SENATE FLOOR ACTION

Friday

May 13, 2011

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

Relating to the issuance of cease and desist orders by the Texas Medical Board.

Relating to the consideration of applications for permits for certain commercial solid waste processing or treatment facilities.

1 Floor Amendment

Relating to the implementation of new processes for the purposes of budget transparency, fiscal responsibility, and open government.

Relating to the duties of and investigations conducted by the Texas Forensic Science Commission, the administrative attachment of the Texas Forensic Science Commission to Sam Houston State University, and the accreditation of criminal laboratories by the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas.

2 Floor Amendments

Relating to penalties for engaging in organized criminal activity.

1 Floor Amendment

Relating to the creation of an automatic license plate reader pilot program.

Relating to duties and restrictions regarding the special Texas Rangers.

Relating to reporting concerning inmates who are confined in county jails and subject to federal immigration detainers.

Relating to authorizing the use of an image verification system to determine whether an applicant for a driver's license or personal identification certificate is a fugitive from justice.

Relating to the definition in the open meetings law of the term "deliberation."

Relating to the regulation of slaughterers by certain counties.

1 Floor Amendment

Relating to the imposition by certain municipalities and municipal transit departments of the local sales and use tax in certain federal military installations.

Relating to information provided to a person applying for a state tax permit or license.

Relating to an agreement authorizing certain persons to make decisions regarding a child during an investigation of child abuse or neglect.

1 Floor Amendment

Relating to consideration of the consolidation of school district employment of peace officers and security personnel in certain counties.

Relating to adoption of rules by the University Interscholastic League.

3 Floor Amendments

Relating to who may participate in certain local option elections to prohibit or authorize the sale of alcoholic beverages.

Relating to a study regarding tort liability arising from a volunteer's operation of a Parks and Wildlife Department vehicle.

Relating to the payment of state funds directly to an entity that conducts a primary election under contract in certain counties.

Relating to the creation and functions of the Texas Grain Producer Indemnity Board.

1 Floor Amendment

Relating to importation and shipment of alcoholic beverages for personal consumption.

Relating to the county ethics commission for certain counties.

Relating to certain criminal and civil consequences of trafficking of persons, compelling prostitution, and certain other related criminal offenses and to the prevention, prosecution, and punishment of those offenses.

Relating to the regulation of the practice of engineering by individuals engaged in the evaluation of oil and gas resources.

Relating to retailers engaged in business in this state for purposes of sales and use taxes.

Relating to providing a patron of a pay-to-park or valet parking service with certain information; providing a civil penalty.

Relating to the administration of district courts in Bexar County.

Relating to creating the offense of continuous trafficking of persons; providing a penalty and other civil consequences.

Relating to regulations concerning certain service animals; providing a criminal penalty.

1 Floor Amendment

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

Relating to the authority of a school district to implement a school bus monitoring system that records images, including images of vehicles that pass a stopped school bus; providing for the imposition of penalties.

The Senate adopted the following resolutions:

Recognizing Destiny Bailey for being selected as Laredo's 2011 Youth of the Year.

Recognizing Amadeo Saenz, Jr. on his retirement from the Texas Department of Transportation.

Committee referral on the following:

Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran in an amount equal to the amount of the residence homestead exemption to which the disabled veteran was entitled on the same property.

Finance

Relating to student success-based funding for and reporting regarding public institutions of higher education.

Higher Education

Relating to the Medicaid program and alternate methods of providing health services to low-income persons in this state.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the eligibility for unemployment benefits of a person receiving certain forms of remuneration.

Economic Development

Relating to the punishment for and certain civil consequences of committing the offense of prostitution.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the practice of psychological associates.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the authority of certain retired peace officers to carry certain firearms.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the expunction of records and files relating to a person's arrest.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the authority of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas to invest in hedge funds.

State Affairs

Relating to a criminal defendant's incompetency to stand trial, to certain related time credits, and to the maximum period allowed for restoration of the defendant to competency.

Criminal Justice

Relating to creating an offense for engaging in certain conduct relating to cockfighting.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the maintenance tax rate of the Brazoria County Conservation and Reclamation District Number Three.

Natural Resources

Relating to the procedures for reducing or terminating community supervision and the establishment of certain time credits through which a defendant's period of community supervision is reduced.

Criminal Justice

Relating to surety bond requirements for reserve deputy constables.

Criminal Justice

Relating to consolidating precincts in a primary election.

State Affairs

Relating to the monitoring of compliance with low-income and moderate-income housing ad valorem tax exemptions.

Finance

Relating to the training and certification of state agency employees or contractors performing service work on pressure vessels.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the monitoring and enhancement of health and human services information technology.

Health & Human Services

Relating to energy savings performance contracts and energy efficiency planning.

Government Organization

Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to impose term limits on the members of their governing bodies.

Intergovernmental Relations

Relating to contracts between dentists and health maintenance organizations or insurers.

State Affairs

Relating to requiring an interagency memorandum of understanding regarding the Public Assistance Reporting Information System and to the use of data from that system.

Veteran Affairs & Military Installations

Relating to the exemption of certain real estate professionals from registration as property tax consultants.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the amount and payment of attorney's fees in certain workers' compensation cases.

State Affairs

Relating to requirements regarding information to be provided to employees covered by workers' compensation health care networks.

State Affairs

Relating to unclaimed property.

Finance

Relating to the jurisdiction of, number of jurors in, and the clerk serving the County Court at Law of Van Zandt County.

Jurisprudence

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 regulation of boat manufacturers, distributors, and dealers; providing a civil penalty.

Transportation & Homeland Security

Relating to the creation of a first offender prostitution prevention program.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the release of a photograph of a police officer and access to records maintained by internal investigative divisions in certain municipalities.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the amount of the bond for county taxes required to be given by the county assessor-collector for certain counties.

Intergovernmental Relations

Relating to regional contracted brokers and subcontractors of regional contracted brokers providing Medicaid nonemergency medical transportation services.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the authority of the governing body of a taxing unit to rescind a discount for early payment of ad valorem taxes.

Finance

Relating to the conduct and administration of elections and of state conventions of political parties.

State Affairs

Relating to certain contracts entered into by school districts for another entity to provide food services at one or more district schools.

Education

Relating to notice required upon nonrenewal of property and casualty insurance policies.

Business & Commerce

Relating to confidentiality of information held by a public retirement system.

Open Government, Select

Relating to the regulation of sport bikes and certain other motorcycles.

Transportation & Homeland Security

Relating to the distribution and delivery of voter registration applications by volunteer deputy registrars; providing criminal penalties.

State Affairs

Relating to notice and disclosure requirements for certain credit services organizations regarding charges and consumer borrowing.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the award of diligent participation credit to defendants confined in a state jail felony facility.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the operation and regulation of charitable bingo.

State Affairs

Relating to continuing education for physicians and nurses regarding the treatment of tick-borne diseases.

Health & Human Services

Relating to the composition of the Finance Commission of Texas.

Business & Commerce

Relating to the repeal of requirements and penalties related to the grading of roses.

Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Relating to the classification of certain entities as primarily engaged in retail trade for purposes of the franchise tax.

Finance

Relating to the disclosure of the composition of hydraulic fracturing fluids used in hydraulic fracturing treatments.

Natural Resources

Relating to the rebate, refund, or payment of tax proceeds to a qualified hotel project.

Economic Development

Relating to the sale of park land owned by certain municipalities.

Intergovernmental Relations

Relating to the exemption of registered dental laboratories from certain distributing and manufacturing licensing requirements.

Health & Human Services

Relating to certain criminal offenses committed in relation to a federal special investigator; providing criminal penalties.

Transportation & Homeland Security

Relating to municipal regulation of dogs used for search and rescue or law enforcement purposes.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the requirements for demonstrating eligibility for an ad valorem tax exemption for the residence homestead of an elderly or disabled person.

Finance

Relating to clarification of the authorized uses for loans under public institution of higher education emergency loan programs.

Higher Education

Relating to repayment assistance for certain physician education loans.

Higher Education

Relating to the issuance of specialty license plates for surviving spouses of disabled veterans of the United States armed forces.

Veteran Affairs & Military Installations

Relating to the Hudson Ranch Fresh Water Supply District No. 1.

Intergovernmental Relations

Relating to gifts and donations to the McLennan County Juvenile Board.

Criminal Justice

Relating to the designation of a portion of U.S. Highway 183 as the Cpl. Jason K. LaFleur Memorial Highway.

Transportation & Homeland Security

Relating to the extension of the deadline for holding the confirmation and initial directors' election of the Tradition Municipal Utility District No. 2 of Denton County.

Intergovernmental Relations

Relating to excluding certain territory from the Harris County Road Improvement District No. 2.

Transportation & Homeland Security

Relating to the creation of criminal law magistrates for Burnet County.

Jurisprudence

Relating to the powers and duties of the Galveston County Municipal Utility District No. 6.

Intergovernmental Relations

Relating to the creation of the Midlothian Municipal Management District No. 2; providing authority to impose a tax, levy an assessment, and issue bonds.

Intergovernmental Relations

Relating to the proceedings that may be referred to and the powers of a criminal law magistrate in Travis County.

Jurisprudence

Relating to the jurisdiction of a county criminal court at law in Harris County.

Jurisprudence

Relating to the creation of the Club Municipal Management District No. 1; providing authority to levy an assessment and issue bonds.

Intergovernmental Relations

Relating to temporary directors and the continuation in existence of the Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 510.

Intergovernmental Relations

Designating Canton as the official Home of the World Famous First Monday Trade Days.

Administration

Redesignating the Lake Whitney area as the Getaway Capital of Texas.

Administration

Designating Roanoke as the Unique Dining Capital of Texas.

Administration

Designating the city of Richardson as the official International Business Capital of North Texas.

Administration