Texas Senate
Subject: Scope of Government, Senate Bill 1546 (SB 1546)
- Author: State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston)
- TFR Position: Support
- Background: SB 1546 seeks to clarify the authority of certain special districts to ensure they do not exercise certain rights outside of the district boundaries. SB 1546 would ensure the scope of special governmental jurisdictions remains limited. For this reason, TFR supports SB 1546.
Subject: Increased Transparency for Information Requests, Senate Bill 1579 (SB 1579)
- Author: State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston)
- TFR Position: Support
- Background: SB 1579 seeks to improve requestor response time and quality, efficiency, cost, and oversight in the expedited response process for a request for information. SB 1579 would increase transparency and accountability. For these reasons, TFR supports SB 1579.
Subject: Requiring All Employers to Use E-Verify System, Senate Bill 1621 (SB 621)
- Author: State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham)
- TFR Position: Support
- Background: SB 1621 seeks to ensure that all employees in Texas are legally authorized to work in the state by requiring employers, public and private, to use the federal E-Verify system. One of the largest incentivizes to continued illegal immigration is the lack of this requirement currently. SB 1621 seeks to remedy that. For this reason, TFR supports SB 1621.
Subject: Expansion of Government-Sponsored Loan Programs, Senate Bill 2512 (SB 2512)
- Author: State Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas)
- TFR Position: Oppose
- Background: SB 2512 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: Misuse of the Rainy Day Fund, House Joint Resolution 3 (HJR 3)
- Author: State Rep. Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood)/State Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston)
- TFR Position: Oppose
- Background: HJR 3 seeks to amend the Texas Constitution by changing the name of the National Research University Fund to the Texas University Fund and seeks to dedicate $3.5 billion from taxpayer money to increase the total money invested in the fund. HJR 3 also dedicates a continuous revenue source of interest accrued on money that is part of the Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF) or “Rainy Day Fund”. The ESF was not designed as a slush fund for higher education. For this reason, TFR opposes HJR 3.
Subject: Misuse of the Rainy Day Fund, House Bill 1595 (HB 1595)
- Author: State Rep. Greg Bonnen (R-Friendswood)/State Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston)
- TFR Position: Oppose
- Background: HB 1595 is the enabling legislation for HJR 3. Ultimately HB 1595 seeks to change the mechanisms by which money allocated to the fund is dispersed to various higher education institutions across the state using a structured and tiered funding model. With the constitutional amendment, HJR 3 seeking to dedicate a continuous revenue source of interest accrued on money that is part of the Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF) or “Rainy Day Fund”, TFR believes that the ESF was not designed as a slush fund for higher education. For this reason, TFR opposes HB 1595.
Texas House of Representatives
Subject: Overstep on Reforming Campaign Finance Law, House Bill 1585 (HB 1585)
- Author: State Rep. Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth)
- TFR Position: Oppose
- Background: HB 1585 seeks to update several statutes administered and enforced by the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) to clarify campaign finance filing requirements and revise lobbyist regulations to better facilitate efficient disclosure and meaningful transparency by those who spend money in an effort to influence elections or legislative outcomes. However, there are provisions in HB 1585 that are likely unconstitutional, namely that it makes all legislative speech subject to campaign finance law. This is an overstep by TEC which has been found multiple times to violate the rights of activists and voters, and for this reason, TFR opposes HB 1585.
Subject: Expansion of an Existing Program, House Bill 2644 (HB 2644)
- Author: State Rep. Tom Craddick (R-Midland)
- TFR Position: Oppose
- Background: HB 2644 seeks to revise the definition of “qualified employee” under the Texas Enterprise Zone Act to clarify that an employee of a company may work from home and the company could still qualify for enterprise zone funds, so long as the employee is assigned to and resides within 50 miles of a qualified business site. The expansion of the definition of qualified employees to include someone who performs at least 50 percent of their duties offsite would increase the number of qualified employees eligible to be counted in the determination of refund claims and would increase the amounts of refunds paid to qualified businesses. According to the Comptroller’s Office, there are approximately 400 projects being monitored and 11,000 employees who were denied as a result of offsite work that would be counted as a qualified employee under the provisions of the bill. This expansion of the program is estimated to cost taxpayers an additional almost $30 million over the next two years and nearly $5 million every year thereafter. This is not the appropriate role of government. For this reason, TFR opposes HB 2644.
Subject: Expanding Pre-K Eligibility and Creation of a Grant Program, House Bill 1614 (HB 1614)
- Author: State Rep. Harold Dutton Jr. (D-Houston)
- TFR Position: Oppose
- Background: HB 1614 seeks to extend free prekindergarten eligibility to certain children participating in prekindergarten partnerships that are receiving state child-care subsidies through a grant program administered by the commissioner of education. HB 1614 is estimated to have a negative impact on taxpayers to a total of over $20.2 million over the next two years and an additional $10 million every year thereafter. Instead of expanding pre-kindergarten programs, we should be eliminating them. It is not the role of the government to take care of people from the cradle to the grave, for this reason, TFR opposes HB 1614.
Subject: Takes Away From Property Tax Relief, House Bill 2859 (HB 2859)
- Author: State Rep. Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin)
- TFR Position: Oppose
- Background: HB 2859 seeks to allow those who receive grant funds from the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act passed by the U.S. Congress for the purposes of broadband development not to have those grants subjected to the franchise tax. Though there remains a question over whether the state should tax those grants to begin with, as they represent taxpayer money collected by the federal government, by allowing an exemption from the tax, they would also simultaneously be taking millions of dollars away from the property tax relief fund, which benefits all property taxpayers, due to how the fund, school funding, and the nature of the franchise tax works in Texas. For these reasons, TFR opposes HB 2859.
Subject: Pro-Taxpayer, House Bill 3364 (HB 3364)
- Author: State Rep. Angie Chen Button (R-Garland)
- TFR Position: Support
- Background: HB 3364 seeks to reform the property tax appraisal process to increase fairness to taxpayers and expand taxpayer rights and participation. With additional notification requirements and increased transparency, taxpayers will be better protected and equipped to engage in procedures related to the property tax appraisal process. For these reasons, TFR supports HB 3364.
Subject: Hotel Occupancy Tax for East Montgomery County Improvement District, House Bill 5321 (HB 5321)
- Author: State Rep. Cecil Bell Jr. (R-Montgomery)
- TFR Position: Oppose
- Background: HB 5321 seeks to authorize the East Montgomery County Improvement District’s board of directors the ability to authorize Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) revenue to be used for certain projects. The continued use of HOT to finance projects is antithetical to free enterprise. Many local governments are already overfunded and lack accountability. There is no reason to create new taxes and grow the government to build buildings not crucial to infrastructure. For this reason, TFR opposes HB 5321.
Subject: Medicaid Expansion for Those in Juvenile Justice System, House Bill 4366 (HB 4366)
- Author: State Rep. Donna Howard (D-Austin)
- TFR Position: Oppose
- Background: HB 4366 seeks to expand on current existing state law and require the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), in coordination with the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), to screen every individual for eligibility in Medicaid, including STAR Health. HB 4366 would allow for incarcerated youth to access telehealth or telemedicine services while they are incarcerated. Prior to a child’s release, HB 4366 would also require TJJD to create a release plan to ensure the continuity of care for the child. Instead of expanding Medicaid services, the Texas Legislature should be focused on creating an environment where Texans are not driven to these social safety nets, to begin with, and once on them, pathways off of them. For these reasons, TFR opposes HB 4366.
Subject: Increased Transparency, House Bill 614 (HB 614)
- Author: State Rep. Matt Shaheen (R-Plano)
- TFR Position: Support
- Background: HB 614 seeks to require a property owners’ association to establish a transparent policy regarding fines and related violations. Increased transparency for Texas taxpayers is beneficial. For this reason, TFR supports HB 614.
Subject: Establishing Office of Food System Security and Resiliency, House Bill 2886 (HB 2886)
- Author: State Rep. Jessica González (D-Dallas)
- TFR Position: Oppose
- Background: HB 2886 seeks to promote food security for Texans by establishing an office of food system security and resiliency as a division within the Texas Department of Agriculture. HB 2886 requires that the office coordinate state resources and programs, ensure a food system free of disruption, promote the growth, manufacture, and processing of agricultural products for farm-tostore and farm-to-table consumption, develop regional food system security and resiliency planning by working with other state agencies, counties, municipalities, school districts, and local governments; and promote policies to establish more localized food markets or food access points. Though food security is a concern for Texas’ future prosperity, this role is best left to private organizations. For this reason, TFR opposes HB 2886.
Subject: New Tax on E-Cigs, House Bill 4772 (HB 4772)
- Author: State Rep. Shawn Thierry (D-Houston)
- TFR Position: Oppose
- Background: HB 4772 seeks to levy a state excise tax on the first sale of an e-cigarette (e-cig) and requires records for such products to be kept. The Comptroller’s office anticipates needing to hire 14 additional full-time employees to administer the provisions of the bill. HB 4772 is estimated to have a negative impact on taxpayers of upwards of $17 million over the next two years and over $7 million every year thereafter. The state of Texas does not have a revenue problem, but a spending problem. Imposing new taxes in an economic environment by which Texas taxpayers are already having to deal with new record high inflation, higher costs of living, and an evergrowing burden of things like property taxes is not in the best interest of Texas taxpayers. For this reason, TFR opposes HB 4772.
Subject: Election Integrity, House Bill 153 (HB 153)
- Author: State Rep. Valoree Swanson (R-Spring)
- TFR Position: Support
- Background: HB 153 seeks to create a ballot option for a voter to affirmatively abstain from voting in a contest on a ballot, without leaving it blank and susceptible to fraud. For this reason, TFR supports HB 153.
Subject: Raising Candidate Filing Fee, House Bill 232 (HB 232)
- Author: State Rep. Valoree Swanson (R-Spring)
- TFR Position: Oppose
- Background: There have been many concerns about how difficult it is for non-wealthy people to run for office in Texas. HB 232 raises fees for candidates based on inflation. The government does not need any more inflation bumps, it raises plenty of money. Secondly, HB 232 works to suppress normal Texans from running for office, increasing barriers to entry. The legislature should concentrate on giving inflation bumps in property tax relief and not collecting more money for big government. For this reason, TFR opposes HB 232.
Subject: Burdensome Regulation, House Bill 421 (HB 421)
- Author: State Rep. Ray Lopez (D-San Antonio)
- TFR Position: Oppose
- Background: HB 421 seeks to require a motor vehicle operator to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a pedestrian or a person operating a bicycle on a highway or street and by establishing minimum safe passing distances for a vehicle passing to the left or right in relation to a pedestrian or a bicycle. Additionally, it requires a motor vehicle operator passing a pedestrian or a bicycle operator on a highway or street that has two or more marked lanes running in the same direction to move the motor vehicle to a lane other than the lane used by the pedestrian or bicycle operator while passing the pedestrian or bicycle operator. This makes the transportation code more confusing without offering many benefits. TFR opposes, HB 421.
Subject: Burdensome Regulation Preemption, House Bill 1348 (HB 1348)
- Author: State Rep. Lynn Stucky (R-Sanger)
- TFR Position: Support
- Background: HB 1348 seeks to preempt local regulation of veterinary medicine. The practice of veterinary medicine is already regulated by the state. Imposing additional regulations and creating a patchwork of rules is burdensome. For this reason, TFR supports HB 1348.
Subject: Itemized Billing for Medical Services, House Bill 1973 (HB 1973)
- Author: State Rep. Caroline Harris (R-Round Rock)
- TFR Position: Support
- Background: HB 1973 requires that a medical provider send an itemized bill prior to attempting to collect any money from a patient. The itemized list would include each medical service provided, the amount the provider will accept as payment in full for that service, and a plain language description of the service. For too long, the established healthcare system has benefitted from a protected market marred with government intrusion. Requiring transparency would only increase competition among healthcare providers leading to lower costs and a much more improved system. For these reasons, TFR supports HB 1973.
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