The Urban Counties Policy Analysis Project has
a final comprehensive report for the 79th Legislative Session. The Urban Counties staff reviewed and analyzed 1,280 bills over the course of the legislative session (approximately 5,600 bills were filed) that were of specific interest to county government officials. Of these, 351 were signed into law, five became law without a signature, and eleven were vetoed by Governor Perry.
The Final Legislative Report is organized by the major policy areas, which will allow county officials to easily review particular areas of interest. The analysis of each bill contains the familiar summaries prepared by the Urban Counties staff supplemented with recommended actions for county officials to consider in ensuring that they comply with the changes in the law.
Urban County members may obtain a free copy of the final report on CD-ROM by contacting
michael@cuc.org or by calling the Urban Counties offices at 512/476-6174.
Date:
February 9, 2007There
were 200 bills reviewed since the last report and 49 summaries can be
found in the
document section of the website.
Attorney General Opinions of interest
There were no attorney general opinions issued this week.
Attorney General Opinion Requests of interest
There
were 3 requests for an attorney general opinion reviewed this
week, 1 was of interest.
Agency Rule Changes of interest
There were 17 state agencies proposing rule
changes in the
Texas Register
that were reviewed this week, 2 were of interest.
-
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
proposes new rules to update the Transportation Conformity State
Implementation Plan (SIP) for Texas Nonattainment and Maintenance
Areas. The proposed rule changes update the SIP and rule to
incorporate federal changes made in 2005 and 2006. Transportation
conformity is required to ensure that transportation activities will
not cause new air quality violations, worsen existing violations, or
delay timely attainment of the relevant National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS). EPA's transportation conformity rule establishes
the criteria and procedures for determining whether transportation
activities conform to the SIP.
-
The General Land Office adopts an amendment to
rules relating to the Concurrent Dune Protection and Beachfront
Construction Standard, to allow local governments to permit the
construction of a storage area or areas with breakaway or louvered
walls in eroding areas if the construction meets National Flood
Insurance Program requirements and is not otherwise restricted by
the local government’s dune protection and access plan. The
amendment also would allow a local government to permit enclosures
as required by local building or safety codes.
Committee and Agency Meetings of interest
House Appropriations
Health and Human Services
8:30 A.M., JHR 140
|
|
Health and Human Services Commission
Department of Aging and Disability Services |
House Government Reform
10:30 A.M. or Adj., E2.014
|
|
HB 67
|
Leibowitz |
Relating to energy-saving devices and options for
vending machines in buildings owned or leased by the
state. |
|
|
The
committee will also hear overviews on the following:
Sunset Advisory Commission
Legislative Budget Board
Comptroller's Office
State Auditor's Office
Association of Counties
Municipal League
Association of School Boards |
House Judiciary
2:00 P.M. or Adj., E2.028
|
|
HB 290
|
Naishtat |
Relating to the fee charged for depositing a will during
a testatort's life. |
|
General Remarks: |
MV-Increases the fee for depositing a will with the
county clerk during the testator's lifetime from $3 to
$5. |
|
|
HB 334
|
Hartnett |
Relating to district court jurisdiction over suits
concerning trusts. |
|
|
HB 335
|
Hartnett |
Relating to the time for a court reporter to provide a
transcript of the evidence in a case. |
|
General Remarks: |
MV-Imposes a 120 day time limit for a court reporter to
provide a transcript from the date a person applies for
it and pays the transcript fee or establishes indigency.
|
|
|
HB 336
|
Hartnett |
Relating to the administration and operation of certain
trusts. |
|
|
HB 368
|
Hartnett |
Relating to disposition of surplus computer equipment
and the grant of money by the Office of Court
Administration. |
|
General Remarks: |
MV-Removes the authority of the Judicial Committee on IT
to fund grants for technological support of the
judiciary and gives it to the Office of Court
Administration (OCA). Grants may be awarded to local or
state governmental entities in the judicial branch of
government. Permits the OCA to give preference when
transferring surplus property to these types of
entities. Repeals a statute establishing a specific
judicial technology account. |
|
|
HB 369
|
Hardcastle |
Relating to the appointment of bailiffs for the 97th
Judicial District. |
|
|
HB 622
|
Hardcastle |
Relating to the application of the professional
prosecutors law to the district attorney for the 46th
Judicial District. |
|
|
HB 632
|
King, Phil |
Relating to the appointment of bailiffs for the 415th
District Court. |
|
|
HB 723
|
Solomons |
Relating to an annual report by a justice of the peace
regarding certain income. |
|
General Remarks: |
BVG -
Requires that a justice of the peace shall file a report
with the commissioners court detailing monies received
for performing marriage ceremonies for the previous
calendar year. |
House Law Enforcement
2:00 P.M. or Adj., E1.014
|
|
Organizational hearing.
The committee will hear testimony from agencies under
its jurisdiction
and other entities. |
House Local Government Ways and Means
2:00 P.M. or Adj., E2.026
|
|
Testimony on the appraisal process in Texas.
Invited testimony only. |
Senate International Relations and Trade
2:30 P.M. or Adj., E1.016
House Appropriations
Health and Human Services
7:00 A.M., JHR 120
|
|
Department of Family and Protective Services
Department of State Health Services |
House Transportation
8:00 A.M., E2.012
|
|
The
committee will meet in the morning to hear a
presentation by Txdot,
and will consider the following bills upon recess or
Adj. of the House:
|
|
HB 178
|
Bailey |
Relating to the issuance and renewal of certain
licenses for junkyards and automotive wrecking
and salvage yards. |
|
General Remarks: |
BVG – Allows the Harris County Commissioners
Court to adopt a licensing fee of $1000 for
junkyards and automotive wrecking and salvage
yards. |
|
General Remarks: |
BVG - Allows a judge to dismiss a charge for
failure to carry and exhibit a driver's license
if the defendant provides a valid driver's
license to the court within 10 working days.
|
|
|
HB 348
|
Callegari |
Relating to an offense involving a motor vehicle
with an altered or obscured license plate. |
|
|
HB 410
|
Eissler |
Relating to erecting an off-premise sign
adjacent to and visible from certain roads. |
|
General Remarks: |
MV-Prohibits erecting new billboards along
certain roads in Grimes and Montgomery Counties.
|
|
|
HB 412
|
Eissler |
Relating to erecting or maintaining certain
outdoor signs or advertising. |
|
General Remarks: |
MV-Prohibits placing or allowing the placing of
a billboard or sign within 660 feet of the edge
of a ROW if the advertising is visible from the
main-traveled way of the interstate or primary
system. Stipulates that a civil penalty
collected for a violation by the attorney
general goes to the state highway fund or to the
county road and bridge fund if collected by the
county or district attorney. In lieu of a suit
to collect a civil penalty, the Texas
Transportation Commission may impose an
administrative penalty for intentionally
violating the prohibition. The funds are to be
deposited into the state highway fund.
-Creates an offense for allowing an outdoor sign
or billboard to be erec ted in violation of
requirements for off-premise signs on rural
roads. An offense is a misdemeanor punishable by
a fine of between $500 - $1000. It is a defense
to prosecution that the person removed the sign
within 45 days of receiving the citation for the
illegal sign.
-Creates a civil penalty of between $150 - $1000
(may only be pursued after the 45 day grace
period). A penalty collected by a district or
county attorney goes to the county road and
bridge fund; a penalty collected by the attorney
general goes to the state highway fund.
-Designates an illegal sign a public nuisance,
allowing TxDOT to direct the AG to apply for an
injunction to require removal of the sign after
the 45 day grace period. |
|
|
HB 413
|
Eissler |
Relating to erecting certain signs on certain
rights-of-way. |
|
General Remarks: |
MV-Prohibits placing or allowing the placing of
a billboard or sign on the ROW of a public road;
a state highway; or a road or highway maintained
by a city unless the placement of the sign is
authorized by state law or city ordinance.
-Creates a civil penalty of between $500 - $1000
for each violation. A penalty collected by a
district or county attorney goes to the county
road and bridge fund; a penalty collected by a
city attorney goes to the city’s general fund; a
penalty collected by the attorney general goes
to the state highway fund.
-Allows a trained volunteer (authorized by
commissioners court) to confiscate illegal signs
on public roads. Allows a sheriff, constable, or
trained volunteer to discard signs having a
value of less than $25 without providing notice.
|
|
House Criminal Jurisprudence
2:00 P.M. or Adj., E2.016
|
|
Organization meeting and take invited testimony. |
House Regulated Industries
** REVISED **
2:00 P.M. or Adj., JHR 140
|
|
State
of the Texas Electric market.
Invited testimony only. |
|
WEDNESDAY - 2/14/07 |
House Land and Resource Management
8:00 a.m., E2.014
|
|
The
committee will hear invited testimony from General Land
Office
Commissioner Jerry Patterson. |
Senate Intergovernmental Relations
9:30 A.M., E1.028
|
|
SB 63
|
Zaffirini |
Relating to the powers of the commissioners court of
certain counties that have no incorporated municipality. |
|
General Remarks: |
MV-Expands the bracket on a provision allowing certain
border counties (must have a population of less than
7,500 and contain no incorporated areas) to hold an
election to provide commissioners court with all the
powers of the governing body of a Type A general-law
municipality. The new bracket applies to counties with a
population of less than 5,000 that are within 100 miles
of the border. |
|
|
SB 213
|
Fraser |
Relating to the authority of certain counties to imposed
a county hotel occupancy tax and to the rate of the tax. |
|
General Remarks: |
MV-Removes a population bracket (34,000 or more) to
allow any county bordering Lake Buchanan to impose a
hotel occupancy tax. |
|
|
SB 254
|
Ellis, Rodney |
Relating to the sale of live animals on a public highway
or road, the right-of-way of a public highway or road,
or a parking lot. |
|
General Remarks: |
BVG -
Allows a commissioners court in a county with a
population of more than 2.2 million to regulate the sale
of live animals in the right-of-way of a public highway
or road, or in a parking lot. |
House Urban Affairs New
- 1:42pm
On Adj., E1.026
|
|
HB 239
|
Alonzo |
Relating to public use of computers in certain local
public libraries. |
|
General Remarks: |
MV-Allows the creation of a library district composed of
territory in more than one county. |
|
|
HB 679
|
Swinford |
Relating to the validation of governmental acts and
proceedings of the Downtown Midland Management District. |
|
|
HB 680
|
Swinford |
Relating to the sale of certain small municipal parks. |
Senate Jurisprudence
1:30 P.M. or Adj., E1.012
|
|
SB 57
|
Zaffirini |
Relating to the priority given to the hearing by trial
courts of certain ad valorem tax matters. |
|
General Remarks: |
MV-Requires trial courts to give preference to hearings
and trials regarding appeals of orders of appraisal
review boards extablished in counties with a population
of less than 675,000. |
|
|
SB 227
|
Harris |
Relating to the perfection of a child support lien on a
motor vehicle. |
|
|
SB 228
|
Harris |
Relating to suits affecting the parent-child
relationship, including proceedings for the
establishment, modification, and enforcement of child
support. |
|
|
SB 229
|
Harris |
Relating to the seal of a district court used on process
issued by the court. |
|
|
SB 235
|
Harris |
Relating to the composition of a county bail bond board. |
|
General Remarks: |
MV-Allows a designee to be appointed to serve on the
county bail bond board in place of a district judge, a
county court judge or county court at law judge.
|
|
|
SB 272
|
Estes |
Relating to the appointment of bailiffs for the 97th
Judicial District. |
House Elections New
- 10:43am
2:00 P.M. or Adj., E2.028
|
|
Organizational meeting with invited testimony only.
Testimony from the following agencies:
Secretary of State
Ethics Commission |
|
THURSDAY - 2/15/07 |
Senate Finance
8:00 A.M., E1.036
The committee will reconvene 45 minutes after adjournment of the
Senate.
|
|
Appropriations Bill - Pending Items
Senate Finance
THURSDAY - 2/15/07
8:00 A.M., E1.036
*** REVISED AGENDA ***
Article II - Health and Human Services
Health and Human Services Commission
Department of Aging
Department of State Health Services
Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services
Department of Family and Protective Services
Special provisions relating to all health and human
services agencies |
House Human Services New
- 10:55am
10:30 A.M. or Adj., E2.026
|
|
Organizational meeting.
Invited testimony from state agencies in the committee's
jurisdiction. |
|