85th Texas Legislature Regular Session Update – February 14, 2017

The Texas Legislature has filed the following bills for consideration during Texas’ 85th legislative session. The session began on January 10, 2017. March 10, 2017, is the deadline for filing most bills. While the Legislature has begun referring bills to committees, the committees have not yet begun meeting.

You can read more on the Texas Senate News page, the Texas House of Representatives News page, and from the Texas Tribune. (If you have a favorite source of info, please share!)

Additional resources:

• January Advisors has a website that displays an interactive map providing detailed information in regards to district geography and politics. You can click on each district and see what the selected representative from that area has proposed.
• Download a list of current state and federal legislation pertinent to Gulf-Houston Regional Conservation Plan (PDF) issues.
• The Nature Conservancy organization promotes the development of solutions that conserve nature as well as those around it. They are currently engaging in the 85th Texas Legislature and have a Texas State Legislative Priorities list explaining their efforts to promote preserving the environment.
• The Texas A&M Transportation Institute Policy Center is currently reviewing three bills relating to ridesharing: SB 113, SB 176, & SB 361. Off the Kuff provides a detailed insight explaining what the bills consist of as well as their current status in the legislation.

House Bills

• HB 1481 – Relating to the abolition of the fee established by the commissioner of the General Land Office for processing applications for terminal facility discharge prevention and response certificates. (in companion with SB 743)
• HB 1648 – Relating to the designation of a water conservation coordinator by a retail public water utility to implement a water conservation plan.
• HB 1662 – Relating to the appeal of the additional ad valorem taxes imposed as a result of certain changes in the use of agricultural land, open-space land, and timber land.
• HB 1672 – Relating to the regulation of prescribed burning by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
• HB 1685 – Relating to the authority of the General Land Office to sell retail electric power.
• HB 1717 – Relating to wind energy conversion systems and facilities and the rights of owners of land on which the systems and facilities are located; providing an administrative penalty.
• HB 1818 - Relating to the continuation and functions of the Railroad Commission of Texas; providing for the imposition of fees.
• HB 1856 - Relating to the creation of a defense under the Solid Waste Disposal Act for persons engaged in certain recycling transactions.
• HB 1862 - Relating to the designation of certain river or stream segments as being of unique ecological value. (None of the segments are in the greater Houston region.)
• HB 1903 - Relating to the use of toll project revenue for air quality projects. (This bill proposes to prohibit use of toll revenue for air quality projects.)
• HJR 68 – Proposing a constitutional amendment repealing the provision which subjects land designated for agricultural use to an additional tax when the land is diverted to a purpose other than agricultural use or sold.

Senate Bills

• SB 781 – Relating to a limitation on the location of solid waste facilities.
• SB 782 – Relating to the ownership and local regulation of trees and timber. (This bill proposes to prohibit a city or county from trimming or removing trees or timber on the landowners land, but allowing for a city or county to assess a mitigation fee.)
• SB 821 - Relating to the qualifications for membership on the Texas Water Development Board.
• SB 822 - Relating to the transfer of certain property in Austin from The University of Texas System to the Parks and Wildlife Department.
• SB 864 - Relating to the procedure for obtaining a right to use state water if the applicant proposes an alternative source of water that is not state water.
• SB 866 - Relating to the use of money in the state water pollution control revolving fund.

Common Authors & Counties they Represent

• Workman, Paul– Travis
• Phillips, Larry– Delta, Fannin, Grayson
• Rodriguez, Jose– El Paso
• Kolkhorst, Lois– Washington