86th Texas Legislature Updates: May 7, 2019

May 9, 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.

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

Weâ€™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 sent 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 COMMITTEES

Business and Commerce
- HB 4584: Relating to sale of returnable containers; creating a criminal offense.
Health and Human Services
- HB 1694: Relating to limitations on food regulations at farms, farmers’ markets, and cottage food production operations.
Natural Resources and Economic Development
- HB 1331: Relating to the application fee for a permit for a municipal solid waste facility; imposing a fee.
- HB 1346: Relating to the eligibility requirements for the diesel emissions reduction incentive program.
- HB 1435: Relating to the inspection of a municipal solid waste management facility or site by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality before a permit application is issued, amended, extended, or renewed.
- HB 1627: Relating to the removal of certain counties from the Texas emissions reduction plan.
- HB 1694: Relating to limitations on food regulations at farms, farmers’ markets, and cottage food production operations.
- HB 2203: Relating to notice of a radioactive substance release.
- HB 2771: Relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to issue permits for the discharge into water in this state of produced water, hydrostatic test water, and gas plant effluent resulting from certain oil and gas activities.
Property Tax
- HB 3348: Relating to the eligibility of land on which the Texas Animal Health Commission has established a temporary quarantine for ticks for appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes as agricultural or open-space land.
Water and Rural Affairs
- HB 137: Relating to reports by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality about dams that have certain hazard classifications.
- HB 191: Relating to the disposal of pesticides.

UPDATES ON SENATE COMMITTEES AND BILLS

Agriculture- met May 7, 2019
- Bills out of Committee
  - SB 1672: Relating to the detection and mitigation of plant pests and diseases.
    - Voted on and passed in the Senate
  - SB 1884: Relating to the protection of animal and crop facilities; creating a criminal offense.
    - Reported favorably as substitute
Finance- met May 7, 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.
    - Voted on and passed by the Senate
Health and Human Services- met May 7, 2019
- Bills out of committee
  - SB 1122: Relating to the establishment of a sanitarian recruitment and retention program in border counties for public health purposes.
    - Voted on and passed by the Senate
Natural Resources and Economic Development- will meet May 8, 2019
- Scheduled for public hearing
  - HB 1346: Relating to the eligibility requirements for the diesel emissions reduction incentive program.
  - HB 1435: Relating to the inspection of a municipal solid waste management facility or site by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality before a permit application is issued, amended, extended, or renewed.
  - HB 2203: Relating to notice of a radioactive substance release.
    - Scheduled for May 8, 2019
- Bills out of Committee
  - SB 185: Relating to the response to certain oil or gas well accidents by state agencies and responsible parties.
    - Reported favorably as substituted
  - HB 722: Relating to the development of brackish groundwater.
    - Voted on and passed by the House
  - HB 1331: Relating to the application fee for a permit for a municipal solid waste facility; imposing a fee.
    - Reported favorably without amendment
  - HB 1627: Relating to the removal of certain counties from the Texas emissions reduction plan.
    - Reported favorably without amendment
  - HB 1953: Relating to the conversion of plastics and other recoverable materials through pyrolysis or gasification.
    - Reported favorably without amendment.Voted on and passed by Senate. Has been sent to the Governor.
  - SB 2070: Relating to a prohibition of the land application of grease or grit trap waste.
    - Voted on and passed by the Senate
  - SB 2354: Relating to judicial review of acts by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
    - Reported favorably without amendment. Voted on and passed by Senate.
  - 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.
    - Reported favorably without amendment
  - HB 3348: Relating to the eligibility of land on which the Texas Animal Health Commission has established a temporary quarantine for ticks for appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes as agricultural or open-space land.
    - Reported favorably without amendment
Property Tax- met May 2, 2019
- Bills out of Committee
  - SB 894: Relating to the additional tax imposed on land appraised for ad valorem tax purposes as agricultural, open-space, or timber land if the land is sold or diverted to a different use.
    - Reported favorably without amendment
  - HB 1409: Relating to the qualification of land for appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes as timber land or restricted-use timber land.
    - Voted on and passed by the Senate. Has been sent to the Governor.
Water and Rural Affairs- met May 6, 2019
- Bills out of Committee
  - SB 911: Relating to the supervision of water districts by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
    - Reported favorably as substituted
  - HB 1066: Relating to extensions of an expired permit for the transfer of groundwater from a groundwater conservation district.
    - Reported favorably without amendment

House of Representatives

BILLS RECEIVED FROM SENATE AND ASSIGNED TO HOUSE COMMITTEES

Agriculture and Livestock
- SB 1805: Relating to egg grading.
Appropriations
- 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.
Environmental Regulation
- SB 892: Relating to the exhaust emission systems of certain diesel-powered motor vehicles.
Public Health
- SB 1122: Relating to the establishment of a sanitarian recruitment and retention program in border counties for public health purposes.

UPDATES ON HOUSE COMMITTEES AND BILLS

Agriculture and Livestock
- Bills out of Committee- met April 29, 2019
  - HB 70: Relating to a strategic plan goal by the Department of Agriculture to prevent crop diseases and plant pests in this state.
    - Voted on and passed by the House
  - HB 1563: Relating to the licensing and regulation of animal export-import processing facilities; providing penalties; requiring an occupational license; authorizing fees.
    - Voted on and passed by the House. Voted on and passed by the House.
Culture, Recreation, and Tourism- met May 8, 2019
- Bills out of Committee
  - HB 4595: Relating to a study and report on the optimum water level of Falcon Lake.
    - Reported favorably as substituted. Voted on and passed in the House.
Energy Resources- met April 29, 2019
- Bills out of Committee
  - HB 4380: Relating to the creation of the Environmental Task Force Advisory Committee.
    - Reported favorably without amendment
Environmental Regulation- met May 1, 2019
- Bills out of Committee
  - HB 907: Relating to the penalty for failure to register certain aggregate production operations with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
    - Reported favorably without amendment
  - SB 649: Relating to promotion of the use of recyclable materials as feedstock for processing and manufacturing.
    - Reported favorably without amendment. Voted on and passed by the House.
  - HB 2771: Relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to issue permits for the discharge into water in this state of produced water, hydrostatic test water, and gas plant effluent resulting from certain oil and gas activities.
    - Voted on and passed by the House
  - HB 3224: Relating to a study on the creation of a defense under the Solid Waste Disposal Act for persons engaged in certain recycling transactions.
    - Voted on and passed by the House
  - HB 3291: Relating to the eligibility for grants for alternative fueling facilities.
    - Reported favorably without amendment
  - HB 3816: Relating to the regulatory analysis of rules proposed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
    - Reported favorably as substituted
  - HB 3930: Relating to a prohibition of the land application of grease trap waste or grit trap waste.
    - Reported favorably as substituted
  - HB 4116: Relating to a voluntary financial assurance program for permit holders under the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
    - Voted on and passed by the House
  - HB 4493: Relating to supplemental environmental projects authorized by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
    - Reported favorably without amendment
  - HB 4584: Relating to sale of returnable containers; creating a criminal offense.
    - Reported favorably without amendment
Higher Education- will meet May 8, 2019
- Bills out of Committee
  - HB 3853: Relating to biological and environmental research conducted on private land by a public or private institution of higher education and the eligibility of that land for appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes as qualified open-space land; authorizing a fee.
    - Reported favorably as substituted
Natural Resources- met May 6, 2019
- Bills out of Committee
  - HB 720: Relating to appropriations of water for recharge of aquifers and use in aquifer storage and recovery projects.
    - Voted on and passed by the House
  - HB 724: Relating to the authorization by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality of the discharge, diversion, and transfer or other reuse of treated brackish groundwater and return flows derived from treated brackish groundwater.
    - Voted on and passed by House
  - HB 3142: Relating to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality reminders to public drinking water supply systems regarding reporting requirements.
    - Voted on and passed by the House
Public Education- will meet May 8, 2019
- Bills out of Committee
  - HB 997: Relating to testing for lead contamination in public school drinking water.
    - Reported favorably as substituted