On June 1, the 84th Texas Legislature signaled the end of the day and session with “Sine Die,” a Latin phrase meaning without a specific date to reconvene. The announcement was uttered after 140 days within which legislators enacted several key decisions that will affect Texans for the next two years.
The session will be remembered for its balanced budget that included tax relief for citizens and funds for border security, passage of open carry handgun laws in public and state universities, legalization of marijuana extracts to be used for epileptic patients, funding for pre-Kindergarten programs and a resolution for voters to decide in November whether to use sales tax revenue to improve state highways.
Budget
• Passed a $209 billion budget that includes funding for public education, healthcare and $800 million for border security;
• Approved tax cuts that would raise residents’ homestead exemption from $15,000 to $25,000
• Approved decreasing the state franchise tax by 25 percent;
• Approved incentives to fund pre-Kindergarten programs in public schools;
• Approved about $3 billion in bonds to build new public college campus facilities;
• Relegated to voters on Nov. 3 to decide if the state should transfer up to $2.5 billion annually from its general sales tax revenue to the State Highway Fund to improve transportation
Economy and Small Business
• On May 18, Gov. Greg Abbott signed HB 40, a bill that gives the state, and not local authorities, the jurisdiction to regulation oil and gas operation. Prior to the bill’s passage, local laws have created “a patchwork of inconsistent regulation that undermines the safe and efficient production of oil and gas,” according to the bill’s analysis.
• Abbott signed SB 293 on April 8. The bill allows ESPN, NASCAR and Ultimate Fighting Championship events to be considered eligible for the Major Events Trusts Fund.
• The governor signed SB 97, which regulates the sale, distribution, possession, use and advertising of e-cigarettes, cigarettes and tobacco products. The law will take effect this fall.
Health care
• A bill legalizing the growth of cannabis plants high in cannabidiol and low in tetrahydrocannabinol in Texas—was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 1. SB 339 is effective immediately and allows patients access to cannabis as medicine upon the recommendation of two board-certified medical specialists.
• SB 1889 was sent to the governor to be signed May 21. The bill, which was heavily advocated for by the bill’s author, Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, amends the current law relating to the disclosure and use of information included in Texas’ abuse and neglect registry at the Department of Family and Protective Services and the report of the information regarding those cases to the legislature, according to the bill’s analysis.
Higher education
• Legislation allowing concealed handguns on college campuses was passed. If signed into law, publicly funded universities must put the policy in place by August 1, 2016 while private universities may choose to opt out.
• About $3 billion in funding for projects at 64 different Texas universities was approved by the House and Senate.
• Colleges and universities still have control of setting their own tuition due to legislation that would put the power in legislators’ hands not passing.
• An attempt to repeal current state law allowing undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition was unsuccessful.
Public Education
• Filed by Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, HB 4 will implement high-quality standards for prekindergarten education. Gov. Greg Abbott, who signed the bill May 28, issued a statement saying the legislation will help strengthen the foundation for student success.
• On May 11, Abbott signed SB 149. The new law will establish committees to determine if students who pass classes and meet other requirements but fail standardized tests can graduate.
• Lawmakers did not pass HB 1759, which aimed to add $3 billion in per-student funding and eliminate adjustments that were once intended to protect districts from short-term funding losses. Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen, the bill’s co-author, moved to postpone consideration of the bill on the House floor.
Transportation
• Beginning in fiscal year 2017-18 the state will divert $2.5 billion of sales and use taxes to the State Highway Fund, which helps fund the Texas Department of Transportation, after those taxes exceed $28 billion. Starting in fiscal year 2019-20 the state will divert 35 percent of motor vehicle sales taxes to the SHF after those taxes exceed $5 billion. Voters will need to give the bill, Senate Joint Resoultion 5, final approval in November during a constitutional amendment election.
• For a third time lawmakers failed to pass a statewide texting while driving ban. HB 80 was approved by the House on March 26 but failed to gain enough votes for consideration in the Senate by the end of session June 1.
