SD 11 SREC: E-Newletter from State Representative Dennis Paul

HOUSE BILL 501 & 505 PASS OUT OF THE TEXAS HOUSE

Read more about the bills below:

On May 3, we passed both pieces of legislation on Ethics Reform which are currently in Senate Committee.

HB 501:

Expands transparency and disclosure requirements for state ethics reporting by requiring elected officials to disclose contracts with governmental entities, including bond counsel services, and legal referral fees.
Broadly, HB 501 proposes three disclosure reforms. First, the bill requires that elected officers and candidates disclose contracts for goods or services between themselves, or their spouse or dependent child, and governmental entities. Second, HB 501 requires legislators that offer bond counsel services to public issuers, such as water districts or cities, to disclose specific information regarding each issuance. Lastly, the bill requires state officers that are attorneys to report specific information regarding legal referrals, including the date the referral is made, the style of the case referred, and the referral fee paid.

HB 505:

Prohibits the use of campaigns funds by a former officeholder that has registered as a lobbyist for two years following their retirement from office. This change establishes a two-year cooling off period before former elected officials can use their campaign war chests for lobbying purposes.

85th Legislative Session

Paul Legislation on the move

HB946 Paul/SB2001 L. Taylor: Relating to vehicles exempt from vehicle safety inspections

HB1197 Paul: Relating to the training period for a temporary insurance agent's license.

HB2015 Paul: Relating to the disclosure of certain registration information by the voter registrar.

HB2270 Paul: Relating to the requirements of service and duties of certain election officers amended to HB1735 Faircloth: Relating to certain election officers.

HCR87 Paul: Urging Congress to direct the Department of Defense to relocate the United States Africa Command to Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston.

HB2665 Paul/SB1012 Creighton: Relating to notification by an insurer of certain disciplinary actions imposed on the insurer for a violation of the insurance laws of another state.

HB3343 Paul/SB1171 Estes: Relating to the suspension and reactivation of the operation of the Texas Health Reinsurance System

HR362 Paul: Recognizing March 7, 2017, as Space Day at the State Capitol and honoring NASA.

HR665 Paul: Congratulating William A. Staples on his retirement as president of the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

To read more about legislation filed throughout the 85th click here.

REP. PAUL MEETS WITH GOV. ABBOTT

Representative Paul and his staff had the honor to meet with the Governor for official 85th Legislature photo


	Rep. Paul and team pictured with Gov. Abbott.

Representative Paul and staff had the pleasure to discuss the legislative session from staff and member perspective with Governor Abbott on Friday. Although brief, the Governor showed enthusiasm for the 85th Legislature, and was incredibly grateful to the staff that has worked hard with through this session. To learn more about the Legislative process, click here.

ORION TEAM MAKES GRAND SLIDES

Building up for crewed flight, Orion members ramp up for space exploration

April 2017 was a month full of significant milestones for the Orion program. The foundation is being built for our nation's first crewed space flights which will take astronauts beyond the moon and on to destinations farther than ever traveled by humans before. Machining major parts of the Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2) Orion crew module, testing for the crew escape system, developing a new advanced laser communications system, and structural testing on the crew module were among the many program accomplishments this past month.

Click here to read more from the Orion.

THE 2017 HURRICANE SEASON IS HERE

Governor Abbott urges Texans to start preparing now

June 1^st marks the start of the 2017 hurricane season, although the season officially started in April when Tropical Storm Arlene formed over the north Atlantic.

This is the third consecutive year that a storm has formed before the official start of hurricane season. Tropical Storm Ana formed in May 2015 and Hurricane Alex formed in January 2016.

This year, weather experts are predicting a slightly below-average Atlantic hurricane season. They are forecasting 11 named storms, four of those could become hurricanes, and two could possibly reach major hurricane strength. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1^st to November 30^th, but the peak of the season on average occurs from mid-August to mid-October.

Click here to read more.

Capitol Visitor Information

My staff and I welcome everyone to visit our office as well as the historic Capitol building. If you are planning a trip to the Capitol be sure to stop by our office, Room E2.814. Here are some helpful tips for your visit:

- Texas Capitol Visitor Center

- Texas State Preservation Board

- The Bullock Texas State History Museum

For Austin scheduling inquiries during legislative session, contact: kathy.haigler@house.texas.gov