Session | Bill Number Sort descending | Read Bill | Author | Bill Status | Updated | Bill Type | Position | Priority | Caption | Body | |
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88_R | SB 263 | Read Bill | Johnson, Nathan (D) | Failed: referred to Senate Education | 2023.02.15 | Public Notice | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the use of average enrollment for purposes of the public school finance system. | Retains current language - 1/4 page legal notice Same as HB 31, HB 1376 and 2841 |
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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 |
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88_R | SB 461 | Read Bill | Parker, Tan (F) (R) | Failed: Referred to Criminal Justice | 2023.02.17 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the confidentiality of home address information for victims of child abduction. | Home address confidentiality - child abduction |
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88_R | SB 498 | Read Bill | Johnson, Nathan (D) | Vetoed by Governor | 2023.05.29 | Business | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the operation of statewide technology centers. | The Department of Information Resources: (c) The department by rule shall specify the services a statewide technology center may provide. |
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88_R | SB 566 | Read Bill | Springer, Drew (R) | Failed: Referred to State Affairs | 2023.02.17 | Business | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the purchase of periodicals by state agencies and certain state officers and to prohibiting state agencies from providing financial support to the news media. | Need to find out the purpose of this bill. It could be detrimental to newspaper. |
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88_R | SB 690 | Read Bill | Middleton, Mayes (F) (R) | Failed: Referred to Education | 2023.02.17 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the appointment of an inspector general for education and the creation of a division of inspector general for education in the governor's office to investigate the administration of public education. | Need to visit with Middleton. This bill would establish an investigator general for education, but any document the I.G. investigates is not to be released under the PIA - so that would include a document that would otherwise be readily available to the public, such as a budget, a checkbook register, etc. 3/21: met with legislative director - explained error, he will get it fixed. |
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88_R | SB 746 | Read Bill | Hughes, Bryan (R) | Failed: Referred to Health and Human Services | 2023.03.01 | Public Notice | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the creation and operation of pediatric long-term care access assurance program in certain counties. | Adds a public notice - watch for amendments Companion bill is HB 1185 |
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88_R | SB 767 | Read Bill | Parker, Tan (F) (R) | Failed: Passed Senate, Dead by Procedural Action in House | 2023.05.23 | Public Notice | Monitor | 3 | Relating to notice requirements for certain municipal fees and the process to adopt a municipal budget that includes the use of revenue from those fees. | Reid’s comments: “There does not appear to be any requirement for public notice of a municipal fee, so SB 767 would not directly displace any existing notice requirements. There are, of course, newspaper notice requirements for a municipal budget hearing. The bill does not affect those, and actually uses that deadline as the statutory deadline for when email notice must be provided. See proposed Sec. 110.002(d)(3)(A). As Donnis pointed out, the real threat here is that the bill is amended to displace public notice, or that these email notices become commonplace and eventually replace public notice. It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on this one. It might be worth reaching out to Senator Parker too, if you all have an existing relationship with him or think that would be productive.” Committee sub replaces the 18 point type requirement with simply boldface or underline. |
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88_R | SB 818 | Read Bill | Alvarado, Carol (D) | Signed by Governor | 2023.05.19 | Public Notice | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the disposition of real property interests by navigation districts and port authorities. | This eliminates notice requirements for sale or gift of small pieces of public property to Navigation Districts and Port Authorities for rights-of-way, etc. Not worth fighting over but let’s monitor. |
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88_R | SB 875 | Read Bill | West, Royce (D) | Failed: Referred to Criminal Justice | 2023.03.01 | Open Records | Monitor | 3 | Relating to a criminal justice system pretrial and sentencing database established by the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System. | 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 |
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88_R | SB 985 | Read Bill | Paxton, Angela (R) | Failed: Referred to Local Government Committee | 2023.03.03 | Public Notice | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the method of providing notice for certain municipal zoning changes. | Reid’s input: It looks like SB 985 does eliminate some newspaper notice regarding zoning changes. As Mike pointed out, this notice is currently required when a zoning change occurs within 200 feet of annexed property that doesn’t appear on a municipality’s tax roll. Instead of newspaper notice, a municipality could just send written notice to the most recent address on the tax roll. I’m not sure how often that comes into play. This bill does not change the underlying newspaper notice requirement for zoning regulations and district boundaries in Sec. 211.006(a): Sec. 211.006. PROCEDURES GOVERNING ADOPTION OF ZONING REGULATIONS AND DISTRICT BOUNDARIES. (a) The governing body of a municipality wishing to exercise the authority relating to zoning regulations and zoning district boundaries shall establish procedures for adopting and enforcing the regulations and boundaries. A regulation or boundary is not effective until after a public hearing on the matter at which parties in interest and citizens have an opportunity to be heard. Before the 15th day before the date of the hearing, notice of the time and place of the hearing must be published in an official newspaper or a newspaper of general circulation in the municipality. There is already some leeway given to municipalities in Sec. 211.007, regarding the manner of public notice when a zoning commission is involved: (d) The governing body of a home-rule municipality may, by a two-thirds vote, prescribe the type of notice to be given of the time and place of a public hearing held jointly by the governing body and the zoning commission. If notice requirements are prescribed under this subsection, the notice requirements prescribed by Subsections (b) and (c) and by Section 211.006(a) do not apply. |
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88_R | SB 1021 | Read Bill | Nichols, Robert (R) | Signed by Governor, effective immediately | 2023.05.24 | Public Notice | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the handling of bids on certain contracts for highway projects. | We oppose increases in the amount of a contract that could be let without bidding. This raises from $300,000 to $1 million for highway improvement. However, the old threshold of $300k won't repair a road these days. Bill by Sen. Nichols, is one of our staunchest supporters and maybe the sponsor of an important notice bill for us. |
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88_R | SB 1032 | Read Bill | Kolkhorst, Lois (R) | Signed by Governor | 2023.05.16 | Public Notice | Monitor | 3 | Relating to oyster certificates of location and the closure of oyster beds. | Kolkhorst is carrying Todd Hunter's oyster bed bill, except that it ELIMINATES a newspaper notice in favor of a government website. We met with Hunter to correct the notice problem. Senate and House bills will have committee substitutes with corrected language. Hunter's bill is HB 2475. 3/22/23: Senate passed the corrected bill (restoring public notice in newspaper).
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88_R | SB 1044 | Read Bill | Johnson, Nathan (D) | Failed: Passed Senate on local calendar, referred to House Elections | 2023.04.28 | Ethics, Lobbying | Monitor | 3 | Relating to criminal offenses for the creation or distribution of certain misleading images and videos. | Increases penalty for images/video distributed with intent to alter an election outcome |
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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 |
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88_R | SB 1067 | Read Bill | Middleton, Mayes (F) (R) | Failed: Referred to Criminal Justice | 2023.03.03 | Public Notice | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the consideration of certain information by a parole panel in determining whether to release an inmate on parole. | Contains new newspaper notice language. Watch for amendments Companion is HB 2805 |
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88_R | SB 1116 | Read Bill | Perry, Charles (R) | Failed: Referred to Local Government | 2023.03.09 | Public Notice | Monitor | 3 | Relating to the election of the board of directors of the Terry Memorial Hospital District. | Current language retains existing newspaper notice provisions |
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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 |
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88_R | SB 1419 | Read Bill | Birdwell, Brian (R) | Failed: Passed Senate, referred to House Ways and Means | 2023.05.04 | 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. | Creates new notice Companion is HB 4940 |
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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 |