Billmonitor 2023

Click column title to sort by Bill Number, Status, Author, Date Updated, Type, Position or Priority.

Session Bill Number Read Bill Author Bill Status Updated Bill Type Position Priority Caption Body
88_R   HB 4940 Read Bill Martinez Fischer, Trey (D) Failed: Referred to Ways & Means 2023.03.23 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to limitations on the use of public money under certain economic development agreements or programs adopted by certain political subdivisions.

Adds new notice

Companion SB 1419
88_R   HB 3585 Read Bill Leo-Wilson, Terri (F) (R) Failed: Referred to Youth Health & Safety 2023.03.16 First Amendment Monitor 3 Relating to restricting access to sexual material harmful to minors on an Internet website.

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

Identical bill to HB 3570 by Schatzline 

Companion is SB 2164
88_R   HB 4710 Read Bill Kacal, Kyle (R) Failed: Removed from hearing 2023.03.31 Open Records Opposed 1 Relating to allowing a governmental body to combine multiple requests submitted by separate individuals on behalf of an organization for purposes of computing charges under the public information law.

Bill allows government to lump different people's requests and treat them as one. It is not the government's privilege to declare that a person is part of a particular group, nor to know why people are seeking information. Each individual has a right to request. 

Donnis talked to Kacal by phone to get more info about the bill.

3/24 Donnis and Kelley Shannon meeting with Bryan (city of) folks about the bill. They are having a problem with vexatious requestors. 

Our opponents must have convinced Kacal that existing law cannot protect them and this bill must be set for hearing. 

 
88_R   HB 3881 Read Bill Bell, Cecil (R) Failed: Reported from committee as substituted 2023.03.09 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to board of directors meeting locations of certain rural area water districts.

Contains newspaper notice - monitor
88_R   HJR 13 Read Bill Johnson, Jarvis (D) Filed 2022.11.14 Public Notice Monitor 3 Proposing a constitutional amendment to exempt from ad valorem taxation the total market value of the residence homesteads of certain elderly persons and their surviving spouses.

Contains newspaper notice - Monitor

Same as SB 215, SB 5124, HJR 196
88_R   SB 543 Read Bill Blanco, Cesar (D) Filed without Governor’s Signature, effective date 5/24/23 2023.05.24 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to the conveyance of property by a municipality for the public purpose of economic development.

Adds newspaper notice provision. Monitor for amendments. Same bill as HB 1492
88_R   SB 1056 Read Bill Hinojosa, Chuy (D) Passed: Filed without signature by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.06.18 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to the directors and administration of the Hidalgo County Water Improvement District No. 3; creating a criminal offense.

Contains new newspaper notice language. Watch for amendments
88_R   HB 4844 Read Bill Herrero, Abel (D) Passed: Filed without signature by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.06.18 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to the use of a broker for the sale of real property by the Nueces County Hospital District.

Contains Newspaper Notice - Monitor
Committee sub retains newspaper notice.
Companion SB 2056
88_R   HB 18 Read Bill Slawson, Shelby (R) Passed: Signed by Governor 6/13/23 2023.05.30 Business Monitor 3 Relating to the protection of minors from harmful, deceptive, or unfair trade practices in connection with the use of certain digital services.

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
88_R   HB 4611 Read Bill Price, Four (R) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 4/1/2025 2023.06.12 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to the nonsubstantive revision of the health and human services laws governing the Health and Human Services Commission, Medicaid, and other social services.

Contains newspaper notice - monitor
88_R   HB 785 Read Bill Swanson, Valoree (R) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.05.23 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to the delivery of certain notices or other communications in connection with guardianship proceedings.

Retains current newspaper notice provisions. 
88_R   SB 372 Read Bill Huffman, Joan (R) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.06.18 Open Records Monitor 3 Relating to creating a criminal offense for the unauthorized disclosure of non-public judicial opinions and judicial work product.

We need to monitor this one. It would make leaking a court document a misdemeanor.

Companion is HB 1741 by Leach
88_R   HB 1382 Read Bill Hernandez, Ana (D) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.05.23 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to the public sale of real property taken in execution of a judgment

Meet with author to amend. Reid's review: There is a notice requirement for these sales in Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 647: The time and place of sale of real estate ... shall be ... published ... three consecutive weeks ...in newspaper. 

This bill gives commissioners courts authority to set rules for online auctions and might pose a threat to public notice. Have author add a provision that this bill does not trump the requirements of Rule 647.

Companion is SB 2067 by Bettencourt

Met with Hernadez Chief of Staff. Bill does not affect public notice. 
88_R   HB 1964 Read Bill Hernandez, Ana (D) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.06.01 Open Records Monitor 3 Relating to the release of a motor vehicle accident report to an employee or authorized representative of a vehicle storage facility.

Access to accident reports - since bill contains the current language that includes newspapers, we should monitor.
88_R   HB 2371 Read Bill Turner, Chris (D) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.05.23 Public Notice Support 2 Relating to the disposition of burial spaces and abandoned plots in certain cemeteries in the possession and control of a municipality.

Good newspaper notice language introduced.

TPA registered card of support for bill on 3/2823
88_R   SB 1397 Read Bill Schwertner, Charles (R) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.06.18 Business Monitor 3 Relating to the continuation and functions of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Senate version of Sunset bill for TCEQ. Monitor.

Companion is HB 1505 by Keith Bell
88_R   HB 3273 Read Bill Thierry, Shawn (D) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.06.18 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to public notice of the availability on the Internet of property-tax-related information.

Contains public notice language. Amended committee sub retains public notice language.
88_R   SB 1457 Read Bill Zaffirini, Judith (D) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.05.24 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to guardianships and the delivery of certain notices or other communications in connection with guardianship proceedings.

Contains Newspaper Notice language

Companion is HB 3184 by Senfronia Thompson
88_R   HB 3699 Read Bill Wilson, Terry (R) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.06.18 Public Notice Monitor 0 Relating to municipal regulation of subdivisions and approval of subdivision plans or plats.

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.
88_R   SB 1670 Read Bill Lamantia, Morgan (F) (D) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.06.18 Open Records Support 2 Relating to required boating incident reports.

Bill increases transparency and allows newspapers access to boating incident reports.

Signed card of support