Students are back in school and House members are back in the House chamber (or at least enough of them to muster a quorum).
Former Rep. Leo Pacheco (D-San Antonio) has resigned from his seat, so that means the number of House members necessary for a quorum is now 99. Three additional members returned to the House floor yesterday, so that meant the House was able to conduct business and refer bills. They did so, and then adjourned until 4:00 p.m. on Monday.
The next step in the process is for House committees to conduct hearings. At this time, three committee have posted hearings:
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SB 8 (Bettencourt/Meyer) extends a tax refund for the amount of the homestead exemption to homebuyers who qualify for it in the portion of the first year and would not otherwise receive that benefit. The Coalition worked to have language added in the Senate to ensure schools would receive state funding for such refunds.
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SB 12 (Bettencourt/Meyer), and its accompanying constitutional amendment SJR 2 (Bettencourt/Meyer) extend the same property tax rate compression provided to all other property taxpayers in 2019 to the elderly and disabled on the frozen levy. (This measure would first have to be approved by voters in May 2022.) The Coalition also worked to have language added to ensure schools would be fully funded for this additional property tax relief.
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HB 28 (Toth) requires schools provide a list of information necessary to identify teaching materials or activities assigned, distributed, or otherwise presented to students; also makes changes to laws adopted by the 87th Legislature regarding a ban on certain instructional requirements and prohibitions related to Critical Race Theory (CRT).
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SB 2 (Perry) requires students compete in UIL athletic competitions based on biological sex.
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SB 3 (Hughes) requires and prohibits certain social studies curriculum and instructional practices, related to CRT.
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SB 9 (Huffman) requires schools provide instruction and materials and adopt policies relating to the prevention of child abuse, family violence, and dating violence, and requires a parental opt-out.
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SB 15 (Taylor) allows school districts to qualify for FSP funding for virtual and off-campus electronic instruction for up to 10% of students (or more if waiver is granted) through 2023.
The
House Select Committee on Constitutional Rights & Remedies is
meeting today to hear
SJR 3, which relates to bail for certain offenders and
SB 13, which would postpone the 2022 primary election from March until May. Then on
Saturday, August 21, the committee will meet to hear the
SB 1 (Hughes), which has been dubbed the
election integrity bill about which members of both political parties have such strong feelings.
Other bills of interest that have not yet been scheduled for committee hearings, but we will be watching for include:
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13th check for TRS retirees: SB 7 (Huffman) would provide a 13th check (up to $2,400) for TRS retirees who retired on or before December 31, 2020. This bill was referred to the House Appropriations Committee.
- The topic of continued funding for the legislative branch of government has yet to pass either chamber yet, but you can expect those committee hearings to come on either HB 1, which was referred to the House Appropriations Committee or SB 10, which was left pending in the Senate Finance Committee.
