As the 89th legislative session comes to a close, lawmakers are in the decision-making phase with bills passed or soon to be passed into law.
The session will end June 2, although special sessions can still be called. Gov. Greg Abbott has until June 22 to sign or veto all bills. Check out some of the bills filed by Houston-area lawmakers this legislative session.
1. Texas House passes bill aimed at protecting infrastructure as weather events increase
On May 16, the Texas House passed House Bill 871—by state representatives Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, Matt Morgan, R-Richmond and Gary Gates, R-Richmond—aimed at updating the state’s municipal residential and commercial building codes to build safer and more durable structures.
The bill will need to be approved by the Senate before heading to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk to be signed.
“This is especially important as our state continues to experience increasingly severe weather. I am committed to advocating for policies that protect our communities and promote smart, forward-thinking infrastructure solutions," State Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, said.
2. Bill on improved senior facility safety pending in Senate committee
A bill targeting better emergency preparedness in senior living facilities has made recent progress in the state senate’s Health & Human Services committee, but has yet to go before the House of Representatives.
Filed by Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, Senate Bill 481 was left pending in committee May 7. The bill calls for nursing and assisted living facilities to create and annually update emergency response plans, according to the filing. The bill also adds safety requirements such as protocol for emergency evacuations.
If passed, Senate Bill 481 would require senior living facilities to:
- Keep facilities at 71-81 degrees Fahrenheit
- Add emergency generators and carbon monoxide alarms
- Notify residents’ families during emergencies
3. Bill banning homelessness services near schools to be considered by House
A bill prohibiting organizations from offering services for people experiencing homelessness within 1,500 feet of a public school or higher education institute was sent to the Texas’ House of Representatives for consideration, according to the legislature’s website.
A House committee report on Senate Bill 2623—filed by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe—was sent to the House’s calendar May 21, according to the Texas Legislature Online. If adopted, the committee’s recommendations would expand the restrictions so that organizations cannot offer services for homeless individuals near parks either.
Under the bill, organizations in violation of SB 2623 would be given 30 days to correct their operations, according to the filing. A Safe Schools and Neighborhoods Task Force made up of 11 governor-appointed members would be created and charged with crafting requirements for providers to obtain a license to offer services.
In a May 20 email, John Basel, the social services director for nonprofit Hope Center Houston, expressed concern that SB 2623 could shut down organizations that help people experiencing homelessness.
“I ask the legislature that a bill be crafted that addresses the concerns of the legislature without punishing the hundreds of agencies across the state that have never had any issues with nearby schools or neighborhoods,” Basel said.
