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86th Texas Legislature Updates: April 23, 2019

86th Texas Legislature Updates: April 23, 2019

The 86th Legislature House and Senate have been assigning bills to committees, holding public committee hearings, distributing reports on bills, and voting on legislation. Activities are described below.

Bayou Land Conservancy is a conservation group that works to permanently protect wetlands and other ecologically valuable habitat through partnerships with willing landowners. This session, they have closely been following Senate Bill 2126. This bill is in relation to taking sand, gravel, marl, shell, and mud-shell for Texas rivers. The Conservancy is concerned that this bill would allow in-stream mining without permit or payment of royalty and that no additional over site or safeguard language is included. This would be of particular concern in the San Jacinto River watershed and in most of the bayou systems in and around Houston. For more information on Bayou Land Conservancy go to bayoulandconservancy.org.


The last day for House committees to report House Bills and House Joint Resolutions is May 6, 2019. The last day for Senate committees to report Senate and Senate Joint Resolutions is May 18, 2019.

We’d love to know what bills you are watching. Send an email tomadeline.bell@cechouston.org.

More information about the 86th Texas Legislative session can be found at capitol.texas.gov.

Now that the regular deadline for filing bills in the Texas Legislature has passed, the focus is on committee work. If a committee approves a bill, it is then set back to the legislative chamber for consideration. If approved, it is sent to the opposite chamber. If a bill makes it to a vote and is passed by both the House and Senate, it is sent to the Governor who will either sign it into law, allow it to become law without a signature, or veto it.

Senate

Bills received and assigned to senate committee

  • Natural Resources and Economic Development
    • HB 1953: Relating to the conversion of plastics and other recoverable materials through pyrolysis or gasification.
    • HB 3246: Relating to the treatment and recycling for beneficial use of certain waste arising out of or incidental to the drilling for or production of oil or gas.
  • Water and Rural Affairs
    • HB 488: Relating to the protection of public freshwater areas.
    • HB 1824: Relating to use of funds collected by the Parks and Wildlife Commission from the sale of certain materials.

Updates on senate committee and Bills

  • Agriculture- met April 15, 2019
  • Finance- will meet April 24, 2019
    • Bills out of Committee
      • SB 1205: Relating to an appropriation of money from the general revenue fund to the State Soil and Water Conservation Board for the purpose of eradicating Carrizo cane, contingent on the receipt of federal funds for the same purpose.
  • Health and Human Services- met April 23, 2019
  • Natural Resources and Economic Development- will meet April 24, 2019
    • Scheduled for a public hearing
      • SB 950: Relating to the definition of a commercial hazardous waste management facility.
      • HB 1953: Relating to the conversion of plastics and other recoverable materials through pyrolysis or gasification.
      • HB 3246:Relating to the treatment and recycling for beneficial use of certain waste arising out of or incidental to the drilling for or production of oil or gas.
    • Bills out of Committee
  • Water and Rural Affairs- will meet April 24,2019

House of Representatives

updates on house committee bills

More information about the 86th Texas Legislative session can be found at capitol.texas.gov.