SD 11 SREC: District 129 Session Newsletter

This week the Texas House passed four of my bills, HB 2121, HB 2920, HB 3893, and HB 4993. House Bill 2121 removes a notary requirement to make it easier for Texans to file property tax forms. House Bill 2920 will provide parents and prospective students with more transparency on the actual cost of higher education. House Bill 3993 allows the Gulf Coast Authority's board of directors to meet online. House Bill 4993 allows the Gulf Coast Authority to serve as a conduit financer for certain projects.

I have filed 30 bills on a wide range of issues affecting the people of Texas. This week I had four bills passed out of the House. If you would like to track my legislation, please click HERE.

Our hearing for the House Committee on Higher Education is Monday, May 1st, at 10:00 AM. We will hear testimony on various bills. Please click HERE to see the bills and to watch online.

Our hearing for the House Committee on Insurance is Tuesday, May 2nd, at 8:00 AM. We will hear testimony on various bills. Please click HERE to see the bills and to watch online.

If you need further information about the session, please keep reading and do not hesitate to contact my staff if you have any questions.

It is an honor to serve you in the Texas House of Representatives.

Updates

House Bill 3 & House Bill 13

HB 3 and HB 13, which I was a co-author of, empowers school districts to better protect students and teachers in the classroom by enhancing school safety standards, procedures, emergency planning, and providing school staff the training, resources, and authority they need to actively protect schools. Additional funding would be provided to meet new standards.

Senate Bill 10

Retired Texas educators invested their careers in our classrooms, and it’s time we invested in them. SB 10 which I cosponsored in the House delivers a cost-of-living adjustment to retired teachers, enhancing their well-earned retirement benefits

House Bill 11

HB 11 addresses the critical issue of teacher shortages in Texas by proposing significant reforms to improve the recruitment, retention, and preparation of Texas educators. HB 11 allocates over $500 million for recruitment and retention strategies, provides teacher’s children with access to free public school pre-K, and waives all teacher and certification fees for any teacher entering the field. These items are necessary for maintaining an educated population and productive workforce in Texas. HB 11 passed the Texas House on April 27, and the Senate will review the bill in the coming weeks.

House Bill 100

Yesterday, HB 100 passed the bill providing financial certainty to school districts to calculate their budgets by shifting to an enrollment-based system for most allotments in the state’s school finance system. The bill invests $4.5B into the public school finance system and requires districts to devote 50% of new money to educator and staff pay. Under HB 100, special education funding would also be expanded across the state.

House Bill 9

HB 9, which I coauthored, establishes the Texas Broadband Infrastructure Fund to facilitate affordable and universal access to high-speed internet, a crucial step toward enhancing the quality of life for Texans while also boosting their economic prospects. By increasing internet access across the state, HB 9 will open up a world of possibilities for Texans to thrive and prosper. The Broadband Infrastructure Fund was passed by the House on April 27 and will be considered by the Senate soon.

House Bill 18

I am proud to be a co-author of HB 18, also known as the SCOPE Act, which protects children from the harmful effects of social media by requiring parental consent for minors to use digital services. It also requires disclosure of advertising and provides parents with more control over their children’s online settings, further protecting children from big tech’s push of harmful and deceptive advertising. The SCOPE Act passed the House on April 26 and awaits review in the Senate.

January Tornado Update

Attached you will find a letter from Harris County Appraisal District Board of Directors Chairman Mike Sullivan regarding the information on the Temporary Disaster Exemption because the Harris Central Appraisal District has identified damaged property in your area.

According to the Texas Tax Code, A qualified property that has at least 15% property damage in a governor-declared disaster area can receive a temporary exemption of a portion of the appraised value of the property, which could reduce their 2023 property taxes.

The deadline for residents to file the application is May 11^th.

How to Track Legislation

Ever wonder how the laws that impact your everyday life originate? While this graphic provides you with a simplified overview, You can walk through the entire legislative process by reading this blog post from the Texas House Republican Caucus on how a bill becomes a law in Texas. From a bill being introduced to it becoming law or vetoed, there are many steps ahead for the many bills that have been filed.