Legislative Services

HB 92 by Rep. Landgraf – Prohibits a municipality or county from adopting an ordinance that prohibits the growing of fruits and vegetables, keeping of six or fewer fowl or rabbits, or installing a solar or wind energy producing device for onsite use, an underground shelter, a rain harvesting system or a standby electric generator. A municipality or county retains the ability to reasonably regulate such activities, as specified in the bill.

HB 657 by Rep. Bailes – Allows a governmental entity to post a notice on a third-party website instead of publishing in a newspaper if certain requirements are met.

HB 866 by Rep. Oliverson and SB 494 by Sen. Hughes – Prohibits a commissioners court from requiring a person submitting a plat application to submit documentation, obtain approval or fulfill any other prerequisites beforehand. The court would be further prohibited from delaying the plat application timeframe for approval or denial by not considering the date it was filed or refusing acceptance.

HB 1215 by Rep. Cook – Prohibits a county from inquiring about an applicant’s criminal history before a job offer is made.

HB 1741 by Rep. Leach – Creates a Class A misdemeanor for the disclosure of non-public judicial work product by court staff.

HB 1841 by Rep. Walle -- Requires a justice court to submit to the Office of Court Administration (OCA), within their monthly report, a list by category of each case filed in the court involving a dispute between a landlord and tenant. OCA is directed to publish on its website stipulated information on cases filed in justice courts related to landlord and tenant disputes.

HB 2014 by Rep. Leach – Changes the reimbursement for jury service. Increases reimbursement from $6 to $20 for the first day or fraction of the first day, and from $40 to $58 for each day or fraction of each day thereafter. The state’s reimbursement to a county is increased from $34 to $52 a day for each day or fraction of each day after the first day in attendance in court.

SB 232 by Sen. Hinojosa – Requires automatic removal from elected or appointed office in a political subdivision if the official is found guilty of bribery, theft of public money, perjury, coercion, tampering with a government record, misuse of official information, abuse of official capacity or conspiracy to commit any of these offenses.

SB 677 by Sen. Johnson – Entitles a defense lawyer to be present in a grand jury room. Upon request of the grand jury, a defense lawyer is entitled to make a presentation on behalf of the accused or suspected person and to answer questions from the grand jurors.

SB 740 by Sen. Huffman – Requires a county with a population of more than 1 million to receive voter approval before reducing the budget or reallocating the funds or resources of its district or county attorneys’ offices.

SB 743 by Sen. Middleton – Removes the population bracket allowing all county commissioners courts to adopt and enforce uniform rules of hours of work for department heads and other employees with compensation set by commissioners court.

HJR 98 by Rep. Tinderholt – Proposes a constitutional amendment granting the attorney general concurrent jurisdiction with each county or district attorney to prosecute a violation of election law.