Quick Takes
- Budget day in the House is set for Thursday, April 6.
- The Senate’s public school voucher proposal will receive a vote this week.
- Plans for a renewed economic development program are on the horizon in the House.
State Report
Budget week has arrived for the 88th Texas Legislature. The two chambers alternate initiating the budget, and this session, it is the Texas House of Representatives' turn to advance the budget, HB 1. It will be taken up by the House Thursday starting at 9 am. Under house rules, amendments to the budget must be filed with the Chief Clerk seventy-two hours in advance, by 9 am today. Additionally, on Thursday, the House will be taking up SB 30, the supplemental appropriations bill. This bill is filed each session to make supplemental appropriations in conjunction with the revised revenue estimate presented earlier in session by Comptroller Glenn Hegar. The Legislative Budget Board provides summaries of HB 1 and the supplemental appropriations bill. The Senate will take similar action on HB 1 once it has passed the House and differences between the two chambers will ultimately be worked out in a conference committee comprised of five senators and five representatives.
The Senate will convene at 9 am today for its first Local and Uncontested Calendar of the legislative session. The Senate Committee on Administration, led by Senator Bob Hall, schedules this calendar consisting of local and noncontroversial bills and resolutions. The Senate Local and Uncontested Calendar is traditionally conducted at a rapid pace by one or two senators presiding over the calendar in an early morning session. The full Senate then convenes later in the day. The Senate Agenda lists the bills that may be taken up on the Floor this week. Under currently applicable Senate rules, a bill or resolution is not eligible for consideration until its second placement on the Senate Intent Calendar. Later in session, bills and resolutions will be eligible for consideration by the full Senate on the first day they are placed on the Notice of Intent Calendar.
The Senate’s school choice program, SB 8, was reported favorably from committee lasted week and is expected for a floor vote tomorrow or Wednesday. The NTC opposes SB 8 because of the voucher program allowing public tax dollars to be used for private education. Supporters of Chairman Todd Hunter’s plan for a new economic development incentive program outlined in HB 5 are hopeful for a hearing in House Ways & Means next Monday, April 10. Proponents of the bill are encouraged to engage in the process and levy their support. The NTC team will be at the hearing to support HB 5.
In addition to passing budget this week, on Tuesday, House members will take up HB 4 by Representative Giovanni Capriglione. Known as the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, HB 4 intends to address the regulation of the collection, use, processing, and treatment of consumers' personal data by businesses. Representative Capriglione has worked on this legislation with stakeholders for several sessions and has stated it is his intention not to amend the bill on the House Floor nor accept amendments from other members. He is joined by a bipartisan list of coauthors on the bill that House Speaker Dade Phelan designated as a priority. There is no companion bill in the Senate. The Daily House Calendar is set for each day this week. At the end of each day, it will be updated with a Supplemental House Calendar that includes measures passed to the third reading on the previous legislative day, measures not reached on a previous calendar, and postponed business. As the session progresses, the Supplemental House Calendar grows and is indicative of potentially long days ahead on the House Floor.
Comptroller Hegar's office released an article last week relating to the Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF), also known as the Rainy Day Fund. The comptroller's office projects the ESF balance will reach its cap for the first time since its inception in 1988. The article describes the fund's projected path to reach the cap in 2025 and what issues that will present to lawmakers.
The House convenes at 2 pm today, and the Senate will reconvene at 2 pm in the afternoon following its Local and Uncontested Calendar in the morning. Meanwhile, House and Senate committees have posted agendas for the week.
For questions regarding the legislative session, please reach out to Patrick Brophey.
