SD 11 SREC: District 129 Newsletter

Hurricane Harvey Bills Pass Texas House

On Wednesday, the Texas House of Representatives passed 17 bills relating to lessons the State of Texas learned in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. These bills expand upon the things that were done well, and seek to make improvements in areas where we can do better in the future.

I am proud to have authored House Bill 2320, which will help Texas protect its critical infrastructure from the next disaster. This bill, along with the 16 other bills passed this week, work together to improve flood mitigation and disaster response, recovery and preparedness.

Rebuilding our communities, strengthening our infrastructure, mitigating floods and ensuring Texas is better prepared to respond to future natural disasters is a top priority.

The Governor's Commission to Rebuild Texas published their report "Eye of the Storm" with about 44 policy recommendations that address critical issues we faced during Harvey.

In the months since Harvey made landfall, it has become increasingly clear that we must streamline and improve our approach to disaster response, recovery and preparedness. The majority of these bills fulfill the Rebuild Texas recommendations.

These bills provide our state with more efficient organization, effective coordination, accessible information to the public, timelier assistance and stronger partnerships with first responders.

Most importantly, these bills reduce red tape for Texans - such as debris removal, access to better and faster resources to facilitate response and recovery, and creating a recovery task force to provide specialized assistance to communities.

Whether it's a hurricane, a flood, a tornado, or a wildfire, the Texas Legislature is committed to making Texas better prepared and more resilient for future disasters.

H.B. 302 Passes the House

This week my House Bill 302, which clarifies a person's right under state law to transport their firearm to and from their residence, passed the House of Representatives with broad, bipartisan support.

H.B. 304 Passes the House

This week my House Bill 304, which will make pro-taxpayer reforms to municipal management district taxing units, passed the House of Representatives and is currently pending in the Texas Senate.

Bills Moving Through Committee

HB 3365, which will expand Good Samaritan protections for volunteers during disaster response, was heard in the House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence on Monday. This bill has also been voted out of committee and is waiting to be scheduled for floor debate before the full House of Representatives.

I presented five other bills in four committees this week:

House Committee on Natural Resources

House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety

House Committee on Ways & Means

House Committee on Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Presenting H.B. 3365 to the House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

A Look Ahead

A preview of next week's legislative events at the Capitol. A calendar is a list of bills that will be considered by the House of Representatives.

Monday

The House of Representatives convenes at 11:00 a.m. to consider a calendar and House Bill 2, which was postponed from this week, and which will provide a major overhaul of the property tax system.

Tuesday

The House Committee on Land & Resource Management meets at 8:00 a.m. I will present two bills to the committee.

The House Committee on Insurance, of which I am a member, meets at 8:00 a.m.

The House of Representatives convenes at 10:00 a.m. to consider a calendar.

Wednesday

The House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety, on which I serve as Vice Chairman, meets at 8:00 a.m. The House of Representatives convenes at 10:00 a.m. to consider a calendar.

Thursday

The House of Representatives convenes at 9:00 a.m. to consider a calendar.

How to Keep Track of Legislation

To keep track of my legislation, and the legislation of other members, you can visit the Texas Legislature Online by clicking this link: www.capitol.texas.gov.