If passed, SB757 seeks to allow holders of a distillers and rectifiers permit, a brewers license, or a brewpub license to ship distilled spirits and/or malt beverages directly to consumers in the State of Texas. Additionally, officers must ensure that: Similar to the above bills, SB71 seeks to amendChapter 2 of Texas Code of Criminal Procedureto add a section titled Law Enforcement Policy on Use of Force by Peace Officers., If passed, SB71 would require each law enforcement agency in Texas to adopt a detailed written policy regarding the use of force by peace officers employed by the agency. The officer arrests the person for an offense under Chapter 49, Penal Code, involving the operation of a motor vehicle or a watercraft; The person refuses the officers request to submit to the taking of a specimen voluntarily; The person was the operator of a motor vehicle or a watercraft involved in an accident that the officer reasonably believes occurred as a result of the offense; and. MDARD suspended Marlena's food establishment license on Jan. 20, but Pavlos-Hackney refused to close, posting her decision to a large following on multiple Facebook pages. The act would also require officers to provide aid immediately to any person who needs medical attention as a result of the use of force by a peace officer, as well as require identification as a peace officer before taking any action within the course and scope of the officers official duties (unless the identification would render the action impracticable). Emphasize conflict de-escalation and the use of force in a manner proportionate to the threat posed and to the seriousness of the alleged offense; Mandate that deadly force is only to be used by peace officers as a last resort; and. Under HB477, money generated from the casinos would go toward residual windstorm insurance coverage and catastrophic flooding assistance in those areas. The operator of the bicycle or motorcycle must come to a full and complete stop at the intersection, exercise due care as provided law, and may only proceed through the intersection when it is safe to do so. Insurance companies claim that this information is irrelevant and immaterial to a pre-suit claim, while plaintiffs lawyers argue that it can help facilitate settlement and avoid needless litigation. SCR20 seeks to have the 87th Texas Legislature recognize the original 1847 Colt Walker pistol as the official handgun of the State of Texas. The person to be arrested or attempting to escape after arrest possesses a deadly weapon; and. HB19 would effectively give trucking companies room to sidestep important safety precautions that demonstrably reduce the likelihood of a preventable crash, and instead shift the blame solely onto their drivers. Championed by the California Self Storage Association (CSSA) with . If passed, HB504 seeks to amend Section 2154.202(g) of the Texas Occupations Code in order to permit fireworks sales to the public beginning June 14 and ending at midnight on June 19 (Juneteenth) in a county in which the commissioners court of the county has approved the sale of fireworks during the period. Among other things, if passed, the amendment would allow up to four (4) casinos to operate at destination resorts located in metropolitan areas of the state with a population of two million or more (i.e., Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas-Fort Worth), provided that no more than one (1) casino is located within any one metropolitan area. Dan Patrick says he doesnt expect a push to legalize sports betting in Texas to go anywhere in this years legislative session. The commissioner shall set the rate of the adjustment no later than November 1st of each year. The tt Snt passed a new law on suspended license in California. Consume alcoholic beverages on the businesss premises; or. From police reform to legalized gambling and alcohol sales to digital license plates, here's a small sampling of the bills filed during Texas' 87th legislative session. Establish a safe distance of at least three (3) feet when passing pedestrians/cyclists in a car or light truck, and six (6) feet for operators of large trucks and commercial vehicles. Sarah Hoffman, 37, of Dallas, was disciplined in three separate cases. The lawyer also admitted to setting up a fake email account to help her falsely . In order to provide funding for this, the bill would appropriate state aid (from the economic stabilization fund) to school districts in an amount equal to the product of $4,000 multiplied by the number of classroom teachers, full-time librarians, full-time school counselors, and full-time school nurses employed by the districtbut only if the bill is approved by a 2/3 vote. If passed, HB371 seeks to amend Section 662.003(b) of the Texas Government Code (a list of official Texas state holidays) to add the day after the Super Bowl as an official state holiday. If passed, the bill would: The bill also seeks to allow counties and municipalities to further restrict the speed at which a person may operate a motor-assisted scooter, the locations a person may operate a motor-assisted scooter, locations a person may park a scooter, a minimum age requirement, higher civil and criminal penalties for traffic law violations, as well as the requirement that riders wear a safety helmet. HCR32, if passed, would designate Missouri City, TX as the official Hip-Hop Capital of Texas for the next 10 years. HB832, if passed, would require officers to intervene if the use of force by another peace officer violates state or federal law, puts any person at risk of bodily injury (unless necessary to avoid imminent harm to a peace officer or other person), or is not required to apprehend or complete the apprehension of a suspect. HB2808, HB3370 & HB3494, on the other hand, seek to do away with variable rate energy plans for residential customers entirely. HJR133 & SJR49 both propose a constitutional amendment which would authorize and regulate casino gaming at a limited number of destination resorts and facilities licensed by the (yet-to-be-created) Texas Gaming Commission, as well as authorize sports wagering in the state. Drivers would still be permitted to use dedicated GPS devices, dash cams, and (if 18 or older) hands-free communication devices. According to the bill, the comptroller shall determine the adjusted minimum wage on December 1 of each year by increasing the adjusted minimum wage for that calendar year by the percentage increase, if any, in the consumer price index for the 12 months preceding that date. According to HJR102 & HB2257, the money generated from these casinos would go toward providing additional money for property tax relief. Each of the Joint Resolutions listed above propose an amendment to the Texas constitution authorizing the legislature to legalize wagering on professional and collegiate sporting events in the State of Texas. HB3335, if passed, also seeks to amend amend Section 17.46, Business & Commerce Code to include selling electricity at prices at least 200% higher than the market average price for the four quarters immediately preceding a declared disaster as a false, misleading, or deceptive act or practice., SB2075 seeks to amend amend Section 17.46, Business & Commerce Code to include selling electricity at prices at least 300% higher than the average price for the month immediately preceding a declared disaster as a false, misleading, or deceptive act or practice., If passed, each of the above-proposed bills seek to amend Section 39.151 of Texas Utilities Code to ensure that each member of the governing body of the independent organization certified to manage the ERCOT power region (including the CEO) must be a resident of Texas. The Texas Driver's Handbook is available online to help you qualify for a Texas driver license. Vehicle registration suspended for driving without insurance. Some Texas abortion clinics were already turning patients away even before the state's harsh new abortion law went into effect at midnight. These daycare facilities shall retain all recorded video required by this act for at least 30 days after the date the video is recorded. If passed, HB505 seeks to amend Section 2154.202(g) of the Texas Occupations Code in order to also permit fireworks sales to the public beginning five days before Labor Day and ending at midnight on Labor Day (in a county in which the commissioners court of the county has approved the sale of fireworks during the period). HB2067 also states that Confederate Heroes Day, which currently falls on the same date, would be removed from the list of official state holidays. If passed, both HB2661 & HB2838 seek to amend Subchapter D, Chapter 38 of Texas Utilities Code in order to require each electric utility, municipally owned utility, and electric cooperative that is subject to a rolling blackout initiated by an independent organization certified under Section 39.151 to rotate customer curtailment so that no customer is subject to an outage lasting more than 12 hours. Consent must be given in a manner that indicates the customer understands that they are enrolling in a variable rate plan, and the electric provider shall provide notice that the plan includes variable rates in an easily readable font and type size. In September of 2003, Texas passed a law which substantially limited the amount of compensation that medical malpractice victims can seek from a physician or health care provider in civil court. If passed, HB928 would define the term catfish as any species of the scientific family Ictaluridae. The term does not include any species of the scientific genus Pangasius, family Claridae or family Siluridae, including Swai fish (fish similar to catfish). It is important to note, though, that Lt. Gov. HB1071 seeks to allow any party to an action filed in a court in this state to petition the court to authorize a qualified facility dog or qualified therapy animal to be present with a witness who is testifying before the court. The bill states that A peace officer may not intentionally use a choke hold, carotid artery hold, or similar neck restraint in searching or arresting a person unless the restraint is necessary to prevent serious bodily injury to or the death of the officer or another person.. Texas law currently allows for truck accident victims to pursue damages against both the commercial truck driver as well as the transportation company who hired the driverif it can be shown that their negligence (e.g., lax vetting of hired drivers, pushing drivers past their hours-of-service limits, failure to maintain their fleet, etc.) Texas observes daylight saving time beginning the second Sunday in March, and then reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November. Suspensions & Reinstatements. According to the text of the bill, a person who knows that a child has suffered a serious bodily injury caused by abuse or neglect shall immediately make a report to law enforcement and/or the appropriate licensing agency. Practicing With Suspended License Brings Disbarment for Texas Attorney The State Bar of Texas attorney discipline list for June includes 22 sanctions meted out against 21 Texas attorneys.. June 24, 2021. likely played a role in the crash. is an automatic felony charge. The measure must now be approved by the State Assembly and be signed by Gov. If passed, schools, preschools, kindergartens, nursery schools, day camps, or youth camps must determine whether a child is able to swim or is at risk when swimming, and provide the owner or operator of the body of water a written or electronic disclosure that clearly identifies each child who is unable to swim or is at risk when swimming. With nearly 10,000 bills filed this year, it can be difficult to keep upespecially when theyre written in confusing legalese. HB3248, on the other hand, seeks to allow both counties and municipalities (cities) to do so by order or local ordinance. ALR Program. By Jackeline Luna , Maggie Beidelman. HB390 aims to establish a human trafficking awareness and prevention training program for employees of commercial lodging establishments (i.e., hotels, motels, inns, etc). In 2021 the Legislature's super-majority of Democrats sent Gov. If passed, these bills would prohibit law enforcement officers from initiating actions (e.g., traffic stops) based, in whole or in part, on an individual operating a motorcycle or wearing motorcycle-related or motorcycle club-related paraphernaliarather than on the individuals behavior or on information identifying the individual as having engaged in criminal activity. Material: Titanium. If passed, the bills would allow defendants to introduce evidence of the reasonableness of the amount charged for medical or health care services provided to the plaintiff, including: If passed, HB903 seeks to amend the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code in order to allow a person with legal custody of a minor to settle a civil claim on the childs behalf (as long as the settlement is $25,000 or less) without the need to appoint a guardian ad litem. Here's what you need to know. At the time of the arrest, the officer reasonably believes that as a direct result of the accident any individual has died, will die, or has suffered serious bodily injury. HB3141 seeks to require those who sell or resell tickets for a concert or other event in this state (including the operator of a ticket website) to disclose all fees charged in connection with the sale of a ticket for the event. HB205, if passed, seeks to modify Chapter 2151 of the Texas Occupations Code in order to require that amusement ride operators be trained in the proper use and operation of the ride, and to be at least 16 years of age. Often referred to as swoop and settle tactics, the objective is to get the victim to agree to settle their claim before theyre even able to see a doctor or get an estimate on repair costs. Proponents often argue that students names and images are used on products and in advertising that brings revenue to the school, and thus should receive a portion of these profits as compensation. Lets take a look at some of the more-interesting ones. Box 15999 Under HB1117, once a toll road is paid off, the road would become part of the state highway system and must be maintained by the commission (or shall continue to be maintained by the entity operating the project if certain criteria is not met). Both HB1949 & HB1956 seek to amend Section 2056 of Texas Government Code in order to require the Texas state climatologist to provide to the Legislative Budget Board (for use in the strategic planning of a state agency) a report on projected changes in weather (including adverse impacts), water availability, and climate variability across the state. By Heather Navarro Published December 27, 2021 Updated on December 28, 2021 at 1:46 pm If passed, HB1757 would amend Section 37.09 of Texas Penal Code in order to make it a criminal offense for a peace officer (or another employee of a law enforcement agency) to alter, destroy, or conceal another persons audio, visual, or photographic recording of a peace officers performance of official duties without obtaining that other persons written consent. If passed, a bet under Texas law will not include any offer of a prize, award, or compensation to the participants in a fantasy or simulated game or contest which is determined by the accumulated statistical performances of the individual athletes on a participants fictional sports team.. Let's take a look at some of the more-interesting ones. In, fact, most of them wont. Characterizing collisions as accidents can send the wrong message, as (by definition) the word may imply that a collision was the fault of nobody in particular. The unmanned aircraft was equipped only with a chemical dispensing device or with a firearm containing nonlethal rounds and operated in the course of the actors actual discharge of official duties as a peace officer. The application shall only be approved if a majority of the voters favor the authorization of casino gaming. SB55 & HB1176, if passed, seek to modify Section 13.001 of Texas Election Code to reflect this change in law.