by Sen. Kolkhorst, demands the federal government immediately declare violent foreign drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationalization Act, 8 USC §1189; finds that Texas has been invaded and that citizens are in imminent danger of irreparable harm; encourages all applicable state and local resources to use any authority granted under Art. 1, Sec. 10 Clause 3 of the US Constitution; states that on November 16, 2022, Governor Abbott invoked the state’s authority  to act, and notified President Biden of that fact. 04/28 referred to the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Todd Hunter. 512.463.0672.  This concurrent resolution needs to receive a hearing in the House State Affairs Committee.

PHELAN PRIORITY: HB 7, by Rep. Guillen, relating to public services and programs in the southern border region of Texas to address the effects of the ongoing criminal activity and public health threats, including methods of financing those services. 05/18 scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Border Security Committee, chaired by Republican Sen. Brian Birdwell. 512.463.0122. 

HB 800, by Rep. Guillen, relating to the punishment for certain criminal conduct involving the smuggling of persons or the operation of a stash house, increasing criminal penalties. 05/18 scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Border Security Committee, chaired by Republican Sen. Brian Birdwell. 512.463.0122.

BUDGET

ABBOTT EMERGENCY ITEM: Appropriate $4.6 billion to strengthen border security, $15 billion to reduce property taxes, and $100 billion for transportation.

PHELAN PRIORITY: HB 1, by Rep. Bonnen, has passed the senate. A conference committee has been appointed. Senate Conferees are Huffman, Chair, Nichols, Kolkhorst, and Creighton. House Conferees are Bonnen, Chair, Gonzales, Mary, Van Deaver, Jetton, and Moody.  The Conference Committee had its organizational meeting on 04/25. The Senate Conference Committee report (the most recent version of the bill) contains a prohibition against funding transgender surgeries under the Health and Human Services Budget. 05/16 Rules Suspended in the Senate to allow the conference committee to meet while the Senate is in session.

CREATING THE OFFENSE OF CHILD GROOMING

SB 1557, by Sen. Parker, gives parents of a child who was victimized by a public school employee to move the child to another campus and receive funding for the student to attend private school. Creates the offense of child grooming. 05/10 referred to the House Public Education Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Brad Buckley. 512.463.0684. This bill needs a hearing.

SB 1562, by Sen. Hancock, creates a criminal felony offense for grooming children to participate in sexual activity. 04/17 referred to the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, chaired by Democrat Rep. Joe Moody. 512.463.0728. This bill needs a hearing.

CURRENCY AND CURRENCY EXCHANGE

HJR 146, by Rep. Capriglione, secure the right to own, hold and use a mutually agreed upon medium of exchange, including cash, coin, bouillon, digital currency, or privately issued scrip. 05/11 referred to the Senate Business and Commerce Committee, chaired by Republican Sen. Charles Schwertner, 512.463.0105. This joint resolution needs a hearing. 

HB 1666, by Rep. Capriglione, would regulate digital asset service providers’ digital currency holdings to ensure consumer funds are secure and protected. 05/17 House concurs with the Senate amendments. 

DRAG QUEENS

SB 12 by Sen. Hughes, ban children’s exposure to drag queen shows in schools, public libraries and business establishments. 05/19 placed on the House Major State Calendar. 

ELECTION INTEGRITY

SJR 35, by Sen. Birdwell, a constitutional amendment clarifying that a voter must be a United States citizen. 05/17 left pending in the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Todd Hunter. 512.463.0672. This bill needs to be voted out of committee and sent to Calendars. The House needs a vote on this.

PATRICK PRIORITY: SB 2, by Sen. Hughes, restores vote fraud, including vote harvesting, to a felony offense. 04/10 referred to the House Elections Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Reggie Smith. 512.463.0297. See HB 1243, below. 

SB 823, by Sen. Bettencourt, provides for the suspension of a county elections administrator. 04/06 committee report printed and distributed from Senate State Affairs. This bill needs to be placed on a Senate Calendar AND pass the House. 

SB 990, by Sen. Hall, eliminating the countywide polling place program. 04/25 referred to the House Elections Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Reggie Smith. 512.463.0297. The bill needs a hearing.

SB 1039, by Sen. Bettencourt, establishes processes to address election irregularities in a county and imposes civil penalties. 05/18 committee report distributed. This bill needs to make it on to a House Calendar. The House Calendars Committee is chaired by Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows. 512.463.0542.

SB 1599, by Sen. Hughes, relating to ballots voted by mail; providing for the standardization of voting procedures including with respect to a voter’s ability to correct certain defects and actions taken by early voting clerks, early voting boards, and signature verification committees. 05/18 House final passage as amended was reported to the Senate. 

SB 1600, by Sen. Hughes, requires proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. 04/24 referred to the House Elections Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Reggie Smith. 512.463.0297.  This bill needs a hearing.

SB 1661, by Sen. Hughes, relating to a ballot scan system used in a central counting station. 05/18/2023 the committee report sent to Calendars. This bill needs to be placed on a House Calendar. The Calendars Committee is chaired by Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows. 512.463.0542.

SB 1705, by Sen. Middleton, addresses concerns that the use of conventions by third parties to pick their nominees robs voters of the important campaigns necessary to thoroughly vet political candidates, by requiring all candidates for office to participate in a primary election to decide their party’s nominees.

05/04 referred to the House Elections Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Reggie Smith. 512.463.0297. This bill needs a hearing.

SB 1750, by Sen. Bettencourt, abolishes the county elections administrator position in counties with populations greater than 3.5 million. 05/20 placed on the General State House Calendar.  

SB 1807, by Sen. Springer, relating to unlawful altering of elections procedures. 05/12 committee report sent to Calendars, chaired by Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows. 512.463.0542. This bill needs to be put on a House calendar. 

SB 1846, by Sen. Creighton, A manufacturer of voting systems used in an election may not enter into a contract, or extend or renew a contract, for software development services with a company or other entity headquartered in China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, or Russia; or an individual who is based in China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, or Russia. 05/17 reported favorably as amended from the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Todd Hunter. 512.463.0672.  The committee report needs to be sent to the committee coordinator.

SB 1911, by Sen. Bettencourt, creating a criminal offense and increasing criminal penalties for the failure to provide sufficient elections supplies and relating to the conduct of elections. 05/04 left pending in the House Elections Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Reggie Smith. 512.463.0297. This bill needs to be voted out and sent to Calendars.

SB 1993, by Sen. Middleton, authorizes the Secretary of State to order a new election in certain counties.  05/06 referred to the House Elections Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Reggie Smith. 512.463.0297. This bill needs a hearing. 

SB 2208, by Sen. Parker, relating to the venue for the prosecution of an election offense. 05/18/2023 corrected committee report distributed by the Committee Coordinator. The House Calendars committee is chaired by Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows. 512.463.0542. This bill needs to be placed on a House calendar. 

SB 2433, by Sen. Bettencourt, relating to certain election practices and procedures; increasing a criminal penalty; providing an administrative penalty. 04/28 referred to the House Elections Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Reggie Smith. 512.463.0297. This bill needs a hearing.

HB 246, by Rep. Swanson, establishing a pilot program for recording ballot counting activity. 05/19 finally passed the Senate.

HB 1217, by Rep. Swanson, clarifies that early voting must be conducted for 12 consecutive hours each day and that funding applies only to those counties that have increased hours of early voting as a result of H.B. 1217. 05/18 placed on the Senate Intent Calendar.

HB 1243, by Rep. Hefner, raises the penalty for illegal voting to a 2nd degree felony, as it had been for decades until the 2021 amendment that lowered it to a Class A misdemeanor. 05/15 left pending in Senate State Affairs, chaired by Republican Sen. Bryan Hughes. 512.463.0101. This bill needs to be voted out and placed on a Senate calendar.

HB 2800, by Rep. Paul, amends the Election Code to require a meeting of a county election board to be held in person and open to the public. The bill requires the county clerk of a county that maintains a website to post on that website notice of a meeting of the county election board not later than 48 hours before each meeting. 05/17 placed on the Senate Intent Calendar.

SB 1933, by Sen. Bettencourt, relates to certain oversight procedures of the state over county elections. 05/20 placed on the House General State Calendar.

HB 5180, by Rep. Wilson, relating to the public inspection of election records. 05/18 placed on the Senate Intent Calendar.

END TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYING

SB 175, by Sen. Middleton, would prohibit the use of public funds for lobbying and certain other activities.  04/13 referred to the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Todd Hunter. 512.463.0672. This bill needs a hearing.

EXPANDED MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

ABBOTT EMERGENCY ITEM AND PATRICK PRIORITY: SB 26, by Sen. Kolkhorst, relating to local mental health authority and local behavioral health authority audits and mental and behavioral health reporting, services, and programs. 05/18 reported favorably as substituted from the House Public Health Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Stephanie Klick. 512.463.0599. This bill needs to make it to a House Calendar. 

ABBOTT EMERGENCY ITEM AND PHELAN PRIORITY: HB 15/HJR 135, by Rep. Senfronia Thompson, creating the Mental Health and Brain Research Institute of Texas. 04/11 received in the Senate.

FENTANYL CRISIS

ABBOTT EMERGENCY ITEM AND PHELAN PRIORITY: HB 6, by Rep. Goldman, relating to the designation of poisoning with a controlled substance included in Penalty Group 1-B for purposes of the death certificate and to the criminal penalties for certain controlled substance offenses; creating criminal offenses; increasing a criminal penalty. 05/17 Senate Amendments Distributed to the House.

GOVERNMENT MANDATES

ABBOTT EMERGENCY ITEM AND PATRICK PRIORITY: SB 29, by Sen. Birdwell, prohibits governmental implementation or enforcement of a vaccine mandate, mask requirement or business and school closures. 05/17 reported favorably as substituted from the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Todd Hunter. 512.463.0672. This bill needs to get to Calendars and on a House Calendar.

SB 177, by Sen. Middleton, requires informed consent for vaccines and providing exemptions for vaccine requirements. 05/11 committee report sent to the House Calendars Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Dustin Burrows. 512.463.0542. This bill needs to be placed on a House Calendar. 

ABBOTT EMERGENCY ITEM: SB 1024, by Sen. Kolkhorst, prohibiting governmental entities from requiring individuals to wear masks or mandate vaccinations. These entities include schools, counties, cities, higher education institutions, and public hospitals. 05/06 referred to the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Todd Hunter. 512.463.0672. This bill needs a hearing.

SB 1104, by Sen. Birdwell, relates to the authority of the legislature, governor, and certain political subdivisions with respect to disasters and emergencies. 05/17 reported favorably w/o amendments from the House State Affairs Committee. The committee clerk needs to send the committee report to the Committee Coordinator and on to Calendars.

GRID PROTECTION AND RELIABILITY

PATRICK PRIORITY: SB 7, by Sen. Schwertner, makes sure that the ERCOT Energy Grid is reliable. 05/18 reported favorably as substituted from the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Todd Hunter. 512.463.0672. This bill needs to make it to a House Calendar.

SB 330, by Sen. Hall, relating to the resilience of the electric grid and certain municipalities. 05/17 left pending in the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Todd Hunter. 512.463.0672.

SB 1287, by Sen. King, relating to the cost of interconnecting certain electric generation facilities with the ERCOT transmission system. 05/15 left pending in the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Todd Hunter. 512.463.0672. This bill needs to be voted out of committee and sent to Calendars.

HB 1833, by Rep. Shaheen, relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of criminal mischief involving a public power supply. 05/19/2023 scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, chaired by Democrat Sen. John Whitmire. 512.463.0115.

OBSCENE BOOKS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND ACCESS TO PORNOGRAPHY ON INTERNET WEBSITES

ABBOTT EMERGENCY ITEM AND PATRICK PRIORITY: SB 13, by Sen. Paxton, protects children from obscene books in school libraries. 4/24 referred to the House State Affairs Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Todd Hunter. 512.463.0672.  This bill needs a hearing in House State Affairs.

SB 2021, by Sen. Paxton, which restricts access to sexual materials harmful to minors on an Internet website. 05/04 committee report sent to Calendars.  This bill needs to be placed on a House Calendar. Chairman Dustin Burrows. 512.463.0542.

HB 18, by Rep. Slawson, relating to the protection of minors from harmful, deceptive, or unfair trade practices in connection with the use of certain digital services. 05/15 left pending in Senate State Affairs, chaired by Republican Sen. Bryan Hughes. 512.463.0101. 05/16 Menendez signed on as co-sponsor. This bill needs to be voted out and placed on a Senate calendar.

ABBOTT EMERGENCY ITEM: HB 900, by Rep. Patterson, regulates library materials sold to or included in public school libraries. 05/11 left pending in the Senate Education Committee, chaired by Republican Sen. Brandon Creighton. 512.463.0104. This bill needs to be voted out and placed on a Senate calendar. 

HB 1181, by Rep. Shaheen, restricts access to sexual material harmful to minors on an Internet website. 05/17 committee report printed and distributed from the Senate State Affairs Committee. This bill needs to make it to a Senate Calendar.

HB 1227, by Rep. Metcalf, relating to changing the eligibility for community supervision of a person convicted of possession or promotion of child pornography.  05/19 scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, chaired by Democrat Sen. John Whitmire. 512.463.0115.

HB 1730, by Rep. Schaefer, enhancing the penalty for indecent exposure from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor if the person on trial has once previously been convicted of such an offense. It is further enhanced to a state jail felony if the person on trial has been convicted for indecent exposure two or more times. 05/19 scheduled for a public hearing in Senate Criminal Justice Committee, chaired by Democrat Sen. John Whitmire. 512.463.0115.

HB 4520, by Rep. Harris, Cody, relating to employment and retirement consequences for an educator convicted of or placed on deferred adjudication community supervision for the sale, distribution or display of materials harmful minors. 05/15 left pending the Senate Finance Committee.  SB 1972, by Sen. Bettencourt, 05/01 left pending in the Senate Finance Committee, chaired by Republican Sen. Joan Huffman. 512.463.0117. HB 4520 needs a hearing in Senate Finance.