SENATE FLOOR ACTION

Friday

May 29, 2015

The Senate adopted the following resolutions:

Suspending limitations on conference committee jurisdiction, H.B. 923.

Suspending limitations on conference committee jurisdiction, S.B. 684.

Suspending limitations on conference committee jurisdiction on HB 1.

Suspending limitations on conference committee jurisdiction, H.B. 910.

Suspending limitations on conference committee jurisdiction, S.J.R. 5.

Recalling H.B. 2187 from the Senate for further consideration.

The Senate concurred in House amendments to the following:

Proposing a constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation for public school purposes and providing for a reduction of the limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for those purposes on the homestead of an elderly or disabled person to reflect the increased exemption amount, authorizing the legislature to prohibit a political subdivision that has adopted an optional residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation from reducing the amount of or repealing the exemption, and prohibiting the enactment of a law that imposes a transfer tax on a transaction that conveys fee simple title to real property.

Relating to the continuation and functions of the Department of Family and Protective Services and procedures applicable to suits affecting the parent-child relationship, investigations of child abuse and neglect, and conservatorship of a child; affecting fee amounts and authorizing an administrative penalty.

Relating to the continuation and functions of the Texas Workforce Commission.

Relating to student use of sunscreen products in public schools.

Relating to certain health-related and other task forces and advisory committees.

Relating to Foundation School Program funding for students enrolled in an optional flexible school day program.

Relating to pretrial settlement discussions during ad valorem tax appeals.

Relating to certain event trust funds and the abolishment of the special event trust fund.

Relating to the Texas Real Estate Commission and the regulation of certain real estate professionals.

Relating to the authority of the Public Utility Commission of Texas to review transmission interconnections that enable imports or exports from the ERCOT power grid.

Relating to the authority to determine the supply of groundwater in certain regional water plans.

Relating to prohibiting the reidentification of certain deidentified information and the release of reidentified information; creating a criminal offense; providing a civil penalty.

Relating to a pilot program for donation and redistribution of certain unused prescription medications; authorizing a fee.

Relating to the Texas Forensic Science Commission, the accreditation of crime laboratories, and the licensing and regulation of forensic analysts; authorizing fees; requiring an occupational license.

Relating to nonsubstantive additions to and corrections in enacted codes, to the nonsubstantive codification or disposition of various laws omitted from enacted codes, and to conforming codifications enacted by the 83rd Legislature to other Acts of that legislature.

Relating to the powers and duties, the construction of laws, and the election dates of certain groundwater conservation districts.

Relating to the protection of certain children through the operation of the child safety check alert list.

Relating to the prescription, administration, and possession of certain opioid antagonists for the treatment of suspected opioid overdoses.

Relating to the redesignation of veterans court programs as veterans treatment court programs and the eligibility for participation in and administration of those programs.

Relating to a study on homeless veterans.

Relating to the duties of the Title IV-D agency regarding the establishment, collection, and enforcement of child support.

Relating to the appointment of attorneys ad litem, guardians ad litem, mediators, and guardians.

Relating to the development and maintenance by each state agency of a data use agreement for the state agency's employees and to training related to that agreement.

Relating to requirements for the issuance of a driver's license or personal identification certificate.

The Senate refused to concur in House amendments and requested the appointment of a Conference Committee on the following:

Relating to the powers and duties, the construction of laws, and the election dates of certain groundwater conservation districts.

Relating to a bill of rights for wards under guardianship.

Relating to the imposition of additional fees for filing civil cases and for recording certain documents in Hidalgo County and Cameron County.

Relating to adult day services facilities.

The Senate granted the request for the appointment of a Conference Committee on the following:

Relating to the management and oversight of state contracts, including contracts for information technology commodity items.

Relating to college and career readiness training for certain public school counselors and postsecondary advisors.

Relating to state economic development measures, including abolishment of the Texas emerging technology fund, creation of the governor's university research initiative, and the administration of programs to support certain events.

Relating to public junior college district branch campuses, including a requirement that the South Texas Community College District establish an extension facility in a certain location.

Relating to the retirement benefits for certain elected state officials.

Relating to the establishment and administration of a state bullion depository; authorizing fees.

Relating to the essential knowledge and skills of the required public school curriculum and to certain assessment instruments for public school students.

Relating to the sale of alcoholic beverages to customers of a package store during certain hours.

Relating to the display of notice of federal and state tax rates for motor fuel sold at retail.

Relating to the disclosure of interested parties by persons contracting with governmental entities and state agencies.

Relating to the construction of certain statutes and rules that create or define criminal offenses and penalties and a review of certain penal laws of this state.

Relating to public school interventions for truancy and eliminating a criminal penalty and authorizing a civil penalty for truancy.

Relating to public school Internet website information concerning local programs and services available to assist homeless students.

Relating to the use of hotel occupancy tax revenue in certain municipalities.

Relating to public school accountability, including the expansion of or renewal of the charter of an open-enrollment charter school and the intervention in and sanction of a public school that has received an academically unsuccessful performance rating for at least two consecutive school years.

Relating to the repeal of certain alcoholic beverage taxes and the tax on controlled substances.

Relating to the allocation of state hotel occupancy tax revenue to certain barrier island coastal municipalities.

Relating to the authority of certain counties to impose a hotel occupancy tax.

Relating to participation of the state military forces in the state group benefits program.

Relating to the organization of a grand jury.

Relating to municipal regulation of the use of alarm systems; authorizing a municipal fee.

Relating to the State Board for Educator Certification, educator preparation programs, and educator certification.

Relating to transfer of the oversight of the Texas State Cemetery to the State Preservation Board.

Relating to increasing the punishment for certain persons convicted of the offense of possession or promotion of child pornography.

Relating to court jurisdiction and procedures relating to truancy; establishing judicial donation trust funds; providing criminal penalties; imposing a court cost.

Relating to legal services provided by a district or county attorney to county and precinct officials.

Relating to the exchange of health information in this state; creating a criminal offense.

Relating to the prosecution of certain offenses involving family violence and to the violation of certain court orders or conditions of bond in a family violence, sexual assault or abuse, or stalking case.

Relating to evaluation of public school performance.

Relating to the period of time allowed for appointment of a board of managers for a school district.

Relating to the territory, jurisdiction, board composition, elections, and powers of the Barton Springs-Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, including its authority to regulate certain wells for the production of groundwater; imposing a cap on certain fees.

Relating to issues affecting counties and other governmental entities.

Relating to low income housing tax credits awarded for certain developments.

Relating to the use of hotel occupancy tax revenues in certain municipalities and the authority of certain counties to impose a county hotel occupancy tax; authorizing the imposition of a tax.

Relating to conflicts of interest by members of state agency governing boards and governing officers; creating a criminal offense.

Relating to eminent domain powers of certain conservation and reclamation districts.

The Senate adopted conference committee reports on the following bills:

Proposing a constitutional amendment temporarily dedicating a portion of the revenue derived from the state sales and use tax to the state highway fund.

Relating to an increase in the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district, a reduction of the limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed by a school district on the homestead of an elderly or disabled person to reflect the increased exemption amount, and the protection of school districts against the resulting loss in state and local revenue.

Relating to the designation of certain optometrists, therapeutic optometrists, and ophthalmologists as preferred providers.

Relating to the authority of certain political subdivisions to change the date of their general elections.

Relating to the creation of the offense of cargo theft.

General Appropriations Bill.

Relating to the prescription and pharmaceutical substitution of biological products; amending provisions subject to a criminal penalty.

Relating to the authority of a person who is licensed to carry a handgun to openly carry a holstered handgun; creating criminal offenses.

Relating to the issuance of 36th Infantry Division specialty license plates.

Relating to the fiscal transparency of political subdivisions.