Bill Analysis

BILL NAME SESSION ANALYSIS
SB 1877 84(R) - 2015 SB 1628 would amend Chapter 2054 of the Government Code. Specifically, this bill would require each state agency to develop a data use agreement that must be updated at least biennially. This agreement would need to be distributed and signed by each employee of the agency. Finally, this legislation would require each agency to provide its employees with cybersecurity awareness training to coincide with the distribution of the data...Read More
SB 494 84(R) - 2015 SB 494 amends Section 1812.002 of the Insurance Code pertaining to the accessibility of insurance forms on an insurer’s website. Specifically, it will allow the office of public insurance counsel (OPIC) to post an insurer’s specimen policy on OPIC’s website. The bill’s author intends for this to increase insurer transparency by allowing consumers to compare the policy language of different plans. Currently Section 1812.002...Read More
SB 200 84(R) - 2015 5/22/15 Update:This bill was amended in the Senate chamber in a way that would not change our vote yes recommendation. The original and updated analyses are below. The second chamber sponsor is Representative Price.The passage of HB 2292 in 2003 required the consolidation of twelve health and human service agencies down to five in order to reduce costs and improve service delivery. However, several state agencies were resistant to change...Read More
SB 374 84(R) - 2015 SB 374 would add a new chapter to the Government Code. Specifically, this new chapter would require all state agencies to participate in the E-verify program. The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) would be responsible for implementing this new chapter. Read More
HB 3519 84(R) - 2015 5/23/2015 update:Although this bill has been amended since we reported on it in its original chamber, we continue to support HB 3519. The first and second chamber analyses are below.The second chamber sponsor is Senator Watson.First chamber analysis below:The bill would require that telemonitoring services are made available only to a person who is diagnosed with certain conditions or another condition for which the commission makes an...Read More
SB 1213 84(R) - 2015 SB 1213 would add Chapter 506 in the Business & Commerce Code. Chapter 506 would prohibit a person from attempting to reidentify an individual’s information that has been “deidentified” or scrubbed of any information that may identify that individual. This chapter would also prohibit a person from disclosing reidentified information.   However, this bill would make reidentifying information for scholarly research a...Read More
SB 983 84(R) - 2015 05/22/2015 update:No changes were made to this bill. The second chamber sponsor is Representative Schofield.First chamber recommendation:SB 983 would allow a person to obtain a certified copy of their birth certificate at no cost for the purposes of having an eligible form of identification in order to comply with voter identification requirements if the person does not have any of the other eligible forms of identification. Read More
HB 3307 84(R) - 2015 The bill would amend Chapter 1551 of the Insurance Code by requiring the board of trustees of the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS) to offer a TRICARE Military Health System supplemental plan to an employee or annuitant who waives coverage under the basic coverage plan under Section 1551.1045 and is eligible for benefits under the TRICARE Military Health System. The bill would also prohibit the board from contributing to the cost...Read More
SB 1641 84(R) - 2015 The bill would require the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to develop and implement a pilot program, utilizing existing resources, that gauges the feasibility and associated benefits of providing protective services when an elderly person or person with a disability has been determined, using certain risk assessment criteria, to be at risk of future harm from abuse, neglect, or exploitation.DFPS would be required to implement...Read More
HB 2921 84(R) - 2015 HB 2921 would amend the Education Code to authorize a recreation and wellness fee at the University of Houston - Clear Lake. The bill would cap the fee amount at $150 per student for each regular semester, $75 per student for each summer session of eight weeks or longer, and $50 per student for each term of the summer session of less than eight weeks.Read More
HB 2621 84(R) - 2015 HB 2621 would enable the addition of trustees to the Blinn Junior College District Board of Trustees. The two members would be appointed by the commissioners court of each county with a branch campus of the district with a student enrollment of greater than 10,000. Read More
HB 2593 84(R) - 2015 HB 2593 would enable the Texhoma independent school district to continue to receive the sparsity adjustment if the average daily attendance declined to a count of less than 90 students but still exceeded 75 students. Read More
HB 2573 84(R) - 2015 HB 2573 would amend the Business and Commerce Code to make using the terms 'attorney,' 'lawyer,' 'license,' 'notary,' and 'notary public' in written and electronic material in a way that implies that a person who is not an attorney is authorized to practice law a violation of the Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act. A district or county attorney would be able to prosecute this violation. Read More
HB 2568 84(R) - 2015 Hb 2568 would authorize a student center fee at the University of Houston - Victoria. The fee would be $150 per student for each regular semester, $100 per student for the 10 week or longer summer term, and $50 per student for each summer term of five weeks or longer but less than 10 weeks. Read More
HB 2718 84(R) - 2015 The bill would amend Chapter 531 of the Government Code by requiring the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to establish a program under which faith-based and community-based organizations may, on the request of the applicant, contact and offer supplemental assistance to a person applying for financial assistance program, medical assistance program, supplemental nutrition assistance program, or child health plan program benefits....Read More
HB 2282 84(R) - 2015 House Bill 2282 would require that an appraisal review board and a chief appraiser review the evidence or argument communicated by a property owner, including information provided by affidavit, before a hearing on a protest.House Bill 2282 would amend Chapter 42 of the Tax Code to provide that in certain counties an appraisal review board determination could be appealed to a justice court instead of a district court if the appeal relates...Read More
HB 1912 84(R) - 2015 HB 1912, if passed, would modify the Government Code (Section 1, Subchapter B, Chapter 2054) to allow the Department of Information Resources to employ a data coordinator. This data coordinator would be given a variety of tasks including improving control of information security, promoting the sharing of information between agencies, and reducing information collection costs. The data coordinator would also be tasked with improving...Read More
HB 1888 84(R) - 2015 Driving a commercial vehicle without a commercial drivers license is currently a Class C misdemeanor which is punishable by a fine of up to $500. The Senate committee substitute would remove the Class C misdemeanor designation and stipulate that the fine may not exceed $500 unless it is shown on the trial of the offense that the defendant had been previously convicted of the same offense within the past year. Under that circumstance the...Read More
HB 2171 84(R) - 2015 The bill would amend Chapter 161 of the Health and Safety Code by requiring the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to change the process and timing by which an individual consents to maintain information in the immunization registry after an individual becomes an adult.The bill would require the written or electronic consent of a parent, managing conservator, or guardian of an individual younger than 18 years old to be submitted...Read More
HB 1559 84(R) - 2015 HB 1559 would require school districts that maintain a website to post information about programs and services that can assist homeless students. The bill would provide that school districts are not liable for any harm that may come to a student in connection with a local program or service referred to on the website. Schools districts with fewer than 3,000 students in counties with a population of less than 50,000 would be exempt from the...Read More