Last week, the Texas House approved a $218 billion budget. The 16-hour debate resulted in a 131-16 vote with agreement to tap into the state’s Economic Stabilization Fund, better known as the Rainy Day fund. Rep. Zerwas, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, was able to gain the 100 votes (two-thirds) needed to tap the Fund, which is expected to hit nearly $12 billion by the end of the biennium.
Much of the budget provided support to Child Protective Services (CPS). While CPS has been a top priority in both the House and Senate, there was a hard hit to the state’s Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF). The House approved redirecting $43 million from TEF to CPS and foster care as well as a program that pays for physical, occupational, and speech therapy services for disabled children. The Chamber as well as the Metro 8 has been active in advocating for TEF, as the program has been a valuable tool to bring companies to Texas and create jobs. According to Governor Abbott’s Office, TEF has brought 15 companies to Texas since the last legislative session, creating 5,600 jobs with an average salary of $77,000.
An amendment filed by Rep. Able Herrero (D-Robstown) was approved that prohibits diversion of public education funding to private school tuition in the form of vouchers, education savings accounts, or tuition scholarships. The budget also included big cuts to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the state’s Film Incentive Program. The amendment filed by Representatives Mike Schofiled (R-Katy) and Matt Krause (R-Fort Worth) would cut $10 million per year from the budget for air quality control programs administered by the TCEQ. The amendment filed by Rep. Matt Shaheen (R-Plano) would zero-out the state’s Film Incentive Program, redirecting $10 million to the Healthy Texas Women marketing program.
The budget will now go to conference committee, where members of each chamber will meet behind closed doors to negotiate budget details and the proposed amendments.
In addition, the Chamber has been monitoring various other bills that align with our state legislative agenda. We have also been working with our Metro 8 colleagues to keep in close contact with our state representatives. Last Tuesday, Chamber staff joined our Metro 8 chambers at the State Capitol to meet with several members of the House to discuss education, transportation, and economic development programs. Meetings took place with Chairman Zerwas; Rep. Larry Gonzalez, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Article VI, VII, VIII; and Rep. Geanie Morrison, Chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
The Chamber has registered the following positions:
SB 2 (Bettencourt) – Relating to ad valorem taxation
Position: Oppose
Legislative Priority – General Business
SB 6 (Kolkhorst) – Relating to the regulations and policies for entering or using a bathroom or changing facility.
Position: Oppose
Legislative Priority – General Business
SB 10 (Hancock) / HB 1774 (Bonnen) – Relating to insurance claims and certain prohibited acts and practices in the business of insurance.
Position: Support (Letter of Support)
SB 99 (Hall) – Relating to the abolishment of the music, film, television, and multimedia office of the governor and other incentives for media.
Position: Oppose
Legislative Priority – Economic Development
SB 105 (Hall) – Relating to abolishing the Major Events reimbursement program fund, Motor Sports Racing trust fund, and Events trust fund.
Position: Oppose
Legislative Priority – Economic Development
SB 385 (Burton) – Relating to voter approval of local acceptance and use of federal funds for passenger rail projects.
Position: Oppose
Legislative Priority – Transportation
SB 570 (Rodriguez) – Relates to the regulation of the retention, storage, transportation and disposal of used or scrap tires; providing a civil penalty; creating a criminal offense.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Water
SB 715 (Campbell) - Relating to municipal annexation
Position: Oppose
Legislative Priority – General Business
SB 794 (Miles) – Relating to the biennial report to the legislature on grants made to entities under Texas Enterprise Fund.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Economic Development
SB 802 (Seliger) – Relating to a study and report regarding best practices in provision of dual credit courses by public institutions of higher education and the transfer of course credit.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
SB 1004 (Hancock) – Relating to the deployment of network nodes in public rights-of-way.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Cybersecurity
SB 1152 (Menendez) – Relating to excused absences from public school for the purpose of pursuing enlistment in a branch of the armed services of the United States or the Texas National Guard.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Military
SB 1622 (Uresti) – Relating to the creation of a statewide alert system for missing military members.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Military
SB 1843 (Campbell) – Relating to providing an opportunity for public high school students in grades 10 through 12 to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test or an alternative vocational aptitude test.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Military
SB 1855 (Uresti) – Relating to the authority of a defense base development authority to participate in a company or partnership organized to finance redevelopment projects.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Military
HB 8 (Capriglione) – Relating to cybersecurity for state agency information resources.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Cybersecurity
HB 21 (Huberty) – Relating to the public school finance system.
Position: Support (Testified on 3/21)
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
HB 94 (Dutton) – Relating to the basic allotment and the equalized wealth level under the public school finance system.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
HB 186 (Bernal) – Relating to a study regarding the costs of educating educationally disadvantaged students and students limited English proficiency.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
HB 299 (Larson) / HB 424 (Huberty)
Position: Oppose (Letter of Opposition 4/5)
Legislative Priority – General Business
HB 404 (Anchia) - Relating to higher education curriculum review teams to review public school curriculum standards for college readiness purposes.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
HB 546 (Deshotel) – Relating to limiting certain state-required assessment instruments administered to public school students in certain grades to assessments required by federal law.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
HB 620 (Leach) – Relating to the first day of instruction for public schools.
Position: Oppose
Legislative Priority – Tourism and Hospitality
HB 639 (Anderson) - Relating to authorizing the purchase of certain insurance coverage by public school districts for the benefit of businesses and students participating in career or technology training programs and providing for immunity from liability of certain public school students participating in career or technology programs.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
HB 655 (Clardy) – Relating to the filing of a degree plan by students at a public junior college.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
HB 710 (Wu) - Relating to providing free full-day prekindergarten for certain children.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
HB 728 (Guerra) - Relating to the establishment by the commissioner of education of an advanced computer science program for high school students.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
HB 811 (King) – Relating to the extension of additional state aid for tax reduction provided to certain school districts.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
HB 1048 (Minjarez) – Relating to the acknowledgment by management of risks identified in state agency information security plans.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Cybersecurity
HB 1081 (Arevalo) – Relating to the new instructional facility allotment under the foundation school program.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
HB 1198 (Rodriguez) – Relating to the filing of a degree plan by students at public junior colleges.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
HB 1245 (Cortez) – Relating to funding for public school career and technology programs.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
HB 1605 (Blanco) – Relating to the powers and duties of the Department of Information Resources regarding cybersecurity.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Cybersecurity
HB 2005 (Larson) – Relating to the duty of the Texas Water Development Board to conduct studies of and prepare and submit reports on aquifer storage and recovery.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Water
HB 2051 (Huberty) – Relating to the new instructional facility allotment under the foundation school program.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Talent Development
HB 2761 (Cortez) – Relating to the powers and duties of a defense based development authority.
Position: Support
Legislative Priority – Military
