The Legislature has advanced many bills authored by Austin-area lawmakers that could soon become law.
1. House backs new business fee relief
A proposal to strike out fees for new businesses cleared the House and was considered by state senators in May.
House Bill 346 by Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, R-Round Rock, would eliminate state licensing and registration fees for first-year businesses imposed. Texas welcomes an estimated 400,000 new companies each year, and registration can cost $300-$750, according to a House committee analysis.
The bill would cost $120 million in annual state revenue, according to the analysis, and could be “significantly higher” if more fees are included. However, those costs could be covered with other existing resources.
The bill would also promote the use of state economic and workforce development funds to support newer businesses, and to prioritize state contracting with those ventures.
2. Texas to sell, lease Austin property to support state libraries
Lawmakers approved a plan to support the Texas State Library and Archives Commission through the sale of aging state-owned facilities in Austin.
Senate Bill 1012 by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, was co-authored and sponsored by Austin officials including Rep. Donna Howard, who’d filed an identical plan in the House.
Under SB 1012, the Texas General Land Office would be authorized to sell or lease the state records facility at 4400 Shoal Creek Blvd. Proceeds would go toward improvements to the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building downtown and Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty.
Additionally, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission would lease 7.5 acres of its nearby campus with proceeds benefiting HHSC.
3. Bill would impact Austin’s plans for Congress Avenue closure
The Texas House passed legislation targeting Austin’s Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative that’d close several blocks of the iconic street to use as public plaza space.
HB 146, co-authored by Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Lakeway, would ban roadway lane reductions or closures near the Capitol without State Preservation Board approval. A House committee report stated the use of public roads adjacent to the state Capitol is a matter of Capitol Complex safety.
Austin’s design initiative is meant to revitalize the “historic street,” according to the city, and draws inspiration from the state’s transformation of the Texas Capitol Mall to the north.
HB 146 was left pending in a Senate committee after a public hearing in late May. It’s advancing after similar legislation from Troxclair, HB 2368, stalled.
"The city is aware of this bill passing the House, will track its progress through the Senate and will comply with whatever is passed,” Austin spokesperson Erik Johnson said.
4. House passes Bitcoin reserve bill
The state of Texas is one step closer to having a reserve for Bitcoin assets. On May 21, the Texas House passed SB 21 to create the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
The reserve would allow the Texas Comptroller to acquire, sell and manage state investments in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency with a market capitalization of at least $500 billion.
The reserve would operate as a special fund outside of the state treasury where lawmakers could allocate money through legislation. With the Legislature’s approval, the comptroller could transfer money from the reserve to the state treasury.
“Bitcoin offers unique advantages in the digital era due to its limited supply and decentralized nature in contrast to the federal government, which has an unlimited printing press and centralized control of the currency,” SB 21 author Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, said March 6.
5. Legislation provides further oversight of high-speed rail lines
HB 2003, which was sent to Abbott’s desk May 20, would require more transparency around the financing and creation of high-speed rail projects. The bill was authored by Rep. Cody Harris, R-Palestine, with Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, R-Round Rock, as a joint author.
HB 2003 would mandate entities submit their financial plans and costs to create a high-speed rail line to the Texas Department of Transportation. Additionally, entities would have to submit a schedule to complete the project, the proposed route and ridership projections.
The legislation comes after Texas Central proposed building a more than $40 billion high-speed rail line from Dallas to Houston. In April, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced it would discontinue a $63.9 million federal grant for the project with Amtrak, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
Legislation by Austin-area Democrats Sen. Sarah Eckhardt and Rep. John Bucy to build a high-speed rail line connecting San Antonio, Austin and Dallas failed this session.
“Now more than ever, Texans deserve at least some amount of transparency and accountability for this project that Texas courts have given the power of eminent domain," Harris said. "... If they want the powers of a railroad, then they should have the same responsibility as a railroad."
