Pete Flores — Senator Flores presented a committee substitute for House Bill 2, providing an explanation of its contents and highlighting the differences compared to the original version. He noted the similarities between House Bill 2 and Senate Bill 5. After completing his detailed explanation, Senator Flores moved to adopt the committee substitute and requested that House Bill 2 be forwarded to the full Senate for further consideration. Additionally, he took part in the voting process concerning the bill.
César Blanco — Senator Blanco was present for the roll call.
Juan Hinojosa — Senator Hinojosa was present for the roll call.
Phil King — Senator King was present for the roll call.
Phil King — Senator King also participated in the voting process regarding the bill.
HB2 — House Bill 2 was introduced as pending business in the Senate, where Senator Flores provided an overview of the bill. He noted that House Bill 2 is aligned with prior legislation addressing penalties for smuggling and trafficking offenses. Senator Flores detailed specific provisions regarding sentencing included in the bill and emphasized its nature as a clean bill focused on smuggling offenses. Ultimately, he recommended that House Bill 2 be reported with a 'do not pass' recommendation, along with the adoption of a committee substitute. Despite this recommendation, the committee ultimately agreed to report House Bill 2 favorably to the full Senate for further consideration.
SB5 — Senator Flores stated that House Bill 2 is identical to Senate Bill 5.