Video & Transcript Research : 'Texas Finance Code'

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TX

Texas 89th Regular

State Affairs (Part II) May 22nd, 2025

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • This bill harmonizes disparate sections of the state election code.
  • Laura Presley with True Texas Elections, and we strongly oppose SB 3709.
  • I'm here with the Texas Secretary of State's Office.
  • Laura Presley, with True Texas Elections, and this bill, we approve of this bill.
  • Laura Presley with True Texas Elections, and we really like this bill.
Bills: HB223
Summary: The Committee on State Affairs heard several House bills, with most measures left pending after testimony and later taken up in a batch of votes. Early in the meeting, HB 5624 on liability protections for motocross/off-road vehicle tracks, HB 223 on requiring competitive procurement for municipal lobbying contracts, HB 3709 on post-election audit procedures, and HB 5081 on protecting personal information of judicial officers and court staff were all discussed and left pending after testimony. Witnesses on HB 223 supported greater transparency in municipal lobbying contracts. HB 3709 drew sharp opposition from an election integrity advocate who argued the bill would reduce precinct-level granularity and make it harder to detect ballot errors, while a Secretary of State resource witness said the bill would simplify and standardize the audit process by location. HB 5081 received strong support from court administration and a district judge who described prior threats and an attack tied to publicly available personal information. The committee also heard HB 3546 on allowing school districts to move elections to November, HB 493 on barring certain felony offenders from serving as poll watchers, HB 5115 on increasing penalties for election fraud and related conduct, HB 4081 on trade secret filing procedures, HB 3909 on limiting restrictions on wireless devices at polling places, HB 2702 on limiting gubernatorial closure authority for certain veterans organizations during pandemics, HB 119 on foreign adversary lobbying, and HB 5138 on the Attorney General’s authority to prosecute election crimes. Several of these bills were explained with committee substitutes and then left pending before final action. Testimony on HB 493 and HB 5115 came from an election integrity advocate who supported both bills, saying the poll watcher restriction was appropriately narrowed and that the election fraud bill would help address invalid votes and refusal to count valid votes. Later, the committee took up pending business and voted out a large number of bills, generally along party lines or with broad support. HB 186 on minors’ social media use, HB 229, HB 2885, HB 3909 as substituted, HB 4285, HB 1661, HB 2820, HB 3181, HB 4157, HB 223, HB 521, HB 640, HB 1234, HB 2253, HB 2294, HB 3053, HB 3697 as substituted, HB 4281, HB 4463, HB 4995, HB 5081 as substituted, HB 5624 as substituted, HB 119 as substituted, HB 3225, HB 5138 as substituted, HB 5115, HB 481 as substituted, HB 3546, HB 493, and HB 4145 were reported favorably to the full Senate, with several also placed on the local and uncontested calendar. The committee also adopted committee substitutes for multiple bills, including HB 3909, HB 5081, HB 5624, HB 119, HB 5138, and HB 481. At the end, the chair noted another committee meeting would likely be needed before deadlines, possibly on a weekend, and recessed the committee subject to the call of the chair.
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Energy Resources Mar 17th, 2025

Energy Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • for the state of Texas.
  • Uh, Texas 811 is a 501c4 founded in 1984 in Dallas, Texas.
  • We, Texas 811, have oversight from the One Call Board of Texas.
  • We need it in rural Texas.
  • We need it in rural Texas.
Bills: HB206
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Apr 16th, 2025

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Transcript Highlights:
  • As you know, the business... ...Organization Code governs the creation and operation of Texas corporations
  • Every session, the code is updated to keep it current so that Texas remains competitive with other business
  • drafted the groundbreaking Texas Business Organizations Code.
  • While certain forms of While impersonation is criminalized under the Texas Penal Code, there is currently
  • The Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code protects a citizen's First Amendment rights by providing for
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Texas has one of the highest levels of unpaid child support in the country, totaling about $19 billion
  • And it's good for the state of Texas, and it was also good for the state of Wisconsin.
  • When it was implemented, the same could happen here in Texas.
  • Please support Senate Bill 629 and bring hope, stability, and opportunity back to Texas.
  • I'm also the president of the Texas Association of Family Defense Attorneys.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • Texas wine using grapes grown outside the state of Texas.
  • Our vision was to be Texas in Texas.
  • that use Texas grapes or use some portion of Texas grapes.
  • However, a majority of the wineries in Texas use... ...mostly Texas grapes or some portion of Texas grapes
  • Texas dollars in Texas.
Bills: HB223
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • This bill harmonizes disparate sections of the state election code.
  • Laura Presley with True Texas Elections, and I strongly oppose HB 3709.
  • No, and the code says that you are to ensure the accuracy.
  • I'm here with the Texas Secretary of State's Office.
  • Laura Presley with True Texas, and we really like this bill.
Bills: HB223
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Public Education Mar 18th, 2025

Public Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • Texas requires the same for our out of state licenses as well.
  • I'm the hunter education coordinator with Texas Parks and Wildlife.
  • Uh, in the school district and there was nothing in the code.
  • I'm a certified school counselor in Texas, an elementary teacher.
  • I was an academic mentor at Texas A&M.
Bills: HB6, HB27, HB123, HB210, HB213, HB222
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • 3 of the Texas tax code for the use of the qualified hotel project.
  • tax code.
  • Direct the Texas Historical Commission to establish the Texas Presidential Library Promotion Program
  • In Texas that levy a hotel occupancy tax.
  • Dybal, Texas, is a lot different than Houston, Texas.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Local Government (Part I) May 5th, 2025

Local Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • Walker, Texas Taxpayers and Research.
  • All right. uh, Christy Gessler, Texas Realtors, Jeff Burdett, NFIB, Carl Walker, Texas Taxpayers and
  • Research Association, and John McCord, Texas Retailers Association.
  • I'm here with Texas Realtors. I'm the 2025 chairman of the board.
  • I’m president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business.
Summary: The Senate Committee on Local Government heard several bills, most of them left pending after brief public testimony. House Bill 331, by Rep. Patterson and sponsored by Sen. Hinojosa, would create a presumption that firefighters, police officers, and EMTs who suffer a heart attack or stroke within eight hours after a strenuous shift were injured in the line of duty for workers’ compensation purposes; testimony from a firefighters’ association supported the bill, and it was left pending. Senate Bill 2655, by Sen. Flores, would authorize Burnet County to establish a local provider participation fund to help support local hospital services; a hospital administrator testified in support, and the committee substitute was left pending. Senate Bill 1443, by Sen. Hughes, would extend the Northeast Healthcare Provider Participation District in three counties, and House Bill 3307, by Rep. Noble, would allow property tax arbitrators to complete required continuing education online; both were left pending without opposition. Senate Bill 3048, by Sen. Birdwell, would create the Bluebonnet Hills Municipal Management District in Midlothian and was also left pending. The committee then took up House Bill 9 and HJR 1, sponsored by Sen. Bettencourt, which would raise the business personal property tax exemption from $2,500 to $125,000 and place the constitutional amendment on the November 4, 2025 ballot. Business groups, realtors, and taxpayers’ advocates testified in strong support, saying the change would provide meaningful relief to small businesses and help balance earlier homeowner tax relief. The City of Fort Worth testified in opposition, warning of a revenue shift to homeowners and budget impacts, but the committee adopted the committee substitutes and reported both measures to the full Senate on 6-0 votes. The committee also heard House Bill 1399 and HJR 99, by Sen. Nichols, to exempt animal feed from property tax when it is already sales-tax exempt; no one testified against them, and both were left pending. Senate Bill 2553, by Sen. West, would let owners of historic archaeological sites protest land and structure appraisals separately, and it was left pending after supportive testimony. Senate Bill 2907 and SJR 78, also by Sen. West, would exempt certain perishable inventory, including food and some prescription drugs, from property tax if approved by voters; pharmacists, business groups, a researcher, and a coalition of retailers and food/medicine advocates supported the bill, and it was left pending. Finally, Senate Bill 1331, by Sen. Hancock and explained by Sen. Middleton, would lower the population threshold for certain municipal civil-service-related petition restrictions from 950,000 to 70,000; law enforcement representatives and a San Marcos police association supported it, and it was left pending. The committee then recessed until 15 to 30 minutes after adjournment.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Local Government (Part II) May 5th, 2025

Local Government

Transcript Highlights:
  • Currently, under the Texas State Property Code, manufactured homes are considered personal property rather
  • Consider that under the Texas Tax Code, Section 26.0216, the literal definition of maintenance and operations
  • Property Tax Code.
  • Advanced Project Connect, a project that was approved by Texas voters and will be built by Texas workers
  • Frances Blake on behalf of the Texas Builders Association.
Summary: The Committee on Local Government heard a series of local bills and public testimony focused on hospital districts, municipal management districts, local provider participation funds, manufactured housing, transit financing, development moratoriums, and property tax procedures. Early items included House Bill 467, which would help dissolve the defunct Maybank Kemp Hospital District and establish an Andrew Gibbs Memorial Nursing Endowment, and Senate Bill 3063, creating the Bio Bell Municipal Management District in Liberty County; both drew no public opposition and were left pending subject to call. The committee also heard House Bill 1327, extending the Harris County local provider participation fund through 2027, and Senate Bill 1375, extending Collin County’s LPPF authority, both presented as mechanisms to draw federal Medicaid matching funds for hospitals. A major portion of the meeting centered on Senate Bill 2764, which would require earlier notice to buyers of manufactured homes about how to convert a home from personal property to real property. Senator Cook described the bill as a consumer-information measure tied to displacement concerns at a mobile home park in her district, and a resident testified in support, saying the notice would help families make informed decisions. The committee also discussed Senate Bill 2519, a bill by Senator Bettencourt aimed at preventing local governments from shifting maintenance-and-operations tax revenue into debt-like uses and from changing the purpose of tax rate elections after voters approve them. Supporters argued it would protect taxpayers and preserve the separation between M&O and debt service, while opponents tied the bill to Austin’s Project Connect transit financing and warned it would disrupt an approved project and invite litigation. The committee heard and left pending several other bills, including House Bill 1244 on agricultural land ownership changes without reapplying for an ag exemption, House Bill 2559 on development moratoriums, and Senate Bill 2063 on unequal appraisal protests. Testimony on House Bill 2559 came from developers and builders who said moratoriums in Conroe had delayed projects and harmed buyers, while supporters of the bill said it would impose clearer limits and notice requirements. On Senate Bill 2063, the sponsor explained a committee substitute narrowing how market value evidence may be used in unequal appraisal appeals. The committee also considered multiple local district bills, including new MUDs and management districts in Montgomery, Denton, Fannin, Travis, Hays, and Williamson counties. At the end of the meeting, the committee took up pending business and voted out several measures, including House Bill 1244, House Bill 2559, House Bill 467, House Bill 1327, House Bill 1399, House Bill 2723, House Bill 2730, House Bill 3307, House Joint Resolution 99, and multiple district bills such as Senate Bills 3037, 3043, 3047, 3048, 3050, 3052, 3053, 3056, 3057, 3063, and others. Most were reported favorably, often with committee substitutes, and many were recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. Several bills, including the transit-related SB 2519 and the manufactured housing bill SB 2764, remained pending subject to call after testimony closed.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services Mar 24th, 2025

Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Transcript Highlights:
  • issuers in Texas since 1946.
  • Department of Banking while allowing the Texas Finance Commission to enforce compliance and administer
  • We look forward to working with the Texas House on HB 2798 to achieve the right balance to protect Texas
  • Finance Code.
  • Please consider the ramifications of codifying earned-wage access. access into the finance code without
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Public Education May 6th, 2025

Public Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm in Northwest ISD, Denton County, Texas.
  • There is a social contagion in Texas and all across America.
  • As we all know, the Texas heat is brutal.
  • At Equality Texas, we believe...
  • I was born in Texas and was educated in the Texas public school system for the majority of my childhood
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Public Education May 6th, 2025

Public Education

Transcript Highlights:
  • I am the first parent in Texas.
  • In SB 13, the definition for harmful material comes from Section 43.2 of the Texas Penal Code, and the
  • Texas families are paying attention. Texas children are depending on you.
  • So, Mundy, Texas.
  • My daughter was born in Lubbock, Texas, and I am a school librarian here in Texas.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Natural Resources Mar 12th, 2025

Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • for Texas. and the United States as a whole.
  • Ty Embree on behalf of the Texas Mining and Reclamation Association.
  • Members, Texas faces ongoing challenges in water infrastructure and the Texas Water Fund fund, which
  • With the 1,210 cities in Texas, 834 of them are small rule.
  • I'm Mary Alice McCona represent, Texas rural water Association.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Natural Resources Mar 12th, 2025

Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • You may hear testimony claiming this bill's required and so are more. than requirements in this code
  • We're affecting a couple of different chapters of water code.
  • I'm Larry French with the Texas Public Policy Foundation and I'm here to support House Bill 638.
  • So we're the Texas Rural Water Association.
  • My name is Rick I am the Executive Director of the Association of Water Board Directors, Texas.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • located in Austin, Texas.
  • financing system.
  • As you may or may not be aware, the Uniform Commercial Code, as Texas has. the UCC, as adopted, is vital
  • There is a provision in Chapter 209 of the Texas Property Code that allows any property owners association
  • Texas Alliance of Retired Americans.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Business and Commerce Apr 15th, 2025

Business & Commerce

Transcript Highlights:
  • located in Austin, Texas.
  • As you may or may not be aware, the Uniform Commercial Code, as Texas has adopted it, is vital for the
  • Therefore, the financing statement system...
  • Then it lists a section of the code.
  • Well, there's a provision in Chapter 209 of the Texas Property Code that allows any property owners association
Summary: The committee took up a long list of pending bills before moving to several bills on the day’s posting. It reported favorably SB 438, SB 512, SB 647, SB 648, SB 715, SB 758, SB 1964, SB 2121, SB 2145, SB 2167, SB 2330, SB 2349, SB 2443, SB 2629, SB 2702, SB 1495, and SB 2268, with several of those adopted from committee substitutes. Some measures were sent to the local and uncontested calendar, while others were reported to the full Senate. Votes on the pending-business bills were generally strong, though SB 715 and SB 2330 drew recorded opposition; SB 647 and SB 648 had one member present not voting because of confusion over the deed-related bills. A major discussion centered on SB 715, which would establish a reliability standard and penalties/incentives for generation resources. Senator Sparks said the committee substitute would avoid unfairly penalizing existing dispatchable generation, allow wind and solar to qualify through storage or backup power, give the PUC flexibility to set standards and phase in the program, and exempt switchable units. Critics raised concerns that it could raise consumer costs and destabilize the market, while supporters argued it would improve reliability. The committee substitute was adopted and the bill was reported out 6-4. The committee also heard testimony on SB 2330, dealing with payroll deduction for association dues, where the author said the bill would end state involvement in dues collection except for first responders covered by meet-and-confer agreements. Members questioned why teachers and other employees were treated differently, and the bill was reported out 6-5. Other notable bills included SB 2864 on building-integrated photovoltaics, SB 1012 on sale of surplus state property, SB 2221 on fraudulent UCC filings, SB 1705 regulating cryptocurrency kiosks with licensing, transaction limits, fee caps, and a 72-hour hold, SB 1181 on combative sports licensing, SB 2586 on HOA transparency, SB 2075 as a TDLR cleanup bill, and SB 383 restricting offshore wind interconnection based on impacts to shipping, wildlife, and coastal interests. Several of these were left pending after testimony, with SB 1705 drawing both law enforcement support and industry concerns over the fee caps and limits.
TX

Texas 89th Regular

Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs Mar 3rd, 2025

Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • It is Texas Water Day at the Capitol.
  • It's a great way to learn more about Texas water.
  • rural political subdivision in the water code.
  • I'm Laura Zent with the Texas Rural Water Association.
  • Water Code.
Summary: The Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs met on Texas Water Day and limited public testimony to two minutes. The chair emphasized the need to move quickly because of scheduling conflicts with other committees and noted the importance of water policy and related stakeholders. The committee heard several bills focused on water administration, rural utilities, emergency response, and public works contracting. Senate Bill 790 by Senator Alvarado would let the Public Utility Commission create a simplified process for resolving tenant complaints over water or wastewater bill discrepancies; it was described as a way to avoid lengthy contested-case hearings for small disputes. Senate Bill 971 by Senator Sparks would clean up conflicting statutory definitions of “rural political subdivision” so Texas Water Development Board programs are applied consistently; Texas Rural Water Association testified in support. Senate Bill 767, also by Senator Sparks, would expand and improve a statewide database of fire-response equipment so departments, including volunteer and rural departments, can locate and share resources more effectively during emergencies; fire service witnesses supported the bill and suggested annual updates to keep the database current. Chair Perry laid out Senate Bill 480 to clarify that local governments and special districts may enter interlocal agreements for water-related planning and research, including aquifer management and flood/water planning. He also presented Senate Bill 1066, which raises payment and performance bond thresholds for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department public works contracts to $150,000, arguing the change would reflect inflation and help smaller vendors on lower-risk projects. Witnesses were heard on the bills, with no opposition recorded in the transcript. The committee voted out all five bills favorably. SB 1066, SB 480, SB 767, SB 790, and SB 971 each received unanimous committee approval and were recommended to the local and contested calendar, with SB 767 noted as amended by a suggested annual-update requirement for the equipment database.