Legislation from the 86th Session

HB 2 – Co-Author – Major property tax reform legislation which lowers the roll back limit to provide tax reform and transparency. Known as the Texas Property Tax Reform and Transparency Act of 2019.

HB 3 – Co-Author – School finance overhaul and property tax relief, known as the Texas Plan.

HB 6 – Co-Author – Creates a disaster recovery task force

HB 9 – Co-Author – Teacher Retirement System funding and reform

HB 13 – Co-Author – Flood planning and infrastructure funding and reform

HB 16 – Co-Author – Born Alive Act – Requiring physicians to medically treat children who survive an attempted abortion.

HB 17 – Joint Author – Omnibus school safety legislation to improve school safety across Texas.

HB 20 – Co-Author – Creating the Texas Legacy Fund, an investment fund for the state’s benefit consisting of money from the Economic Stabilization Fund above the minimum sufficient balance.

HB 24 – Co-Author – Increases criminal penalties for certain family violence cases when child is present during the commission of the offense.

HB 26 – Author – Requires dam operators to adopt an alert protocol to notify local emergency officials when they make a release of water during a disaster that could exacerbate flooding downstream.

HB 33 – Author – Giving local governments more input into the appointment of directors to the board of the San Jacinto River Authority.

HB 39 – Co-Author – Giving more flexibility to the Cancer Prevention Research Institute in the awarding of grants to fight cancer.

HB 41 – Author – Provides paid leave to a state employee who works or volunteers with a search and rescue organization.

HB 137 – Joint Author – Requires TCEQ to make reports on certain dams with certain levels of hazard classifications.

HB 234 – Co-Author – Disallows local government regulation of children’s lemonade stands

HB 281 – Joint Author – Bans taxpayer funded lobbying.

HB 297 – Co-Author – Eliminates school property taxes based on maintenance and operations.

HB 302 – Co-Author – Prevents condo or apartment associations from unfairly creating gun regulations that infringe the practice of Second Amendment rights.

HB 305 – Co-Author – Requires taxing entities to post board members information on their websites.

HB 347 – Co-Author – Requires all municipalities to go through the same process for consent annexations.

HB 357 – Co-Author – Constitutional Carry, allowing all who are otherwise legally able to carry a gun, to carry without a license.

HB 433 – Joint Author – Requires taxpayer funded lobbying disclosure.

HB 436 – Co-Author – Eliminates tolls on a toll road once the underlying debt is paid.

HB 477 – Joint Author – Increases transparency in bond elections.

HB 492 – Co-Author – Provides a partial property tax exemption for property damaged during a disaster.

HB 505 – Author – Would require voter approval to continue tolls on a tollway once the underlying debt has been paid.

HB 506 – Author – Requires the construction of a non-tolled road if a toll road is constructed on an existing free roadway.

HB 539 – Co-Author – Allows high school valedictorians to have automatic admission into any public university within the state.

HB 547 – Co-Author – Allows a holder of a hunting or fishing license to verify their information on an electronic device.

HB 690 – Author – Would ensure that when the rainy day fund reaches its cap, the excess funds would be used to pay off state debt.

HB 803 – Co-Author – Requires transparency in toll project finances.

HB 851 – Co-Author – Extends the use of alternative graduation committees, giving students an alternative to graduate outside of high stakes testing.

HB 869 – Co-Author – Increases certain criminal penalties if the intent was to participate in a criminal street gang.

HB 945 – Author – Capping appraisal increases on all real property at 10%.

HB 946 – Author – Capping appraisal increases on residences at 5%.

HB 947 – Author – Exempted active duty members of the military from having to pay fees and taxes on a vehicle bought out of state that is then brought into Texas.

HB 948 – Author – Extending the allowable period that a religious organization may claim a property tax exemption on contiguous property.

HB 973 – Author – Allowing TEA to level a fine equal to the annual amount of the superintendent’s salary for school districts that do not comply with school safety requirements.

HB 974 – Author – Strengthening the entry procedures for entering a school campus.

HB 975 – Author – Requires school board members to receive training on school safety.

HB 976 – Author – Creates campus and district level safety committees.

HB 1008 – Author – Puts in place removal mechanisms for members of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board who work against public positions of the Board.

HB 1009 – Author – Eliminates the possibility of “roaming school zones”, which potentially place lawful gun owners in jeopardy of violating in the law.

HB 1060 – Joint Author – Requires an appraisal review board to provide notice of a tax protest hearing if the property owner requested the receipt of notice.

HB 1126 – Co-Author – Gives businesses that allow the carrying of handguns civil immunity.

HB 1177 – Joint Author – Allows evacuees during a disaster to carry their handguns

HB 1214 – Co-Author – Automatically appropriates the sales tax on sporting goods to the benefit of Texas Parks.

HB 1262 – Co-Author – Requires DMV to issue longer period permits for trailers or other vehicles that do not require state inspection.

HB 1300 – Co-Author – Creates a program to support cultivated oyster populations.

HB 1357 – Joint Author – Increases penalties for the failure to report child sex offenses.

HB 1367 – Joint Author – Restricts the use of property seized through eminent domain for the purpose of building a high speed rail project.

HB 1368 – Joint Author – States that if a high speed rail company declares bankruptcy, any option contract held by the company for the purchase of real property is void.

HB 1369 – Joint Author – Prevents a high speed rail from beginning construction until TXDOT has verified that the company has acquired the necessary land.

HB 1370 – Joint Author – Creates a Joint Interim Committee of the Legislature to oversee the development of highspeed rail.

HB 1426 – Co-Author – Prevents a mobile device carrier from slowing or hindering service in a disaster area.

HB 1480 – Joint Author – Eliminates end of course exams for 5th through 8th grades.  Provides for accelerated learning committees to help students achieve successful grade level performance.

HB 1484 – Author – Makes appraisal district board members elected.

HB 1485 – Author – Makes the Chief Appraiser an elected position.

HB 1486 – Author – Makes appraisal review boards elected.

HB 1495 – Co-Author – Creates a county ethics committee for Montgomery County

HB 1496 – Author – Requires law enforcement to inform school district officials when they receive evidence of potential school violence.

HB 1497 – Author – Provides a specially marked drivers license for paramedics and emergency medical services personnel.

HB 1498 – Author – Allows prosecutors and courts to consider out of state actions when considering a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child.

HB 1499 – Author – Gives victims who are owed restitution access to a perpetrator’s unclaimed property.

HB 1576 – Co-Author – Allows for additional emergency medical transportation services contracting under Medicaid, saving taxpayer dollars.

HB 1631 – Co-Author – Eliminates the use of red light cameras.

HB 1941 – Joint Author – Prohibits unreasonable fees at free standing emergency centers.

HB 1951 – Joint Author – The toll payer protection act.

HB 2021 – Author – Requires voter approval of the issuance of bonds by river authorities.

HB 2041 – Co-Author – Requires free standing emergency centers to provide clear information on fees and services.

HB 2195 – Co-Author – School safety legislation which requires school districts to implement an active shooter emergency plan.

HB 2100 – Co-Author – Protects free speech on college campuses.

HB 2286 – Co-Author – Would allow the use of a suppressor on a firearm.

HB 2325 – Author – Allows for better communication between governmental agencies during a natural disaster.

HB 2328 – Author – School safety legislation to allow school marshals to complete continuing education online.

HB 2444 – Joint Author – Lowers the hours to complete a cosmetology license.

HB 2481 – Author – Allows more efficient use of the veteran treatment courts throughout the state.

HB 2571 – Joint Author – Designates a portion of I-45 in Montgomery County as George P. Mitchell Memorial Highway.

HB 2677 – Co-Author – Restricts certain funds and political contributions by a lobbyist.

HB 2684 – Author – Ensures that non profits are exempt from sales and use tax when they are operating at a county fair.

HB 2688 – Author – Would allow counties to create drug treatment courts for family members that reside with a child who has been the subject of a juvenile justice case.

HB 2725 – Joint Author – Would allow adoptees to access their original birth certificates.

HB 2826 – Co-Author – Hiring and contracting transparency of government entities.

HB 2843 – Joint Author – Lowers hours to complete a cosmetology license.

HB 2867 – Author – Ensures the creation of a medical school at Sam Houston State University.

HB 2892 – Co-Author – Protects religious freedom by allowing medical professionals to conscientious refusals of health care services that run contrary to their beliefs.

HB 2945 – Co-Author – Provides more serious penalties on those who operate card skimmer fraud schemes.

HB 3016 – Co-Author – Protects the carrying of a firearm in a motor vehicle.

HB 3899 – Joint-Author – Protects free enterprise by prohibiting a municipality from regulating the sale of goods by overarching ordinances.

HB 3439 – Co-Author – Would prohibit a municipality and a union to enter into a “labor peace agreement”.

HB 3535 – Co-Author – Limits fees on cable services.

HB 3584 – Author – Requires local officials to have 911 training for better response during a natural disaster.

HB 3586 – Author – Requires the Emergency Management Council to prepare a report within 90 days of a disaster declaration regarding disaster related projects that require federal funding.

HB 3601 – Joint-Author – Provides for educational incentives to retain members of the Texas State military forces.

HB 4306 – Co-Author – Would allow the state to construct certain border security projects.

HB 4345 – Co-Author – Allows protections for those who report sexual misconduct by individuals in a charitable organization.

HJR 10 – Co-Author – Would create the Texas Legacy Fund dedicated to infrastructure projects and long term state obligations.

HJR 12 – Co-Author – Authorizes the legislature to increase bonds to the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

HJR 34 – Co-Author – Authorizes the legislature to provide for a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation for property destroyed by a natural disaster.

HJR 38 – Joint-Author – Would propose a constitutional amendment prohibiting the state collection of an income tax.

HJR 39 – Co-Author – Would propose a constitutional amendment to appropriate funds to Texas State Parks.

HJR 42 – Author – Would allow for the creation of a state investment account.

HJR 50 – Author – Would limit the maximum appraised value of real property.

HJR 51 – Author – Would authorize the legislature to lower the limit of the appraised value of residences.

SB 2 – Co-Sponsor – Major property tax reform legislation which lowers the roll back limit to provide tax reform and transparency. Known as the Texas Property Tax Reform and Transparency Act of 2019.

SB 11 – Joint-Sponsor – Major school safety legislation to protect our children in schools from those who wish to bring harm.

SB 12 – Co-Sponsor – Provides funding for the Teacher Retirement System.

SB 18 – Co-Sponsor – Protects free speech on college campuses.

SB 22 – Co-Sponsor – Pro-life bill which prohibits local tax subsidies to abortion providers.

SB 29 – Joint-Sponsor – Bans taxpayer funded lobbying.

SB 30 – Co-Sponsor – Requires local taxing entities to write more transparent and detailed ballot language for propositions to issue bonds.

SB 942 – Sponsor – Updates the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

SB 1511 – Co-Sponsor – Provides for the complete restoration and future maintenance of the Battleship Texas.

SB 1978 – Co-Sponsor – Protects religious freedom by not allowing the government to take adverse action against a company for exercising their religious beliefs.

SB 2089 – Co-Sponsor – Pro-life bill which would require a physician to honor a patients end of life care treatment.

HCR 19 – Co-Author – Urging Congress to repeal the government pension offset and the windfall elimination provision of social security.

HR 830 – Joint-Author – Honoring the life of Montgomery County Attorney JD Lambright.