Legislative Services

HB 121 by Rep. Vasut/SB 563 by Sen. Sparks – Prohibits counties and municipalities from further restricting federal or state employment terms through local ordinance, order, rule, regulation or policy. Does not impact Minimum Wage Act or employment contracts.

HB 409 by Rep. Collier – Increases Texas Indigent Defense Commission membership from five to seven board members. Adds one director of a managed assigned counsel program representative and one representative who is either a justice of the peace, municipal court judge or an appointed magistrate.

HB 1874 by Rep. Noble – Requires law enforcement to reimburse the owner or interest holder for reasonable attorney's fees upon a court's dismissal of a civil asset forfeiture proceeding.

HB 2004 by Rep. E. Thompson – Requires a $5 tax on vehicle lease buyouts that will prevent a transfer of title until the tax has been paid to the tax assessor-collector.

HB 2038 by Rep. Allison – Allows prosecutor offices in border counties to award forfeiture proceeds to property owners who suffered agricultural property damage as a result of an offense involving the unlawful entry into the United States.

HB 2043 by Rep. Bowers – Requires the Office of Court Administration to create a statewide pretrial and sentencing database.

HB 2117 by Rep. Oliverson – Creates a new cause of action against judges and magistrates who wrongfully release offenders on personal bond for violent felony offenses.

HB 2127 by Rep. Burrows/SB 814 by Sen. Creighton – Preempts cities and counties from adopting or enforcing ordinances in violation of stated sections of the Agriculture, Finance, Insurance, Labor, Natural Resources and Occupations codes. Creates standing to bring a new cause of action against a county official and removes governmental and qualified immunity under stipulated conditions.

HB 2195 by Rep. Noble – Increases offenses and fines for those who repeatedly produce fraudulent license plates.

HB 2311 by Rep. Dutton – Creates personal liability for a peace officer who responds to an event where five or more individuals are killed and is later determined to have failed to comply with the law enforcement agency's policy to "quickly end the event." Explicitly rescinds a peace officer's right to assert qualified immunity protections if specified conditions are met.

HJR 109 by Rep. Burns – Proposing a constitutional amendment to abolish the office of county treasurer in Somervell County. Provides that the county may employ, contract with or designate another county officer to perform the functions of the treasurer.

SB 760 by Sen. LaMantia/HB 2326 by Rep. Moody – Expands authority for a justice of the peace to order a physician, qualified technician, paramedic, chemist, registered professional nurse or licensed vocation nurse to take a specimen of blood from a body of a person to aid in the confirmation or determination of the cause and manner of death while conducting an inquest.

SB 787 by Sen. Huffman – Imposes a 10-year minimum sentence for felony offenses involving a firearm.

SB 793 by Sen. Hinojosa – Applies the exclusionary rule to civil asset forfeitures and raises the state's burden of proof in those civil cases.

SB 802 by Sen. Hughes – Increases the annual base salary of a district court judge from at least $140,000 to at least $172,494.

SB 819 by Sen. Perry – Allows crime victims to enforce rights by mandamus or injunction.