SENATE FLOOR ACTION

Thursday

May 12, 2011

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

Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran.

Relating to newborn hearing screenings.

1 Floor Amendment

Relating to the exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the appraised value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran.

Relating to the testimony of children in criminal cases.

1 Floor Amendment

Relating to optional annuity increases and annual supplemental payments for certain retirees and beneficiaries of the Texas Municipal Retirement System.

Relating to the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Texas emerging technology fund.

Relating to motor vehicles; providing penalties.

2 Floor Amendments

Relating to the correction of an ad valorem tax appraisal roll.

Relating to the operations and monitoring of fusion centers in this state.

Relating to the information provided by a peace officer before requesting a specimen to determine intoxication.

Relating to investigations of certain offenses involving the Internet-based sexual exploitation of a minor; creating the Internet crimes against children account to support those activities.

Relating to the purposes and designation of a transportation reinvestment zone.

1 Floor Amendment

Relating to the continuation and functions of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and abolishing the On-site Wastewater Treatment Research Council.

3 Floor Amendments

The Senate adopted the following resolutions:

Commending the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce and its PATHS Forward leadership development program.

Commending Joemarie Ortiz on his bravery and heroic actions.

Recognizing Roland Castaneda on his retirement from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Congratulating Stephen Hartmann of Midland on his retirement as executive director of University Lands for The University of Texas System.

The following bills were passed on the Local and Uncontested Bills Calendar:

Relating to mandatory dismissal deadlines and extended jurisdiction in suits affecting the parent-child relationship to which the Department of Family and Protective Services is a party.

Relating to the Colonel H. William "Bill" Card, Jr., Outpatient Clinic.

Relating to reports filed with the comptroller regarding certain alcoholic beverage sales; providing a penalty.

Relating to the jurisdiction of constitutional county courts over truancy cases and the appointment of magistrates to hear truancy cases in certain counties.

Relating to continuing education requirements for persons holding licenses issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Relating to exempting certain customers from certain demand charges by transmission and distribution utilities.

Relating to funding for state sites and programs of the Parks and Wildlife Department through private contributions and partnerships and to commercial advertising on certain state sites.

Relating to the creation of municipal courts of record in the city of Mesquite.

Relating to the applicability of provisions concerning bond approval by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to certain water entities.

Relating to alcoholic beverage seller-servers and to seller training programs.

Relating to notice by sign of an alcoholic beverage permit or license application.

Relating to the issuance of a pass for expedited access to the State Capitol.

Relating to insurance agent licenses issued to certain foreign corporations and partnerships.

Relating to maximizing federal funding of extended unemployment benefits.

Committee referral on the following:

Proposing a constitutional amendment to clarify references to the permanent school fund and to allow the General Land Office or other entity to distribute revenue derived from permanent school fund land or other properties to the available school fund.

Finance

Relating to the operation and name of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association and to the resolution of certain disputes concerning claims made to that association; providing penalties.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the eligibility of employees convicted of certain offenses to provide services under a contract with a public school.

Education

Relating to amended sales tax reports and the reallocation of sales tax revenue.

Finance

Relating to consent to certain medical treatments by a surrogate decision-maker on behalf of certain inmates.

Administration

Relating to foreclosure of a property owners' association assessment lien.

Intergovernmental Relations

Relating to title insurance coverage for minerals and surface damage resulting from mineral extraction and development.

Business & Commerce

Relating to authorization for a caregiver who is a relative to enroll a child in school.

Jurisprudence

Relating to a person's eligibility to obtain a license in social work.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the continuation and operation of the Texas Department of Insurance and the operation of certain insurance programs; imposing administrative penalties.

Government Organization

Relating to the independence of appraisal review boards and the enforcement of appraisal review board orders; changing the elements of an offense.

Finance

Relating to the filing of writs of habeas corpus in mental health cases.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the authority of physicians and physician assistants to form certain entities.

State Affairs

Relating to the requirement that certain health benefit plans provide coverage for supplemental breast cancer screening.

State Affairs

Relating to the consideration of a letter of credit issued by a federal home loan bank as an eligible security for collateral to secure public funds.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the deadlines by which provisional ballots must be processed and the state canvass must be conducted for certain elections.

State Affairs

Relating to the eligibility of the adjutant general's department to receive Foundation School Program funding for students enrolled in the Texas ChalleNGe Academy.

Education

Relating to county powers, duties, and services, including the powers and duties of certain districts, and the authorization of certain health care programs and studies.

Intergovernmental Relations

Relating to the creation of a cybersecurity, education, and economic development council.

Economic Development

Relating to direct campaign expenditures.

State Affairs

Relating to the creation of the Bearpen Creek Municipal Utility District of Hunt County; providing authority to impose a tax and issue bonds; granting a limited power of eminent domain.

Intergovernmental Relations

Relating to notice to the attorney general of challenges to the constitutionality of Texas statutes.

State Affairs

Relating to the family allowance, treatment of exempt property, and an allowance in lieu of exempt property in the administration of a decedent's estate.

Jurisprudence

Relating to exempting the intrastate manufacture of certain incandescent light bulbs from federal regulation.

Natural Resources

Relating to the electronic submission and recording of documents associated with voting by mail.

State Affairs

Relating to the application of statutes that classify political subdivisions according to population.

Administration

Relating to the holding of an interest in certain alcoholic beverage licenses, permits, or premises by certain persons whose alcoholic beverage license or permit has been revoked.

Business & Commerce

Relating to liability for the additional tax imposed on land appraised for ad valorem tax purposes as qualified open-space land in the event of a change of use of the land if the land is transferred to a charitable organization for purposes of building housing for sale without profit to a low-income individual or family.

Finance

Relating to vehicles used for the purpose of participating in equine activities or attending livestock shows.

Transportation & Homeland Security

Relating to the creation, operation, and funding of the urban farm microenterprise support program.

Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Relating to the creation of the Texas Urban Agricultural Innovation Authority.

Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Relating to the creation and funding of the urban farming pilot program and the creation of the Select Committee on Urban Farming.

Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Relating to the monitoring of and provision of certain information regarding certain high-risk sex offenders; providing a penalty.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the municipal sales and use tax for street maintenance.

Intergovernmental Relations

Relating to dealer agreements regarding the purchase and sale of certain equipment or machinery used for agricultural, construction, industrial, mining, outdoor power, forestry, and landscaping purposes.

Transportation & Homeland Security

Relating to fees to finance capital improvements in certain municipalities.

Intergovernmental Relations

Relating to the offenses of unauthorized duplication, unauthorized recording, unauthorized operation of recording device, and improper labeling of recordings.

Jurisprudence

Relating to recovery of the value of fraudulently obtained health care services provided or paid by the Nueces County Hospital District.

State Affairs

Relating to electronic communication between property owners and chief appraisers, appraisal districts, appraisal review boards, or any combination of those persons.

Intergovernmental Relations

Relating to the authority of certain development corporations to undertake projects with respect to community libraries.

Economic Development

Relating to the registration of certain physical therapy facilities by the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the regulation of food prepared, stored, distributed, or sold at farmers' markets.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the requirements for grant programs funded through the Texas emissions reduction plan.

Natural Resources

Relating to the recusal and disqualification of municipal judges.

Jurisprudence

Relating to energy efficiency goals and energy efficiency programs.

Business & Commerce

Relating to directing payment, after approval, of certain miscellaneous claims and judgments against the state out of funds designated by this Act; making appropriations.

Finance

Relating to optional fees on the registration of a vehicle imposed by a county.

Transportation & Homeland Security

Relating to certain privatization of maintenance contracts awarded by the Texas Department of Transportation.

Transportation & Homeland Security

Relating to the validation of the creation of, and certain acts related to, a venue project, and the dissolution of certain venue districts.

Economic Development

Expressing support for the current FBI effort to reevaluate existing policies, standards, and protocols for forensic DNA testing laboratories and expressing support for any new policies, standards, and protocols that would hold public and private labs to the same standards, audits, and review process, urging Congress to pass any necessary federal legislation that ensures continued quality in forensic science while holding public and private lab DNA analysis to the same standards, and encouraging Texas law enforcement agencies to use forensic science review methods that will eliminate DNA testing backlogs.

Transportation & Homeland Security