SENATE FLOOR ACTION

Monday

May 11, 2009

The Senate suspended the necessary rules to consider and finally pass:

Proposing a constitutional amendment to prohibit the taking of property for transfer to a private entity for certain purposes.

1 Floor Amendment

Relating to a competitive grant program to fund promotion of early literacy programs in certain communities in this state.

Relating to the exercise of eminent domain authority.

1 Floor Amendment

Relating to certain amounts payable by and the operation of the Texas Life, Accident, Health, and Hospital Service Insurance Guaranty Association.

Relating to the offense of unlawful use of public funds for political advertising by a political subdivision.

1 Floor Amendment

Relating to the creation of and the powers of a comprehensive multimodal urban transportation authority, including the power to impose taxes, issue bonds, and exercise limited eminent domain authority.

Relating to the creation of Waller Town Center Management District; providing authority to impose an assessment, impose a tax, and issue bonds; and granting a limited power of eminent domain.

Relating to the creation of the Harris County Improvement District No. 18; providing authority to impose an assessment, impose a tax, and issue bonds.

Relating to the imposition and rate of the county hotel occupancy tax in certain counties.

Relating to adjustments of rates of certain telecommunications utilities for changes in certain tax liabilities.

Relating to the governing body of the Willacy County Navigation District.

Relating to the board of directors of the Kenedy County Groundwater Conservation District.

Relating to civil liability for erecting or maintaining certain outdoor signs or advertising.

Relating to the use of crossbows for hunting.

Relating to the penalty for theft of a driver's license, commercial driver's license, or personal identification certificate.

Relating to the establishment of a volunteer-supported decision-making advocate pilot program for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities and persons with other cognitive disabilities.

Relating to the punishment for tampering with certain governmental records concerning forensic analyses.

Relating to eliminating the limitation on lottery advertising expenses based on the lottery prize payout percentage.

The Senate reconsidered passage to third reading and adoption of floor amendment 2, passed to third reading and finally passed:

Relating to compensation of and services to persons wrongfully imprisoned.

The Senate suspended the regular order, read third time and finally passed:

Relating to the sunset review of certain river authorities.

The Senate suspended the regular order, read second time and passed to engrossment:

Relating to incentives for Texas renewable energy jobs and manufacturing.

1 Floor Amendment

Relating to the disregard or violation of a resident's advance directive by a nursing institution; providing penalties.

1 Floor Amendment

The Senate adopted the following resolutions:

Recognizing May 11, 2009, as Texas Capitol Schoolhouse Day.

Directing the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Education Agency to educate parents of adolescent Texans regarding the importance of adolescents' receiving regular physical exams and updated immunizations.

Congratulating the Tyler Morning Telegraph on its 100th anniversary.

Honoring Haven for Hope of Bexar County as it commemorates its first full year of service in San Antonio.

The Senate concurred in House amendments to the following:

Relating to certain possessory liens; providing a criminal penalty.

Relating to injury leave and related benefits for certain state peace officers injured in the course of performance of duty.

Relating to a determination of value for purposes of punishment of the offense of abuse of official capacity.

Relating to business entities and associations.

Committee referral on the following:

Relating to partnering with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies to establish a veterans hospital in El Paso.

Veteran Affairs & Military Installations

Relating to certain investment products made available to certain public school employees and the companies authorized to provide those products; providing civil penalties.

State Affairs

Proposing a constitutional amendment to create the Permanent School Fund Management Council to assume the duty of the State Board of Education to manage the permanent school fund and to allow the School Land Board to transfer funds from the permanent school fund to the available school fund.

Education

Relating to an enhanced quality full-day prekindergarten program provided by public school districts in conjunction with community providers.

Education

Relating to access to rivers and riverbeds for individuals with physical disabilities.

Natural Resources

Relating to payment of attorney's fees in certain actions to recover possession of real property.

State Affairs

Relating to inclusion of pets and other companion animals in protective orders; providing a penalty.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the employment rights of certain individuals with disabilities.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the powers and duties of municipal court judges.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the procedure to be used by a taxing unit in adopting an ad valorem tax rate.

Finance

Relating to the establishment of the Texas secure loan pilot program by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

International Relations & Trade

Relating to the provision by employers of information regarding employee eligibility for the federal earned income tax credit.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the adoption of a nonsubstantive revision of provisions of the Texas Probate Code relating to decedents' estates and the redesignation of certain other provisions of the Texas Probate Code, including conforming amendments and repeals.

Administration

Relating to requiring a public institution of higher education to make available to the public on the institution's Internet website certain undergraduate course information.

Higher Education

Relating to the production and taxation of renewable diesel fuel.

Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Relating to the nonsubstantive revision of certain local laws concerning special districts, including conforming amendments.

Administration

Relating to the sale or purchase of certain parts of game animals or birds.

Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Relating to the use of a parking space or area designated specifically for persons with disabilities.

Transportation & Homeland Security

Relating to the extended registration of a fleet of motor vehicles.

Transportation & Homeland Security

Relating to the creation, administration, powers, duties, operations, and financing of a border region higher-speed rail authority for the Texas-Louisiana and the Texas-Mexico border regions; granting the power to issue bonds; imposing a tax; granting the power of eminent domain.

Transportation & Homeland Security

Relating to the computation of cost of goods sold for purposes of the franchise tax by certain affiliated taxable entities.

Finance

Relating to textbooks, electronic textbooks, instructional material, and technological equipment in public schools.

Education

Committee re-referral on the following:

Relating to a county's removal of flood water resulting from a natural disaster in certain communities.

Re-referred from S/C on Flooding & Evacuations to International Relations & Trade