Billmonitor 2023

Click column title to sort by Bill Number, Status, Author, Date Updated, Type, Position or Priority.

Session Bill Number Read Bill Author Bill Status Updated Bill Type Position Priority Caption Body
88_R   HB 3422 Read Bill Bryant, John (D) Failed: House Calendar for 5/11 2023.05.09 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to the correction or removal of certain obsolete provisions of the Property Code.

Contains newspaper notice - monitor

Companion SB 1768 by Creighton
88_R   SB 1761 Read Bill Middleton, Mayes (F) (R) Failed: Referred to Local Government 2023.03.20 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to infrastructure planning and lot frontages in the unincorporated are of certain counties.

Contains newspaper notice - monitor

Identical to his SB 2557
88_R   SB 1714 Read Bill Perry, Charles (R) Failed: Referred to Business & Commerce 2023.03.16 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to the consequences of a criminal conviction on a person's eligibility for an occupational license.

Contains newspaper notice - monitor
88_R   HB 4611 Read Bill Price, Four (R) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 4/1/2025 2023.06.12 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to the nonsubstantive revision of the health and human services laws governing the Health and Human Services Commission, Medicaid, and other social services.

Contains newspaper notice - monitor
88_R   HB 4498 Read Bill Cook, David (R) Failed: House Passed as amended, referred to Senate Business & Commerce 2023.05.16 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to the transfer and statutory novation of policies from a transferring insurer to an assuming insurer by way of an insurance business transfer.

Contains newspaper notice - monitor
88_R   HB 4484 https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB04484I.pdf#navpanes=0 Bonnen, Greg (R) Failed: Referred to Energy Resources 2023.03.21 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to the ownership of the pore space underlying the surface of land and to the use of that space for the geologic storage of carbon dioxide.

Contains newspaper notice - monitor

Companion SB 2107 by Nichols
88_R   HB 3973 Read Bill Cook, David (R) Failed: Referred to Ways & Means 2023.03.20 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to an exemption from ad valorem taxation of a portion of the appraised value of the residence homesteads of certain elderly persons and their surviving spouses.

Contains newspaper notice - monitor
88_R   HB 3881 Read Bill Bell, Cecil (R) Failed: Reported from committee as substituted 2023.03.09 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to board of directors meeting locations of certain rural area water districts.

Contains newspaper notice - monitor
88_R   HB 4771 Read Bill Bhojani, Salman (F) (D) Failed: Passed House, died in Senate Local Government 2023.05.16 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to the creation of tenant legal services offices by local governments to assist low-income residential tenants in eviction cases and in cases involving discrimination based on the tenants' disabilities.

Go See Author - He agreed to change "or" to "AND."

 
88_R   HB 2863 Read Bill Leo-Wilson, Terri (F) (R) Failed: Referred to State Affairs 2023.03.14 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to publication of certain notices on the Internet website of a newspaper.

3/5/23 We met with Saul Mendoza in Leo-Wilson’s office. Reminded him of our previous meeting regarding HB 2863 and that he was supposed to encourage Leo-Wilson to visit with Hunter about the statewide notice bill (HB 2178).
88_R   HB 18 Read Bill Slawson, Shelby (R) Passed: Signed by Governor 6/13/23 2023.05.30 Business Monitor 3 Relating to the protection of minors from harmful, deceptive, or unfair trade practices in connection with the use of certain digital services.

This bill could potentially be stretched to apply to a newspaper, even though it is clearly intended to target companies like TikTok, Instagram, etc.

The definition of “digital service” here does seem broad enough to encompass almost any entity with a website. But the digital service also has to “target” or “know that the service appeals to minors.” The criteria for that is rather broad (animated characters,  activities for minors, models who are minors, ads intended for minors, etc.).

Under that criteria, it seems like some portions of a newspaper might apply – comics or a kids’ section, for instance. If a newspaper did qualify, this would subject them to certain requirements related to digital privacy and the collection of minors’ data.

While I think it’s unlikely this bill would come to bear on newspapers, the safest solution would be to get a provision added that specifically states it does not apply to them.

Committee sub reported favorably from committee
88_R   HB 4940 Read Bill Martinez Fischer, Trey (D) Failed: Referred to Ways & Means 2023.03.23 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to limitations on the use of public money under certain economic development agreements or programs adopted by certain political subdivisions.

Adds new notice

Companion SB 1419
88_R   SB 1419 Read Bill Birdwell, Brian (R) Failed: Passed Senate, referred to House Ways and Means 2023.05.04 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to limitations on the use of public money under certain economic development agreements or programs adopted by certain political subdivisions.

Creates new notice

Companion is HB 4940
88_R   HB 843 Read Bill Patterson, Jared (R) Failed: Referred to State Affairs 2023.03.01 Business Monitor 3 Relating to a prohibition on the purchase of periodicals by a state agency.

Prohibits state agencies from purchasing periodicals. Bad public policy.

Similar to Springer's bill.
88_R   HB 4835 Read Bill Metcalf, Will (R) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.06.01 Public Notice Monitor 3 Relating to the creation and operations of certain health care provider participation programs.

Creates newspaper notice for hearing

Committee sub retains newspaper notice
88_R   HB 4710 Read Bill Kacal, Kyle (R) Failed: Removed from hearing 2023.03.31 Open Records Opposed 1 Relating to allowing a governmental body to combine multiple requests submitted by separate individuals on behalf of an organization for purposes of computing charges under the public information law.

Bill allows government to lump different people's requests and treat them as one. It is not the government's privilege to declare that a person is part of a particular group, nor to know why people are seeking information. Each individual has a right to request. 

Donnis talked to Kacal by phone to get more info about the bill.

3/24 Donnis and Kelley Shannon meeting with Bryan (city of) folks about the bill. They are having a problem with vexatious requestors. 

Our opponents must have convinced Kacal that existing law cannot protect them and this bill must be set for hearing. 

 
88_R   HB 2371 Read Bill Turner, Chris (D) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.05.23 Public Notice Support 2 Relating to the disposition of burial spaces and abandoned plots in certain cemeteries in the possession and control of a municipality.

Good newspaper notice language introduced.

TPA registered card of support for bill on 3/2823
88_R   SB 1670 Read Bill Lamantia, Morgan (F) (D) Passed: Signed by Governor, effective 9/1/23 2023.06.18 Open Records Support 2 Relating to required boating incident reports.

Bill increases transparency and allows newspapers access to boating incident reports.

Signed card of support