Legislative Updates

Each week during Texas legislative sessions, TDCAA recaps the most important news and events. Look to this page for current and past issues of TDCAA’s Legislative Updates.

For information concerning legislation filed during the 87th Regular Session, visit the state legislature’s web site or e-mail Shannon Edmonds, Director of Governmental Relations, or call him at (512) 474-2436.

Updates

TDCAA Legislative Update: Week 18.2

May 18, 2021


Tired of getting legislative emails with mind-numbingly long lists of bills set for committee hearings? Well, have we got good news for you! This should be the final one.

Committee notice

Here it is, the last train out of Dodge City. The House bills listed below have to be heard in committee, voted favorably from that committee, and passed by the full Senate before midnight on Wednesday, May 26. It’s the only game left in town, so we’re just going to cut and paste the relevant bills from the official listing below; the text of each bill and related historical information is accessible by clicking the bill number.

Thursday, May 20

SENATE JURISPRUDENCE COMMITTEE – 9:00 a.m., 2E.20 (Betty King Committee Room)

HB 246         Murr | et al.            SP: Bettencourt
Relating to the prosecution of the criminal offense of improper relationship between educator and student.
HB 295         Murr | et al.            SP: Zaffirini
Relating to the provision of funding for indigent defense services.
HB 1706        Neave | et al.           SP: Huffman
Relating to a specialty court program to provide victim services in sexual assault cases.
HB 1758        Krause                  SP: Birdwell
Relating to law enforcement’s use of force by means of a drone.
HB 1900        Goldman | et al.         SP: Huffman
Relating to municipalities that adopt budgets that defund municipal police departments.
HB 1906        Herrero | et al.         SP: Alvarado
Relating to grants awarded to reimburse counties for the cost of monitoring defendants and victims in criminal cases involving family violence.
HB 1938        Jetton | et al.          SP: Kolkhorst
Relating to a grant program for law enforcement agencies to defray the cost of data storage for recordings created with body worn cameras.
HB 2295        Wu                      SP: Alvarado
Relating to allowing certain counties to cease operation of a juvenile justice alternative education program.
HB 2448        Canales                 SP: Hinojosa
Relating to the verification of the incarceration of an accused person in a criminal case for the purpose of discharging a surety’s liability on a bail bond.
HB 2709        Johnson, Julie           SP: Huffman
Relating to the county in which an application for court-ordered mental health services must be filed.
HB 2950        Smith                   SP: Huffman
Relating to the composition of and actions transferred by the judicial panel on multidistrict litigation.
HB 3354        Burrows                 SP: Perry
Relating to the location of certain justice courts.
HB 3360        Murr                    SP: Perry
Relating to civil actions by a civilly committed individual.
HB 3521        Hunter                  SP: Huffman
Relating to the definition of coercion for purposes of trafficking of persons.
HB 3712        Thompson, Ed | et al.    SP: West
Relating to the hiring and training of and policies for peace officers.
HB 3774        Leach | et al.           SP: Huffman
Relating to the operation and administration of and practice and procedure related to proceedings in the judicial branch of state government. [Including language from HB 3611 re: remote proceedings]
HB 3986        Guillen                 SP: Zaffirini
Relating to the collection of fines, fees, and court costs in criminal actions and proceedings.
HB 4661        Thompson, Senfronia | et al.  SP: Zaffirini
Relating to sexual harassment by lobbyists and certain elected or appointed state officers.
HJR 4          Kacal | et al.           SP: Huffman
Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the denial of bail under some circumstances to a person accused of a violent or sexual offense or of continuous trafficking of persons.
HJR 165        Jetton                  SP: Zaffirini
Proposing a constitutional amendment providing additional powers to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct with respect to candidates for judicial office.

Note that this list could be supplemented with further bills at any time.

If you want to weigh in on any of these bills, make your travel plans ASAP. After Thursday, public commentary on bills in either chamber will almost certainly be done for the session.

We’ll have another update on Friday with information on looming deadlines, what is and is not still alive, and more. Until then … stay dry!

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