Texas Senate

Subject: Increasing Benefits for Certain Medicaid Beneficiaries, House Bill 54 (HB 54)

• Author: State Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston)
• TFR Position: Oppose
• Background: HB 54 seeks to increase the personal needs allowance for Medicaid-enrolled residents of nursing facilities, and other long-term care facilities from a minimum of $60 per month to $85 per month. The federal minimum requirement for the allowance is $30, meaning Texas already allows for double that. HB 54 is estimated to cost taxpayers an additional $17.4 million through the biennium as well as be subjected to an increase in costs every year thereafter. For these reasons, TFR opposes HB 54.

Subject: Expansion of Government-Sponsored Loan Programs, House Bill 1472 (HB 1472)

• Author: State Rep. Armando Walle (D-Houston)
• TFR Position: Oppose
• Background: HB 1472 seeks to increase the cap for the applicable median income that qualifies for the Texas Bootstrap Loan Program. It is not the appropriate role of the government to be involved in the home loan process, to begin with, and as such TFR opposes any expansion of existing government-sponsored loan programs.

Subject: Continuing Corporate Welfare, House Bill 1515 (HB 1515)

• Author: State Rep. Travis Clardy (R-Nacogdoches)
• TFR Position: Oppose
• Background: HB 1515 seeks to continue the functions of the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office. Having a state office that exists for economic development is opposed to the idea of a free enterprise. The main reason these offices exist is to provide subsidies and corporate welfare on the backs of Texas taxpayers. The only thing Texas needs for a booming economy is for government to get out of the way. For this reason, TFR opposes HB 1515.

Subject: Authorizing an Increase in Fees, House Bill 1699 (HB 1699)

• Author: State Rep. Tracy King (D-Uvalde)
• TFR Position: Oppose
• Background: HB 1699 authorizes a ten-fold increase from 2.5 cents per 1,000 gallons on the cap and export fee as a part of the Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District. In an economic environment by which Texans are reeling from near-record inflation and higher costs of goods and services, adding an additional burden to some Texans is not warranted. For this reason, TFR opposes HB 1699.

Subject: Expanding Corporate Welfare, House Bill 1950 (HB 1950)

• Author: State Rep. Ken King (R-Canadian)
• TFR Position: Oppose
• Background: HB 1950 adds several new events on the list of events that are eligible for funding from the major events reimbursement program. The list includes the Bassmaster Classica and Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, LLC, Federation Equestre Internationale World Cup Final and the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), a Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) World Supercross Championship race and SX Global, and the Professional Bull Riders World Finals and Professional Bull Riders, LLC. HB 1950 also changes language restricting the qualification of the National Reined Cow Horse Association Championship Series and each series of games for the World Cup soccer tournament. Government should not be in the business of stealing from taxpayers to give corporate welfare in the form of reimbursement for major events. This practice is antithetical to free enterprise and TFR opposes all subsidies and corporate welfare.

Subject: Authorizing an Increase in Fees, House Bill 3059 (HB 3059)

• Author: State Rep. Tracy King (D-Uvalde)
• TFR Position: Oppose
• Background: HB 3059 seeks to allow the export fees that groundwater districts can impose to be raised by nearly 1000%. In an economic environment by which Texans are reeling from near-record inflation and higher costs of goods and services, adding an additional burden to some Texans is not warranted. For this reason, TFR opposes HB 3059.

Subject: Elimination of the Vehicle Safety Inspection Program, House Bill 3297 (HB 3297)

• Author: State Rep. Cody Harris (R-Palestine)
• TFR Position: Support
• Background: HB 3297 seeks to eliminate the Vehicle Safety Inspection Program for non-commercial vehicles and establish an equivalent vehicle inspection replacement fee to be paid at the time of vehicle registration.

Subject: Expanding Corporate Welfare, House Bill 4539 (HB 4539)

• Author: State Rep. Craig Goldman (R-Fort Worth)
• TFR Position: Oppose
• Background: HB 4539 seeks to decrease the percentage of the production crew that must be Texas residents to qualify for a grant under the moving image industry incentive program. Ultimately, HB 4539 would make it easier for those seeking corporate welfare to get it. Government should not be in the business of stealing from taxpayers to give corporate welfare in the form of reimbursement for major events. This practice is antithetical to free enterprise and TFR opposes all subsidies and corporate welfare.

Subject: Net Worth Tax Proposition, House Joint Resolution 132 (HJR 132)

• Author: State Rep. Cole Hefner (R-Mount Pleasant)
• TFR Position: Support/Amend
• Background: HJR 132 seeks to allow the people of Texas to decide whether or not Texas opposes a net worth tax. Although this is a good bill, we simply should just ban it from being a possibility in Texas, much like the income tax. TFR, suggests an amendment for an outright ban. TFR supports HJR 132 and also suggests a strengthening amendment.

Subject: Raise Cap on Notary Fees, House Bill 255 (HB 255)

• Author: State Rep. Valoree Swanson (R-Spring)
• TFR Position: Oppose on Local and Uncontested
• Background: HB 255 seeks to address fraudulent practices by those who obtain notary services as well as raise the cap on existing notary fees. Despite the good intentions behind HB 255, TFR is opposed to inflation adjustments for government employees and those in public service, since taxpayers are not offered the same inflation-adjusted courtesy when it comes to tax relief. For these reasons, TFR opposes HB 255.

Subject: Increasing Reliance on Government Welfare, House Bill 2802 (HB 2802)

• Author: State Rep. Toni Rose (D-Dallas)
• TFR Position: Oppose on Local and Uncontested
• Background: HB 2802 seeks to change the current “opt-in” system to that of an “opt-out” system with regard to Medicaid and the information available to recipients. HB 2802 is simply an underhanded attempt to increase reliance on the government for healthcare and ultimately will result in expanding Medicaid use. The proposed change nearly guarantees an increase in the number of people in an already overburdened safety net. Lawmakers should be considering legislation that works to get more Texans off of this program whilst decreasing regulation and freeing up the market to make healthcare more affordable. For this reason, TFR opposes HB 2802.

Subject: Increase in Penalties, House Bill 898 (HB 898)

• Author: State Rep. Lynn Stucky (R-Sanger)
• TFR Position: Oppose on Local and Uncontested
• Background: HB 898 seeks to increase penalties and fines for those ticketed drivers who do not move over a lane or slow to 20mph under the speed limit for approaching emergency vehicles, law enforcement, tow trucks, utility service vehicles, TxDOT vehicles, or other construction/maintenance vehicles. The penalty would increase to a range of $500 to $1,250 for a first offense. The list of vehicles that could qualify under a litany of circumstances makes the enforcement of such a law problematic. For these reasons, TFR opposes HB 898.

Texas House of Representatives

Subject: Protecting Women’s College Sports, Senate Bill 15 (SB 15)

• Author: State Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston)
• TFR Position: Support
• Background: SB 15 seeks to require collegiate athletes to compete on a team according to their biological sex, as correctly stated on their birth certificate. SB 15 provides whistleblower protections and allows for a civil suit of action by an individual against a higher education institution or athletic team that violates the legislation. This bill seeks to protect students at colleges that use taxpayer dollars. For these reasons, TFR supports SB 15.

Reminder: Vote Notices are provided to both Texas state lawmakers and the general public in advance of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility’s position on issues to be rated as part of the Fiscal Responsibility Index prior to votes being taken in each legislative chamber.

Disclaimer: We reserve the right to consider amendments to legislation that may be introduced without notice as a part of issues to be rated as part of the Fiscal Responsibility Index. We will make every effort to provide notice on amendments that are pre-filed.