SENATE FLOOR ACTION |
Tuesday February 17, 2009 |
The Senate adopted the following resolutions: |
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Recognizing February 17, 2009, as Sheriffs' Association of Texas Day at the Capitol. |
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Recognizing February 17, 2009, as Sunnyvale Day at the State Capitol. |
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Recognizing February 17, 2009, as Rockwall County Day at the State Capitol. |
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Recognizing February 17, 2009, as Mansfield Day at the State Capitol. |
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Recognizing February 17, 2009, as Irving Day at the State Capitol. |
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Recognizing February 17, 2009, as Viva San Antonio Day at the State Capitol. |
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Congratulating Tammi Mackeben on being named the American School Counselor Association's 2008 School Counselor of the Year. |
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Recognizing Dreams Fulfilled Through Music and welcoming members of the Alamo Angels and representatives of the Mosaic Ringers to the State Capitol. |
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Welcoming the delegation from Catholic Charities to the State Capitol. |
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Congratulating the Most Reverend Raymundo J. Pena, Bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville, on the occasion of his 75th birthday. |
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Recognizing February 17, 2009, as Brewster County Legislative Day at the State Capitol. |
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Recognizing February 17, 2009, as John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies Day at the State Capitol. |
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Recognizing February 17, 2009, as Prekindergarten Day at the State Capitol. |
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Commemorating the 150th anniversary of First Baptist Church in Blanco. |
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Recognizing February 17, 2009, as Kidney Day at the State Capitol. |
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Granting the legislature permission to adjourn for more than three days during the period beginning on Wednesday, February 18, 2009, and ending on Monday, February 23, 2009. |
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Welcoming Leadership Kerr County to the State Capitol. |
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Commending Edinburg Mayor Joe Ochoa for his years of service. |
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Welcoming the League City Chamber of Commerce and its legislative committee on their visit to the State Capitol. |
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Recognizing February 17, 2009, as Texas Tech University System Day at the State Capitol. |
Committee referral on the following: |
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Relating to payment of certain emergency room physicians for services provided to enrollees of managed care health benefit plans; providing an administrative penalty. State Affairs |
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Relating to a prohibition of trans fatty acids in meals provided to students by school districts. Education |
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Relating to nonpayment of hospitals under the state Medicaid program for certain preventable adverse conditions. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to transactions involving residential mortgage foreclosures; providing a penalty. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to use of the money from the Texas Enterprise Fund to benefit small businesses. Economic Development |
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Relating to the frequency and content of school bus emergency evacuation training. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to a prohibition against the knowing employment of persons not lawfully present in the United States and the suspension of licenses held by certain employers for the knowing employment of those persons. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the enforcement of state and federal laws governing immigration by certain governmental entities. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to punishment for the offense of theft committed in certain evacuated or disaster areas. S/C on Flooding & Evacuations |
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Relating to exempting certain hurricane preparation supplies from the sales tax for a limited period. Finance |
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Relating to the requirement that water and sewer service providers ensure operations during an extended power outage. S/C on Flooding & Evacuations |
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Relating to requiring a voter to present proof of identification. Committee of the Whole Senate |
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Relating to the procedures for registering to vote and accepting a voter at a polling place. State Affairs |
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Relating to the punishment for certain offenses committed against a public servant by a member of a criminal street gang. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the suspension of sentence and deferral of final disposition in certain misdemeanor cases. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to the imposition of consecutive sentencing for offenses committed by a member of a criminal street gang. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the prosecution of and punishment for certain criminal offenses involving the use of a false or fictitious identity or identifying documents. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the denial, suspension, or revocation of a motor vehicle inspection station certificate or an inspector certificate. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to information contained in an intelligence database used to investigate and prosecute offenses committed by criminal street gangs. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the penalty for engaging in gambling promotion or keeping a gambling place. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to certain civil consequences of engaging in organized crime. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the sale by the Brazos River Authority of certain residential and commercial lots in the immediate vicinity of Possum Kingdom Lake to leaseholders of those lots. Natural Resources |
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Relating to administrative costs paid by health benefit plan issuers. State Affairs |
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Relating to the power of a county to enforce compliance with speed limits by an automated traffic control system. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the release of motor vehicle accident report information. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the powers and duties of the Texas Department of Transportation related to county traffic officers. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits based on the claimant's availability to do part-time work. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to the designated doctor's examination under the workers' compensation system. State Affairs |
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Relating to an annual report by the Border Security Council regarding criminal street gangs and gang-related crime. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to a loan program to encourage the use of cleaner hydrogen fuel; providing for the issuance of bonds. Natural Resources |
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Relating to the authority of physicians to delegate to certain pharmacists the implementation and modification of a patient's drug therapy. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to a competitive grant program to fund promotion of early literacy programs in certain communities in this state. Education |
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Relating to the allocation to the Texas rail relocation and improvement fund of a portion of the revenue from the motor vehicle sales and use tax. Finance |
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Relating to the promotion of toll projects by the Texas Department of Transportation. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to the administrative fine and the late payment fee for a violation of a parking rule applicable to the Capitol Complex. Administration |
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Relating to certain procedures for forwarding a warrant of arrest or a complaint in a criminal case. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to the creation of the law enforcement integrity unit in the Department of Public Safety. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to the definition of a police vehicle for the purposes of certain traffic laws. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to confidentiality of certain information under the public information law and in local tax appraisal records regarding federal law enforcement officers. State Affairs |
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Relating to certain election practices and procedures. State Affairs |
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Relating to the elimination of straight-party voting for judicial offices. State Affairs |
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Relating to the treatment for school finance purposes of school district optional residence homestead ad valorem tax exemptions. Finance |
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Relating to the appointment of an attorney for a workers' compensation claimant in certain proceedings initiated by a workers' compensation insurance carrier. State Affairs |
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Relating to creation of the Early Childhood Health and Nutrition Interagency Council. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to the factors the Public Utility Commission of Texas must consider in determining an electric utility's rate of return. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to methods of payment for reimbursement of jury service expenses. Intergovernmental Relations |
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Relating to professional staff salaries paid by certain school districts. Education |
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Relating to abolishing the office of inspector of hides and animals. Agriculture & Rural Affairs |
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Relating to an electronic course pilot program in the Amarillo Independent School District. Education |
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Relating to eligibility for the small and mid-sized district adjustment under the public school finance system. Education |
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Relating to the authority of the voters of a municipality or a county to adopt a one-quarter cent sales and use tax in the municipality or county to provide property tax relief. Finance |
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Relating to the regulation of solar energy panels by a property owners' association. Intergovernmental Relations |
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Relating to the authority of certain toll project entities to enter into a comprehensive development agreement. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to compensation for the use of the public transportation system of a regional transportation authority. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the exclusion of certain witnesses during a criminal proceeding. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to the appointment of part-time magistrates to hear truancy cases in certain counties. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to appeals from small claims courts. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to fees charged by a justice of the peace for certain documents in a criminal case. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to the statute of limitations for misdemeanors. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to a restitution lien for the state to secure fines or costs in a misdemeanor case. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to the placement of a defendant on deferred disposition in a justice or municipal court. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to the prosecution of a Class C misdemeanor offense for which the defendant does not appear. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to conducting by electronic means a hearing to determine a defendant's ability to discharge certain fines and court costs. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to the court in which certain persons charged with misdemeanors punishable by fine only may be arraigned. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to additional court costs for certain traffic offenses that occur in a municipality. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to the purchase of a retired firearm from the Parks and Wildlife Department by a game warden. Natural Resources |
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Relating to requiring law enforcement agencies to compile and maintain certain information in a criminal street gang intelligence database. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the evidence required for the release of a motor vehicle after impoundment of the vehicle for failure to maintain evidence of financial responsibility. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the performance evaluation criteria for judges employed by a municipality. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to the fund for veterans' assistance and the creation of a lottery game to benefit the fund. State Affairs |
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Relating to criminal offenses applicable to gambling and gambling devices. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to the conditions of community supervision to be imposed on a defendant who is a member of a criminal street gang. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the establishment and implementation of a school-based influenza vaccination pilot program. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to requiring the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to develop and use an operations manual for maintaining certain environmental conditions inside certain confinement facilities. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to the electronic filing of documents for capital cases in the court of criminal appeals. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to energy demand and incentives for distributed renewable generation. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to the requirement that retail electric providers give notice to customers before permanently ceasing to operate. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to the operation of property owners' associations. Intergovernmental Relations |
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Relating to higher education facilities as authorized projects in a public improvement district. Intergovernmental Relations |
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Relating to the enforcement of unpaid child support. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to liability for failure to comply with a child support lien, court order, or notice of levy. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to certain treatment by a physical therapist. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to the establishment and operation of a motor-bus-only lane pilot program in certain counties. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to a statewide goal for electric energy generation during peak load periods from renewable energy technologies. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to a statewide goal for electric energy generation to meet base load demands from renewable energy technologies. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to energy efficient products; providing a civil penalty. Natural Resources |
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Relating to the date on which certain voters may be removed from a county's voter registration list and related requirements. State Affairs |
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Relating to a mortgage servicer's notice of sale to a debtor and the debtor's subsequent notice to tenant. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to transferring the statutorily assigned functions and activities of the State Board of Education to the Texas Education Agency. Education |
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Relating to requiring certain service stations to be capable of operating with alternative electrical power and to have an alternative electrical generator. S/C on Flooding & Evacuations |
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Relating to the receipt of death benefits in the workers' compensation system. State Affairs |
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Relating to the appraisal of inventory consisting of residential real property. Finance |
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Relating to mandatory sales price disclosure in real property sales; providing a civil penalty. Intergovernmental Relations |
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Relating to juror questions and juror note-taking during civil trials. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to the use of certain court costs in a criminal case for municipal programs enhancing public safety and security. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to the award of certain municipal contracts. Intergovernmental Relations |
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Relating to the authority of the Texas Department of Transportation to mitigate adverse environmental impacts resulting from the construction, improvement, or maintenance of state highways or state highway facilities. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the penalty group classification of certain controlled substances. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to prohibiting the investment of retirement system funds in certain private business entities doing business in Iran. State Affairs |
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Relating to staff development requirements in public schools. Education |
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Relating to transfer of a student of limited English proficiency out of a public school bilingual education or special language program. Education |
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Relating to the provision of competitive grants to fund programs for certain public school students assigned to disciplinary alternative education programs or in-school suspension. Education |
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Relating to measures to increase the affordability of textbooks used for courses at public institutions of higher education; authorizing a penalty. Higher Education |
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Relating to the regulation of the practice of dental assistants, including the delegation of certain dental acts. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to the regulation of toxic hotspots under the Texas Clean Air Act. Natural Resources |
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Relating to penalty assessment for violations of the Texas Clean Air Act committed by major sources. Natural Resources |
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Relating to allowing the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to impose more stringent conditions for existing air quality permits to avoid a condition of air pollution. Natural Resources |
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Relating to disclosure by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality of information related to emissions events. Natural Resources |
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Relating to access to information regarding a firefighter or police officer under the municipal civil service law. State Affairs |
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Relating to eligibility to take the entrance examination for a beginning position in the fire department. Intergovernmental Relations |
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Relating to the repeal of the partial tax exemption for certain beer. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to the issuance of license plates by the Texas Department of Transportation to support disaster relief. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to reconstituting the system benefit fund as a trust fund and to uses of the fund. Finance |
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Relating to the title of the members of the board of an emergency services district. Intergovernmental Relations |
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Relating to excluding a child from the immunization registry. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to the use of certain aviation and air transportation-related sales and use tax proceeds for aviation facilities development. Finance |
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Relating to requiring retail merchants to disclose certain merchandise return policies. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the residence homesteads of certain totally disabled veterans and to the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation to which a disabled veteran is entitled based on disability rating. Finance |
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Relating to training and continuing education for licensed electrical apprentices. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to claims for excess proceeds of a tax sale of real property. Finance |
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Relating to notice required before and period to vacate after foreclosure sale of real property. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to an intercollegiate athletics fee at the University of North Texas. Higher Education |
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Relating to the comptroller's electronic funds transfer system and the use of electronic paycards. Finance |
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Relating to the exemption from ad valorem taxation of property owned by certain organizations engaged primarily in performing charitable functions. Finance |
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Relating to staffing, overtime, and other employment protections for nurses. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to eligibility for assignment as a visiting judge. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to certain personal information contained in a decree of dissolution of a marriage or an order in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to requiring the Department of State Health Services to implement a provider choice system. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to the authority of the Texas Transportation Commission to enter into a covenant for environmental remediation of real property owned by the Texas Department of Transportation. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to safety regulations for certain contract carriers. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission. State Affairs |
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Relating to the practice of psychological associates. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to medical loss ratios of health benefit plan issuers. State Affairs |
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Relating to a person's eligibility for community supervision on conviction of intoxication manslaughter. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to restrictions on the prices of certain consumer goods and services during an abnormal disruption of the market. State Affairs |
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Relating to the operation of a motor vehicle in the vicinity of a vulnerable road user; providing penalties. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the establishment of a peace officer employment opportunity Internet website by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to money paid into the registry of a court in certain counties. Intergovernmental Relations |
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Relating to consideration of family violence in the risk assessment for international parental abduction of a child. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to the prohibition on certification of sex offenders as emergency medical services personnel. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to benefits and services for children in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to making an appropriation to the Department of State Health Services to be used in connection with the reporting of health care-associated infections at certain health care facilities and the creation of an advisory panel. Finance |
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Relating to creating a recognition day in honor of Dr. Hector P. Garcia. Administration |
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Relating to certain unlawful acts involving state money or property and actions by the state and private persons to prosecute those acts; providing a civil penalty. State Affairs |
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Relating to compensation paid to certain judges and justices. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to the release of a criminal defendant on partial bail and to the procedures governing a cash bond. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to birth records of adopted children. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to the powers, duties, and financing of cultural education facilities finance corporations. Economic Development |
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Relating to the civil consequences of certain convictions on a person who holds a commercial driver's license and of certain adjudications on the driver's license or permit of a child. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the authority of the Texas Department of Transportation to enter into funding agreements to expedite an agency's environmental review duties related to transportation projects. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the required public notice of the name of each finalist for the position of superintendent of a public school district. Education |
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Relating to the use of land on the main campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. Higher Education |
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Relating to authorizing the designation of an area adjacent to a state highway project as a transportation finance zone and requiring that the revenue from the state sales and use taxes imposed in the zone be used to pay obligations issued in connection with the project. Finance |
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Relating to the operation and movement of motorcycles during periods of traffic congestion. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to filing a wage claim. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to the consideration of the location of a bidder's principal place of business for certain municipal contracts. Intergovernmental Relations |
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Relating to the reporting of proposed publicity expenditures by state agencies to certain legislative committees. Finance |
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Relating to licensing of certain residents of a state as escrow officers. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to the creation of an additional judicial district composed of Smith County. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to authorizing the Texas Department of Public Safety to establish a driver record monitoring pilot program and enter into contracts for the periodic reporting of certain information in the department's driver's license files; providing penalties. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to placing the State Board of Education under periodic review by the Sunset Advisory Commission. Education |
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Relating to providing an oversight mechanism for the Bexar Metropolitan Water District, including enforcement authority. Natural Resources |
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Relating to health education curriculum and instruction in public schools. Education |
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Relating to the filing of an affidavit stating that a plaintiff is not a vexatious litigant. State Affairs |
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Relating to the application of the child support guidelines in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to providing access to certain information relating to the discretionary transfer of a child from a juvenile court to a criminal court. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to the termination of the parent-child relationship and the duty to pay child support in circumstances involving mistaken paternity. Jurisprudence |
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Relating to the requirement that certain applicants for a vehicle dealer general distinguishing number complete a dealer education course. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the Texas Department of Transportation's memorial sign program. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the use of personal leave by a public school employee. Education |
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Relating to the practice of veterinarians in certain mercantile establishments. Natural Resources |
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Relating to the grounds for removal of a member of the board of directors of the Lynn County Hospital District. Intergovernmental Relations |
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Relating to certain qualified alien physicians practicing medicine in this state. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to grants for federally qualified health centers. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to certain mammography systems that fail certification standards. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to the penalties prescribed for committing prostitution within a certain distance of certain designated places. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to the sale and use of certain alcoholic beverages manufactured by holders of a winery permit. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to the disposition of cash in possession of a deceased pauper. Intergovernmental Relations |
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Relating to the billing coordination system for claims submitted for payment from the Medicaid program. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to a physician's delegation of prescriptive authority to physician assistants or advanced practice nurses. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to eminent domain, including certain limitations, procedures, and standards relating to the use of eminent domain. State Affairs |
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Relating to the El Paso County Hospital District. Intergovernmental Relations |
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Relating to use of certain factors in underwriting and rating a personal automobile insurance policy. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to the regulation of the practice of dental hygiene. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to the emergency installation and use of a device to intercept wire, oral, or electronic communications. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to the amount of wine certain wineries may sell directly to consumers. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to the funding of certain activities of the General Land Office pertaining to the management of coastal public land. Finance |
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Relating to notice of an application for a permit to dispose of oil and gas waste in a disposal well. Natural Resources |
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Relating to incentives for Texas renewable energy jobs and manufacturing. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to the use of money from the Texas emerging technology fund for the research and development of clean energy. Economic Development |
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Relating to certain notice requirements regarding possessory liens on certain motor vehicles, motorboats, vessels, or outboard motors; providing a criminal penalty. Transportation & Homeland Security |
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Relating to the elimination of smoking in all workplaces and public places; providing penalties. Health & Human Services |
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Relating to the creation of a distributed solar generation incentive program. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to the state goal for energy efficiency. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to transition to competition in the Southwestern Electric Power Company service area. Business & Commerce |
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Relating to public school accountability for bilingual education and English as a second language and other special language programs. Education |
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Relating to the authority of the Department of Public Safety to obtain and use criminal history record information for certain departmental authorizations. Criminal Justice |
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Relating to the designation of the office of the governor as the lead agency for border security. Transportation & Homeland Security |