Last session HB 422 was filed by Mary Gonzales. We marked it 1-support because there were publishers who wanted to testify in favor, but the bill never got a hearing. 

Contains Newspaper Notice language

Companion is HB 3184 by Senfronia Thompson

3/15/23 Reviewed HB 3699 again. We concluded that the bill does not remove any current newspaper notice, but rather increases transparency in municipal approval of subdivision plans by putting certain documentation online.

We removed bill from our list.

Contains newspaper notice - monitor

This sets up a public database, but “deidentifies suspects on the database. Companion is HB 2043 by Bowers.

3/23 Met with folks from the Bail Project and the Texas ACLU. They explained that this bill will be useful for investigative reporters who are doing statistical analyses of bail practices, and that the aggregated “deidentified” data doesn’t endanger public access to identities of suspects through the usual normal channels.

We do not need to take a position

Good newspaper notice language introduced.

TPA registered card of support for bill on 3/2823

Pro-transparency section, but for the most part this will be seen as an anti-law enforcement bill. We shouldn't be associated with it. Let's monitor. 

Contains newspaper notice language,

Companion is SB 1457 by Zaffirini

Contains public notice language. Amended committee sub retains public notice language.

Retains current newspaper notice provisions. 

3/15/23: Reviewed HB 3492 again. The bill requires counties and municipalities to disclose information related to subdivision construction online. If no website, then publish it in the newspaper. The requirement is new, no newspaper notice is removed in the bill. The bill actually increases transparency.

We removed the bill from our list.

Need to find out the purpose of this bill. It could be detrimental to newspaper.

Contains newspaper notice - Monitor for Amendments

This bill could potentially be stretched to apply to a newspaper, even though it is clearly intended to target companies like TikTok, Instagram, etc.

The definition of “digital service” here does seem broad enough to encompass almost any entity with a website. But the digital service also has to “target” or “know that the service appeals to minors.” The criteria for that is rather broad (animated characters,  activities for minors, models who are minors, ads intended for minors, etc.).

Under that criteria, it seems like some portions of a newspaper might apply – comics or a kids’ section, for instance. If a newspaper did qualify, this would subject them to certain requirements related to digital privacy and the collection of minors’ data.

While I think it’s unlikely this bill would come to bear on newspapers, the safest solution would be to get a provision added that specifically states it does not apply to them.

Committee sub reported favorably from committee

Need to monitor. Companion is SB 1487 by Bettencourt

Donnis: On its face, it appears to be simply a measure to give individual taxpayers a right to choose electronic communications with the tax office rather than written communication. I wonder, though, if the wording is loose enough to encourage a rogue tax official to maintain that it provides cover for using e-notices rather than public notices in a newspaper. Reid's response: I see your concern here, but I think it would be very difficult to argue that public notice falls under these provisions. The bill defines “communication” as something “required or permitted to be delivered” to a property owner. That “delivered” language appears several times throughout the bill. I suppose a rogue official could argue that a newspaper (containing public notices) gets delivered, but I think that would be a real stretch, since public notice is typically discussed in the context of publication, not delivery. And certainly not in the context of delivery to an individual, who could choose to receive that delivery electronically.

Senate version of Sunset bill for TCEQ. Monitor.

Companion is HB 1505 by Keith Bell

Targets sexual materials materials to minors on the Internet. Current language excludes news gathering organizations. 

Identical bill to HB 3585 by Teri Leo-Wilson 

Companion is SB 2164

Retains current newspaper notice. Need to monitor

Monitor. If bill gets hearing, file a card of support

Retains current language - 1/4 page legal notice

Same as HB 31, HB 1376, and SB 263