(Thursday, April 11, 2019)

The Senate met at 6:48 p.m. pursuant to adjournment and was called to order by the President.

The roll was called and the following Senators were present:  Alvarado, Bettencourt, Birdwell, Buckingham, Campbell, Creighton, Fallon, Flores, Hall, Hancock, Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, Johnson, Lucio, Menéndez, Miles, Nelson, Nichols, Paxton, Perry, Powell, Rodríguez, Schwertner, Seliger, Taylor, Watson, West, Whitmire, Zaffirini.

Absent-excused:  Kolkhorst.

The President announced that a quorum of the Senate was present.

Senator Paxton offered the invocation as follows:

Our Father and creator, maker of heaven and Earth, we thank You for the privilege of serving together today. Lord, I pray that You would give each of us wisdom, that You would give us courage, and that You would give us strength, make the right endure. And it is in the name of Your son, Jesus, who has saved us, who keeps us saved, who is coming again, that I pray. Amen.

Senator Whitmire moved that the reading of the Journal of the proceedings of the previous day be dispensed with and the Journal be approved as printed.

The motion prevailed without objection.

On motion of Senator Whitmire, Senator Kolkhorst was granted leave of absence for today on account of important business.

The President announced that the introduction of bills and resolutions on first reading would be postponed until the end of today's session.

There was no objection.

The President at 6:50 p.m. announced the conclusion of morning call.

Senator Hall moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 926 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

CSSB 926, Relating to the operation of a public school transportation system.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 11.

Yeas:  Alvarado, Bettencourt, Birdwell, Buckingham, Campbell, Creighton, Fallon, Flores, Hall, Hancock, Huffman, Hughes, Nelson, Paxton, Perry, Powell, Schwertner, Taylor, Watson.

Nays:  Hinojosa, Johnson, Lucio, Menéndez, Miles, Nichols, Rodríguez, Seliger, West, Whitmire, Zaffirini.

Absent-excused:  Kolkhorst.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 19, Nays 11. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Buckingham moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 1189 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

CSSB 1189, Relating to certain deceptive advertising of legal services.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 10.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Buckingham, Campbell, Creighton, Fallon, Flores, Hall, Hancock, Huffman, Hughes, Lucio, Nelson, Nichols, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Seliger, Taylor, Zaffirini.

Nays:  Alvarado, Hinojosa, Johnson, Menéndez, Miles, Powell, Rodríguez, Watson, West, Whitmire.

Absent-excused:  Kolkhorst.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 20, Nays 10. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Creighton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 2485 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

CSSB 2485, Relating to a prohibition against certain local regulation of certain employment benefits provided by private employers.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 18, Nays 12.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Buckingham, Campbell, Creighton, Fallon, Flores, Hall, Hancock, Huffman, Hughes, Nelson, Nichols, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Seliger, Taylor.

Nays:  Alvarado, Hinojosa, Johnson, Lucio, Menéndez, Miles, Powell, Rodríguez, Watson, West, Whitmire, Zaffirini.

Absent-excused:  Kolkhorst.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 18, Nays 12. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Creighton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 2487 at this time on its third reading and final passage:

CSSB 2487, Relating to a prohibition against certain local regulation of employment leave provided by private employers.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 18, Nays 12.

Yeas:  Bettencourt, Birdwell, Buckingham, Campbell, Creighton, Fallon, Flores, Hall, Hancock, Huffman, Hughes, Nelson, Nichols, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Seliger, Taylor.

Nays:  Alvarado, Hinojosa, Johnson, Lucio, Menéndez, Miles, Powell, Rodríguez, Watson, West, Whitmire, Zaffirini.

Absent-excused:  Kolkhorst.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 18, Nays 12.  (Same as previous roll call)

HOUSE CHAMBER

Austin, Texas

Thursday, April 11, 2019 - 3

The Honorable President of the Senate

Senate Chamber

Austin, Texas

Mr. President:

I am directed by the house to inform the senate that the house has taken the following action:

THE HOUSE HAS PASSED THE FOLLOWING MEASURES:

Relating to debris management and other disaster recovery efforts.

Relating to developing a disaster recovery task force to assist with long-term disaster recovery.

Relating to flood planning, mitigation, and infrastructure projects; making an appropriation.

Relating to the notification of affected persons of certain releases of water from certain dams.

Relating to a database of employers penalized for failure to pay wages or convicted of certain offenses involving wage theft.

Relating to the carrying, storage, or possession of a firearm or firearm ammunition by certain persons on certain residential or commercial property.

Relating to a task force to coordinate and make recommendations on parent engagement and education programs provided by state agencies.

Relating to certain government contracts with companies that boycott Israel.

Relating to liability for certain damage caused by vehicles exceeding maximum height limitations; creating a criminal offense.

Relating to the enforcement of commercial motor vehicle safety standards in certain municipalities and counties.

Relating to the collection of consumer debt by debt buyers.

Relating to increasing the criminal penalties for certain offenses committed in a disaster area or an evacuated area.

Relating to the disposition of real property interests by the Willacy County Navigation District.

Relating to the acknowledgment of a written instrument on behalf of a limited liability company or partnership.

Relating to access by certain persons to a first responder's immunization history.

Relating to the administration and collection of sales and use taxes applicable to sales involving marketplace providers.

Relating to the creation of the Liberty County Drainage District; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, or taxes; granting a limited power of eminent domain.

Relating to the procedure for action on certain applications for an amendment to a water right.

Relating to the sales and use tax exemption for certain amusement services.

Relating to the sale of certain wine by the holder of a wine and beer retailer's permit or mixed beverage permit.

Relating to a single local use tax rate as an alternative to combined local use tax rates for computing the amount of local use taxes remote sellers are required to collect and to the allocation of tax revenue collected at that rate.

Relating to a work group on enhancing the training and credentialing of emergency management personnel.

Relating to the information necessary to appropriately title certain flood damaged vehicles that have been repaired with federal financial assistance.

Relating to evidence of ownership of temporary housing provided by a government agency in response to a natural disaster or other declared emergency.

Relating to services provided during and following a disaster.

Relating to providing information and communication regarding and during a disaster.

Relating to a study of an intake system and state case management system for state and federal disaster assistance.

Relating to the disaster supplemental nutrition assistance program.

Relating to emergency and disaster management, response, and recovery.

Relating to resources to facilitate disaster mitigation, response, and recovery.

Relating to disposal of controlled substance prescription drugs by hospice service providers.

Relating to the establishment of an emergency radio infrastructure grant program.

Relating to emergency warning systems operated by municipalities and counties.

Relating to prepaid funeral benefits.

Relating to the eligibility of land on which the Texas Animal Health Commission has established a temporary quarantine for ticks for appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes as agricultural or open-space land.

Proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the issuance of additional general obligation bonds by the Texas Water Development Board to provide financial assistance for the development of certain projects in economically distressed areas.

Respectfully,

/s/Robert Haney, Chief Clerk

House of Representatives

On motion of Senator Creighton and by unanimous consent, Senate Rule 11.13 was suspended to grant the Committee on Higher Education and the Committee on Texas Ports permission to meet while the Senate was meeting today.

On motion of Senator Creighton and by unanimous consent, Senate Rule 11.10(a) and Senate Rule 11.18(a) were suspended in order that the Committee on Higher Education and the Committee on Texas Ports might meet today.

On motion of Senator Taylor and by unanimous consent, Senate Rule 11.13 was suspended to grant the Committee on Education permission to meet while the Senate was meeting today.

On motion of Senator Taylor and by unanimous consent, Senate Rule 11.10(a) and Senate Rule 11.18(a) were suspended in order that the Committee on Education might meet today.

On motion of Senator Whitmire, the Senate at 7:04 p.m. recessed, in memory of Johnny "Lam" Jones, until 2:00 p.m. Monday, April 15, 2019.