No Senate bills on my radar are being heard this week.
All The House Committees are in full swing. I will not list all the bills just the committees and topics that are part of the RPT Priorities
Tuesday:
- Public Education – School Choice and Parental rights in Education
Wednesday:
- State Affairs – Border Security
Thursday:
- Election – Election Integrity
Citizens Call to Action: Open Borders groups will most certainly be out in full force, especially on Wednesday. For those who can come to Austin to testify or register in support of the numerous important bills on Wednesday, please do so.
Tuesday, April 11
Business & Commerce (Senate) E1.012 @ 8:30 am
For – SB 1621 Bill Caption: Relating to requiring state contractors, political subdivisions of this state, and private employers to participate in the federal electronic verification of employment authorization program, or E-verify.
Bill Text: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/SB01621I.pdf#navpanes=0
Why the Bill is Good: Texas should not be incentivizing illegal immigration. This bill would require contractors of state agencies to utilize the federal E-Verify program barring any contractor found to not adhere to the proposed law.
Downside: SB 1621 only requires contractors of state agencies to adhere to the E-Verify program.
Local Government (Senate) E1.028 @ 9:15 am
For – SB 572 Bill Caption: Relating to the authority of a general-law municipality or county to regulate certain unlicensed residential facilities.
Bill Text: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/SB00572I.pdf#navpanes=0
Why the Bill is Good: SB 572 attempts to arm local rural areas across Texas with the legal ability to regulate residential facilities in unincorporated areas. The office of Senator Kolkhorst advised me that the committee substitute for SB 572 will authorize “(1) designate an area in which a “residential child detention facility under a contract with U.S. HHS to care for unaccompanied minors” is authorized to be located; and (2) take other measures necessary to protect the health and safety of the individuals residing in a residential facility.”
Downside: SB 572 only authorizes regulations into HHS ran facilities ONLY in unincorporated areas.
Wednesday, April 12
Criminal Jurisprudence (House) E2.016 @ 10:30 am
For – HB 2603 Bill Caption: Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of trafficking of persons if committed at certain locations.
Bill Text: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB02603I.pdf#navpanes=0
Why the Bill is Good: Increases criminal penalties (min 25 years to 99 years) for trafficking in locations such as schools, residential child-care facilities (HHS contracted facilities housing UACs), juvenile detention facilities, etc.
Homeland Security (House) E2.012 @ 2:00 pm
For – HB 3451 Bill Caption: Relating to human trafficking, including the prosecution and punishment of compelling and solicitation of prostitution and other sexual or assaultive offenses; increasing a criminal penalty; creating a criminal offense.
Bill Text: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB03451I.pdf#navpanes=0
Why the Bill is Good: Expands Trafficking Anti-Trafficking Task Forces, including collection/sharing of data.
Downside: Alliance for a Safe Texas plans to suggest a few additions to include NGO facilities
State Affairs (House) JHR 140 @ 10:30 am
For – HB 7 Bill Caption: Relating to public services and programs in the southern border region of this state to address the effects of ongoing criminal activity and public health threats, including methods of financing those services.
Bill Text: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB00007I.pdf#navpanes=0
Why the Bill is Good: Creates Border Region Courts Program needed for a new BPU state division which would and able to finance the program.
Downside: Unknown amount of cost to taxpayers $$$
For – HB 20 Bill Caption: Relating to measures to ensure the safety and welfare of the southern border region of this state, including protection from ongoing criminal activity and public health threats; creating a criminal offense; creating a civil penalty.
Bill Text: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB00020I.pdf#navpanes=0
Why the Bill is Good: Combines verbiage from numerous bills such as enacting a state-level version of Title 42, creates a Border Protection Unit, promotes physical border barriers, defines illegal trespassing into Texas with penalties of a 3rd-degree felony, supports the constitutional invocation of the Invasion Clause.
Downside: There are a few, including potential costs,s and the circumstances to “repel” and “return” illegal aliens & cartel operatives are extraordinarily slim.
For – HB 65 Bill Caption: Relating to the prosecution and punishment of certain criminal offenses committed in the course of or for the purpose of unlawfully entering the United States, unlawfully bypassing certain law enforcement checkpoints, or evading an arrest or detention; increasing criminal penalties.
Bill Text: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB00065I.pdf#navpanes=0
Why the Bill is Good: Increases criminal state penalties who have knowingly and intentionally bypassed law enforcement checkpoints; intended for those who have illegally entered between the ports of entry of the U.S.
For – HB 82 Bill Caption: Relating to an interstate compact on border security and immigration enforcement.
Bill Text: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB00082I.pdf#navpanes=0
Why the Bill is Good: Would grant the authorization to enter into an interstate compact for border security.
Downside: Would require congressional approval.
For – HB 800 Bill Caption: Relating to the punishment for certain criminal conduct involving the smuggling of persons, the operation of a stash house, or evading an arrest or detention, increasing criminal penalties.
Bill Text: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB00800I.pdf#navpanes=0
For – HB 1600 Bill Caption: Relating to the creation of a criminal offense for illegal entry into Texas from Mexico by persons who are not citizens or legal permanent residents of the United States.
Bill Text: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB01600I.pdf#navpanes=0
Why the Bill is Good: Reaffirms the designation of criminal cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, reaffirms the constitutional invocation of the Invasion Clause, and defines state-level penalties for illegal entry.
For – HB 3012 Bill Caption: Relating to the prosecution and punishment of the offense of smuggling of persons.
Bill Text: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB03012I.pdf#navpanes=0
For – HB 3782 Bill Caption: Relating to establishing the Border Security Advisory Council.
Bill Text: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB03782I.pdf#navpanes=0
For – HB 4670 Bill Caption: Relating to a grant program to compensate certain property owners for damages caused by criminal activities.
Bill Text: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB04670I.pdf#navpanes=0
Legislative Updates from the Last Newsletter:
SCR 23 by Sen. Kolkhorst – Bill Caption: Urging the federal government to declare foreign drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
The Senate Resolution was voted favorably out of the Border Security Committee hearing on April 5. The House versions of SCR 23 (HCR 78 & HCR 79) have not yet been scheduled for a hearing in the State Affairs Committee.
SB 1518 by Senator King – Bill Caption: Relating to the establishment of a terrorist offender registry and to the supervision of those terrorist offenders, creating criminal offenses related to terrorism.
SB 1518 was voted out of committee on April 5.
We will see y’all at the Capitol!