(Thursday, March 13, 2025)

The Senate met at 10:01 a.m. pursuant to adjournment and was called to order by President Pro Tempore Creighton.

The roll was called and the following Senators were present:  Alvarado, Bettencourt, Birdwell, Blanco, Campbell, Cook, Creighton, Eckhardt, Flores, Gutierrez, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, J. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, Johnson, Kolkhorst, Menéndez, Middleton, Miles, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks, West, Zaffirini.

Absent-excused:  King.

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

Pastor Roy F. Jones II, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Austin, offered the invocation as follows:

Almighty God, our Father, we thank Thee for another day of life, for Your kindness, Your tender mercy, and Your amazing grace. We just say thank You for all You have done for us, and before we can ask You for anything, we thank You for everything. We ask that You bless our endeavors as we strive to serve Your people, this great nation, and this great State of Texas. We start this session with prayer as we ask for Your direction. Your word in the book of Proverbs says, In all our ways acknowledge You and You will direct our path. O Father, give us clarity as we work together in love. Give us strength and courage to work together for the good of all people, for we are one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. For the tall or the short person, for the short-haired or long-haired person, for the Longhorn or the Aggie, we all are Your children. Keep this State of Texas in Your care and continue to bless this great country of America. Also, Lord, bless our Governor, our Senate, and every servant who serves this great State of Texas along with the people of Texas. We honor You today and we bless Your holy name. Lord, we pray that our service to Your people will be pleasing in Your sight. This is our prayer. Amen.

Senator Zaffirini 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 Zaffirini, Senator King was granted leave of absence for today on account of important business in the district.

The following Messages from the Governor were read and were referred to the Committee on Nominations:

March 13, 2025

Austin, Texas

TO THE SENATE OF THE EIGHTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, REGULAR SESSION:

I ask the advice, consent and confirmation of the Senate with respect to the following appointments:

To be members of the Texas School Safety Center Board for terms to expire February 1, 2027:

Nidia De La Cerda

Corpus Christi, Texas

Robert P. "Rob" McClelland

Austin, Texas

James M. Mosley

Borger, Texas

Noe E. Perez

Laguna Vista, Texas

Michael L. Slaughter

Wylie, Texas

Jill M. Tate

Colleyville, Texas

The individuals listed above are being reappointed.

Respectfully submitted,

/s/Greg Abbott

Governor

March 13, 2025

Austin, Texas

TO THE SENATE OF THE EIGHTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, REGULAR SESSION:

I ask the advice, consent and confirmation of the Senate with respect to the following appointment:

To be Judge of the 62nd Judicial District, Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, and Lamar Counties, for a term until December 31, 2026, or until his successor shall be duly elected and qualified:

William H. "Bill" Harris

Paris, Texas

Respectfully submitted,

/s/Greg Abbott

Governor

Senator West was recognized and presented Dr. Micah Nishigaki of Dallas as the Physician of the Day.

The Senate welcomed Dr. Nishigaki, accompanied by Drs. Sandra Chang, Priscilla Kha, and Fatema Dabdoub, and thanked her for her participation in the Physician of the Day program sponsored by the Texas Academy of Family Physicians.

Senator Eckhardt offered the following resolution:

SR 215, Recognizing the American Society of Landscape Architects on the occasion of its 125th anniversary.

The resolution was read and was adopted without objection.

Senator Eckhardt was recognized and introduced to the Senate an American Society of Landscape Architects, Texas Chapter, including Brent Luck and Shawn Massock.

The Senate welcomed its guests.

Senator Paxton offered the following resolution:

SR 247, Recognizing March 13, 2025, as Collin College Day.

PAXTON

HAGENBUCH

HALL

The resolution was read and was adopted without objection.

Senator Paxton was recognized and introduced to the Senate a Collin College Day delegation of students and faculty including Associate Vice President Mary McClure.

The Senate welcomed its guests.

The following resolutions were offered:

SR 248 by Johnson, Honoring Albert L. Reyes for his service as president and CEO of Buckner International.

SR 249 by Johnson, Congratulating Emily Ramirez on being named the 2025 International Educator of the Year by the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth.

SR 250 by Hughes, In memory of David Wayne Frost of Longview.

SR 251 by Hughes, In memory of John Lawrence Wilborn Sr. of Marshall.

SR 252 by Hughes, In memory of Karolyn Ferrell Perry of Tyler.

SR 253 by Hughes, In memory of Loy Gordon of Kilgore.

SR 254 by Hughes, In memory of Kenda Ruth King of Bullard.

SR 255 by Hughes, In memory of James Rondal Burns of Pittsburg.

SR 256 by Hughes, In memory of Fred Lyndel Wilkinson of Tyler.

The resolutions were read and were adopted by a viva voce vote.

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

There was no objection.

The President Pro Tempore at 10:23 a.m. announced the conclusion of morning call.

On motion of Senator Zaffirini and by unanimous consent, Section 5, Article III, Texas Constitution; Senate Rule 7.13; and the regular order of business were suspended to take up for consideration CSSB 523 at this time:

CSSB 523, Relating to the issuance of a driver's license to certain persons that includes an alternative to the license holder's residence address.

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.

All Members are deemed to have voted "Yea" on the passage to engrossment except as follows:

Absent-excused:  King.

Senator Zaffirini moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 523 be placed on its third reading and final passage.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.

Absent-excused:  King.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0. (Same as previous roll call)

On motion of Senator Sparks and by unanimous consent, Section 5, Article III, Texas Constitution; Senate Rule 7.13; and the regular order of business were suspended to take up for consideration SB 971 at this time:

SB 971, Relating to the definition of a rural political subdivision for purposes of the Texas Water Assistance Program.

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.

All Members are deemed to have voted "Yea" on the passage to engrossment except as follows:

Absent-excused:  King.

Senator Sparks moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 971 be placed on its third reading and final passage.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.

Absent-excused:  King.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0. (Same as previous roll call)

On motion of Senator Perry and by unanimous consent, Section 5, Article III, Texas Constitution; Senate Rule 7.13; and the regular order of business were suspended to take up for consideration SB 263 at this time:

SB 263, Relating to the computation of the cost of goods sold by television and radio broadcasters for purposes of the franchise tax.

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.

All Members are deemed to have voted "Yea" on the passage to engrossment except as follows:

Absent-excused:  King.

Senator Perry moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 263 be placed on its third reading and final passage.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.

Absent-excused:  King.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Hughes moved to suspend Section 5, Article III, Texas Constitution; Senate Rule 7.13; and the regular order of business to take up for consideration SCR 9 at this time:

SCR 9, Urging Congress to propose and submit to the states for ratification the "Keep Nine" amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 27, Nays 3.

Yeas:  Alvarado, Bettencourt, Birdwell, Blanco, Campbell, Cook, Creighton, Flores, Gutierrez, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, J. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, Johnson, Kolkhorst, Menéndez, Middleton, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Perry, Schwertner, Sparks, Zaffirini.

Nays:  Eckhardt, Miles, West.

Absent-excused:  King.

The resolution was read second time and was adopted by the following vote:  Yeas 27, Nays 3. (Same as previous roll call)

On motion of Senator Blanco and by unanimous consent, Section 5, Article III, Texas Constitution; Senate Rule 7.13; and the regular order of business were suspended to take up for consideration CSSB 914 at this time:

CSSB 914, Relating to authorizing certain cities to change the date on which their general election for officers is held.

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.

All Members are deemed to have voted "Yea" on the passage to engrossment except as follows:

Absent-excused:  King.

Senator Blanco moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 914 be placed on its third reading and final passage.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.

Absent-excused:  King.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0. (Same as previous roll call)

On motion of Senator Zaffirini and by unanimous consent, Section 5, Article III, Texas Constitution; Senate Rule 7.13; and the regular order of business were suspended to take up for consideration SB 766 at this time:

SB 766, Relating to the correction of references to the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.

All Members are deemed to have voted "Yea" on the passage to engrossment except as follows:

Absent-excused:  King.

Senator Zaffirini moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 766 be placed on its third reading and final passage.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.

Absent-excused:  King.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0. (Same as previous roll call)

On motion of Senator Perry and by unanimous consent, Section 5, Article III, Texas Constitution; Senate Rule 7.13; and the regular order of business were suspended to take up for consideration CSSB 1066 at this time:

CSSB 1066, Relating to the requirement for performance and payment bonds from certain contractors of the Parks and Wildlife Department.

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.

All Members are deemed to have voted "Yea" on the passage to engrossment except as follows:

Absent-excused:  King.

Senator Perry moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 1066 be placed on its third reading and final passage.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.

Absent-excused:  King.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0. (Same as previous roll call)

On motion of Senator Hughes and by unanimous consent, Section 5, Article III, Texas Constitution; Senate Rule 7.13; and the regular order of business were suspended to take up for consideration SB 688 at this time:

SB 688, Relating to the date of the meeting of presidential electors of this state.

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.

All Members are deemed to have voted "Yea" on the passage to engrossment except as follows:

Absent-excused:  King.

Senator Hughes moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 688 be placed on its third reading and final passage.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0.

Absent-excused:  King.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Bettencourt moved that Section 5, Article III, Texas Constitution; Senate Rule 7.13; and the regular order of business be suspended and that CSSB 569 be taken up for consideration at this time:

CSSB 569, Relating to the provision of virtual education in public schools and to certain waivers and modifications by the commissioner of education to the method of calculating average daily attendance in an emergency or crisis for purposes of preserving school district funding entitlements under the Foundation School Program during that emergency or crisis; authorizing a fee.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 28, Nays 2.

Yeas:  Alvarado, Bettencourt, Birdwell, Blanco, Campbell, Cook, Creighton, Eckhardt, Flores, Gutierrez, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, J. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, Johnson, Menéndez, Middleton, Miles, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Schwertner, Sparks, West, Zaffirini.

Nays:  Kolkhorst, Perry.

Absent-excused:  King.

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by the following vote:  Yeas 28, Nays 2. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Bettencourt moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 569 be placed on its third reading and final passage.

The motion prevailed by the following vote:  Yeas 28, Nays 2.

Yeas:  Alvarado, Bettencourt, Birdwell, Blanco, Campbell, Cook, Creighton, Eckhardt, Flores, Gutierrez, Hagenbuch, Hall, Hancock, A. Hinojosa, J. Hinojosa, Huffman, Hughes, Johnson, Menéndez, Middleton, Miles, Nichols, Parker, Paxton, Schwertner, Sparks, West, Zaffirini.

Nays:  Kolkhorst, Perry.

Absent-excused:  King.

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote:  Yeas 28, Nays 2. (Same as previous roll call)

Senator Alvarado offered the following resolution:

SR 245, Congratulating Joe E. Ramirez Jr. on his retirement as vice president for student affairs at Texas A&M University.

The resolution was read and was adopted without objection.

Senator Alvarado was recognized and introduced to the Senate U.S. Army Brigadier General Joe E. Ramirez Jr., accompanied by his wife, Theresa; his daughter, Jessica, and son-in-law, Nico; his son, Jason; and his grandchildren Liam, Ryan, Jill, and Mia.

The Senate welcomed its guests.

Senator Miles offered the following resolution:

SR 258, In memory of U.S. Congressman Sylvester Turner of Houston.

The resolution was read.

On motion of Senator Miles, the resolution was adopted by a rising vote of the Senate.

In honor of the memory of Sylvester Turner, the text of SR 258 will be printed in the Senate Journal upon adjournment of this legislative day.

On motion of Senator West and by unanimous consent, the remarks regarding SR 258 were ordered reduced to writing and printed in the Senate Journal as follows:

President Pro Tempore:  Chair recognizes Senator Miles on the resolution.

Senator Miles:  Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you, Ms. Patsy. Members, as we know we lost a giant in Texas politics last week, the Honorable Sylvester Turner. He was a Houston native, the sixth of nine children, and was raised in Acres Homes in northwest Houston. He was part of a working class family. His father was a commercial painter and his mother, in her early days, worked at Rice Hotel. After graduating from Klein High School as valedictorian, Sylvester graduated magna cum laude from the University of Houston and then received his law degree from Harvard Law School. In 1988, Turner was elected to the Texas House, where he served as a Texas legislator for 27 years. As a respected, bipartisan leader he served 21 years in the House Appropriations Committee and six years as Speaker Pro Tem, helping shape the state's fiscal policy and balancing multiple budgets, often with the trademark, his abacus, in hand. He was elected in 2016, to Houston's Mayor, and guided the City of Houston through seven federally declared natural disasters, including Hurricane Harvey, as well as COVID-19 pandemic. He also championed pitching climate action plans and reinforced the city's status on Energy Capital of the World, tackled illegal dumping, revitalized underserved areas through the public and private partnerships, and created the Hire Houston Youth program, which provided more than 20,000 jobs for young people. Last year, he was elected to serve for Congress for District 18, a seat long held by the transformative leader as Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Barbara Jordan, Mickey Leland, and Congressman Craig Washington. He was a lifelong public servant with more than 37 years of service to the City of Houston, the State of Texas, and our nation. He was the definition of servant leadership and an outspoken fighter for the people. My heart goes out to his daughter, Ashley, and his family who he loved, and to his grandson, Jameson, for whom he truly, truly loved. Members, I move to adopt SR 258 in memory of the Honorable Sylvester Turner and that we adjourn in memory of him and his legacy on this day, March 13th, 2025. Thank you, Mr. President, and thank all of you, Members.

President Pro Tempore:  The Chair recognizes Senator Alvarado to speak on the resolution.

Senator Alvarado:  Thank you, Mr. President and Members. Senator Miles, thank you. You and I just, you and I and Senator West just left the west steps of the Capitol where we greeted Ashley and the family and our friend Sylvester. You know, they say you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep, and if you looked out there, you wouldn't have known if Sylvester was a Democrat or a Republican, because it was a bipartisan group of legislators out there waiting to greet our friend. And that was, he was known for that, Senator Creighton. He was such a bipartisan person during that time that Speaker Craddick was in office, Sylvester was one of those called a Craddick D, Lois, you know what I'm talking about. And the other day, Senator Kolkhorst and I during a work group, she was telling me a story, and I'm not going to steal her thunder, but she'll tell y'all. We were talking about one of his famous sayings during the appropriations process and then just a few days later we learned of his passing. It's hard to believe we've lost, in Houston, two members of Congress back to back, I don't know when that's ever happened, Sheila Jackson Lee and now Sylvester Turner. Sly was a true Houston original, so, so proud of where he came from, Acres Homes. Throughout his career he worked to keep Houston from becoming a city of haves and have-nots, one of our common causes. During his two, over two and a half decades in the House, he was a force of nature, he showed his grit as a lawmaker while championing the restoration of the System Benefit Fund, lowering electricity for hundreds of low-income individuals. As it was said earlier, he shepherded our city through pandemics, through disasters. He loved his city, he loved this institution called the Texas Legislature. Our hearts go out to Ashley and to the family, we honor his successes here and in, as being Mayor. We wish his family that God heals their hearts, comforts their pain. And to our friend, Sly, we say rest in peace, rest in power, my friend. Amen.

President Pro Tempore:  The Chair recognizes Senator Kolkhorst to speak on the resolution.

Senator Kolkhorst:  Thank you. Thank you, Senator Miles, for this resolution. Sylvester was special, my goodness, what an orator he was. He was something else. And if you'll let me just weave a story here, I want to express my heart. Sylvester sat right in front of me on the House floor. So, if you walk across this rotunda and you walk in those doors, we sat to the right. And he sat right in front of me, and Charlie Geren sat to the left of me. That's quite a combination, isn't it? Sylvester and I started to get to know each other really well, and he would always give me a hard time about Washington County because his family, part of his family, came from Chappell Hill. And he would always talk to me about how's my Chappell Hill doing? And he loved dewberries, and he would always ask me are the dewberries ripening up, I'm going to stop and buy some, you got anybody selling any dewberries as I drive through? But I would tell you when I really got to know Sylvester was when I was a sophomore and he was, we did Articles IV and V together, Articles I, IV, and V together, Chairman Huffman, and it was the year that we started with zeroes in the budget. Now that was historic for sure, some of you were in the Texas Senate, the base bill was printed with zeroes in it. And we built a base bill from there. We worked for so many hours and days that literally we were here every Saturday and Sunday. What I learned about Sylvester during that time was he's really interesting, Senator Bettencourt, that he, he could be detailed. One of the questions that came up during that time was to Texas Department of Criminal Justice, how much do you spend on aluminum foil. That's how deep we went into the weeds on that budget. So, we crafted that bill and he definitely was a part of the Craddick Ds, he chaired Articles I, IV, and V. And through the years, Sylvester taught me so many things, and I want to share two stories with you. So, the next couple of sessions we, you know, were recovering and we were able to put things back in the budget, and one of the things that we had done during 2003, was we made CHIP verification, Senator Johnson, like on a three month, you had to be verified every three months and you had to go reapply, and then it was six months, and finally, we got it back to a year in CHIP. This was a big deal for Sylvester. And it was going to cost our budget a billion dollars. Now back then, a billion dollars was a big deal. It still is, but back then it was unthinkable, I mean that is unthinkable. And so, you know, I thought I'm doing Article III, and so, you know, about rider time and, you know, we're in conference and I had the honor of conferencing, he kept coming up to me and he'd say, now I need four million for UH-Downtown, and I need this, and I need this, and I need this. And I finally, one day, got so mad at him I said, and he sat right in front of me so you couldn't escape him, I go, Sylvester, you have the single largest exceptional item in this budget, it's a billion dollars, what more do you need? And he looked at me and he said, That was April, this is May, I need more. I want y'all to know that I have carried that as a lesson for all of my life. We literally have it as a motto in our office. So, when I have the pleasure of working on some of your projects in Article II, or maybe through Health and Human Services, I don't give until late because Sylvester would tell you, That was April, this is May, I need more. I remember one time there was a bill, I hope Secretary Nelson's not listening, I think it was her bill, but it was some inland port and it was about the time we were doing all that Trans-Texas Corridor stuff and I wasn't going to vote for any of that, y'all know I am principled on my votes, and I turned around to a member and I go, I think this is a terrible bill, I remember the State Rep that was laying out the bill, and I didn't trust him either, and I said we're going to hit a hard no, you know, when that board flashes, and I was just a hard no with the guy behind me, or the other member behind me. And we hit a hard no and you watched that board flash and it was green, then it went plink, plink, plink, plink, plink, plink, and it went red, I mean that thing went red. And Sylvester voted with me, you know, I mean, like a lot of other people. And that, and that member got off that front mic and he came, and he's coming down our aisle, and Sylvester turned around to me and he goes, Lois Kolkhorst, I don't even know why I voted no, I just, it was group dynamics, I just followed the group, he goes, Start talking and talk fast. It was so funny. He could have those moments. And, you know, he was a good partner on lots of things, he would really help you. I remember he and his Chief of Staff, which she actually later worked for me in the Senate, we found that we were giving psychotropic drugs to two-year-olds. It was called CMAP, and it was a formula that was devised by the pharmaceutical companies, imagine that, where a doctor, it was like an algorithm, Senator Nichols, and between his office and my office, we both kind of said, something's wrong here. And I will tell you that we ended up being able to destroy that CMAP and to save children from getting psychotropic drugs and just being drugged. And that's a great example to encapsulate what I think we are in the Texas Senate and the Texas House, an inner-urban Democrat working with a rural Republican to help our children, really great. Sylvester could make you laugh, and I'd always fuss at him in committee hearings because he liked to eat candy during committee hearings. So he, and this is another lesson he taught me, what he would do, and I mean y'all know some of our long committee hearings and you're, like, getting hypoglycemic. He'd turn his chair to the back and he'd slip that candy in and eat, eat a little cracker or a little candy, and I'd give him a hard time. I actually still use that method, like, this is, that was April, this was May. He was close to Tom Craddick, and he took some tough votes for Tom Craddick during that time. But this is something that was always burned in my memory. I remember, Tom was a tough Speaker of the House, and he's a dealmaker, still is, man, when Tom Craddick walks on this floor you better be running because he's coming for something. But Sylvester felt betrayed by Tom on a deal that he thought we had settled on, and I'll never forget that moment when he came off the dais and he walked up to his desk and he grabbed stuff and there were tears in his eyes, and he stormed off the floor, and that's not Sylvester's style. And I went down to his office and we cried together, we cried together. And it wasn't really what it was about because I can't remember what it was, but that encapsulates a man who came from very little, worked his way to Harvard, became a State Representative, became the Mayor of the fourth, third largest, fourth largest city in America, and then continued to serve as a U.S. Congressman. All the lessons that Sylvester Turner has taught, I'll remember that moment, when he was willing to cry because he cared so much about serving the people that he represented. So, Sylvester, I know you're up there and you're listening to this, I remember your follow-the-dollar that you taught me, so many lessons, brilliant man, incredible orator, and someone who loved his community in Texas enough to serve all the way to his death. May God bless the memory of Sylvester Turner and may he, indeed, rest in peace.

President Pro Tempore:  The Chair recognizes Senator Perry on the resolution.

Senator Perry:  Thank you, Members. I wasn't sure I wanted to speak, but I think it's something that Senator Miles will appreciate, I hope, as much as I enjoy telling it. I was a freshman over in the House and actually ended up my sophomore years on appropriations and Chairman Turner was our work group chairman, and I learned through that process that there are more conservative people sometimes in the Democratic Party than there is in Republican Party. He was tough, he could say no pretty regularly. But, but the way his disarming personality and the way he would include people, especially freshmen, didn't matter what party or where you were from, that was Sylvester, he was going to mentor you if you were willing to be mentored. I mean, he didn't impose himself on you, but he was always there. But I remember, I think it was in sophomore, might have been freshman, you know, over in the House, for those that have never been over there, the front mic, and back mic is a big thing. Right. So, if you go to the back mic, you are typically challenging the front mic. Well, Sylvester was on the front mic and he had his abacus out, and I don't even remember what the subject matter was. But we engaged, and I want to say he said it, but somebody said it if he didn't, well, I'll just call this a draw. And you guys have heard me speak, I'm not that great of an orator, but for Sylvester to kind of say, I'll just call this a draw, Representative Perry. I knew that I had accomplished something that some people in 20 years over there would never have gotten, though. But just fast-forward when Harvey, I think it was, I was in Houston meeting with him over Harvey issues and trying to figure out flood mitigation and prevention and a whole host of things, he was very gracious, and he wanted me involved in that conversation. And I went in, I remember asking, I said, I know somewhere that abacus exists, and if you haven't given that away to somebody, I'd be more than willing to take it off your hands. And he kind of grinned, Sylvester had this huge smile and he looked at me and said, That's in a very special place, Senator, just so you know. When I saw that abacus come out the other day, it brought back so many good things and so much of a humor and sometimes of a very hard conversation. That was Sylvester in a nutshell. He kept everything on balance, he was a serious legislator, he was serious about what he wanted to get done, but at the same time he just had a way of kind of reminding you, there's a few things that we do on this side, very few things, only one thing that's eternal, but we got to laugh a little bit and live a little bit through that process. I was very much impacted as a Representative, freshman rookie, I'd never been in this Capitol until I was sworn in on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives. If you kind of put your head around that, when I walked on the floor to be sworn in, that was the first time I had seen the inside of this Capitol. We didn't travel much, you don't travel much when you're poor. But Sylvester was one of those people that took an interest in who you were immediately without any provocation or any designation of who you were or why you were there. So, he meant a lot to me, he meant a lot to Houston, he meant a lot to people that knew him better than I did. But the abacus is in a special place, Representative Perry, or Chairman Perry, was the response. So, just thought you would appreciate that, we'll miss him, but you know what, the fact that people are talking about you after you're gone in this capacity tells you it wasn't for nothing. He really left a footprint that we all should walk in most days. Thank you.

President Pro Tempore:  Chair recognizes Senator Bettencourt to speak on the resolution.

Senator Bettencourt:  Thank you, Mr. President. You know, Sylvester was cool head under fire. Okay? And, Senator Miles, there was a really great story about this. It was Harvey, 2017, and, Senator Kolkhorst, you'll remember the west side of Houston was flooded because of the, because of the release of water from the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs. And, in fact, my home precinct and many others off, on Memorial, Senator Alvarado, they looked, it looked like Venice. Okay? The streets were flooded but the homes weren't yet. Okay? And, in fact, there was pretty good evidence that the homes weren't going to be flooded so, but there was an argument in city administration among emergency management, what to do. And the fire chief said, well, the police chief, at the time, who I like but he was making the wrong decision, said, let's evacuate everybody. Even though their homes were dry, the power was on, the water was running, and, Mr. President, had to been about 100,000 people from the 610 Loop to Highway 6 that had been tossed out of their homes. So, as kind of an adjunct member of the team, I heard that argument and I tried to talk the police chief out of it, the fire chief agreed with me, but he wouldn't change his mind. And I picked up the phone and I called Sylvester. I told him what was happening. And with his, that style of voice, you know, Rodney, that you can't, I can't really duplicate it, but he, he basically said, Paul, I will handle this. And next thing I knew the metro police were not stopping people as they were entering the, that area and, fortunately, 100,000 people didn't have to move. And that was the type of decision-making that Sylvester Turner can, could make. But, after a very long explanation, he literally said, Paul, I will fix this. And four words later, 100,000 people didn't have to find a place to sleep. And that's the legacy of Sylvester Turner.

President Pro Tempore:  Chair recognizes Senator West to speak on the memorial resolution.

Senator West:  Thank you very much, Mr. President, Borris, Senator Miles, other Members of this body. I'm not going to be duplicative and repeat what everyone else has said, other than to say ditto. Us taking this moment to remember Sylvester Turner in this body, that he never served, many of you served with him in the House. This how special he is. Some of the younger Members in this body that didn't have a chance to serve in the House, I didn't have a chance to serve in the House either, but I got a chance to meet Sylvester Turner before becoming a State Senator. I can recall when I became a Senator I wanted, I had to figure it all out because I didn't have any House experience, and I needed to kind of figure out how to work with the House. Model yourself after different persons, be they Democrats or Republicans. One of the persons that I modeled myself after was Sylvester Turner, given that he was a brilliant lawyer, well thought of in the legal profession. And then you looked at the way that he related to other Members. You're right, Lois, he looked at the Member, he built coalitions based on interest not necessarily party affiliation. And I can tell you that when we ended up having to have that big ol' blowup in 2003, think that's when it was, and he stayed here and several other Democrats stayed here, many Democrats were very upset with him. I had the opportunity to visit with him after coming back from Mexico. Kind of get his, get his impression in terms of why he stayed. Frankly, I won't go into the details of what he said, but it made sense. Made so much sense that, again, many of us have modeled our behavior after Sylvester in terms of relating to other Members. What he said impacted me in terms of working with colleagues here in the Legislature, working with the leadership of the Legislature, finding common interest. So, as we remember Sylvester today, let's make certain we don't forget him. Not, let's make certain that some of the lessons that he taught some of the senior Members here in this body, that we make certain that some of the newer Members have the advantage of hearing what that was about and how we use those lessons so we can continue to pass it on. His legacy, his legacy, not only for Houston but for this country, will be that the talents that, you know the master, servant piece in the Bible, where the master gave all the different talents, and he said, one day I'm going to come back and I'm going to figure out what you did with the talents that I gave you. I won't go into all the details of it, but the master's come back for Sylvester, ask him to account for the talents that he was given. I assure you that the master's saying, Job well done, my good and faithful son. Sylvester, rest in peace.

President Pro Tempore:  The Chair recognizes Senator Parker to speak on the resolution.

Senator Parker:  Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank Senator Miles for bringing forward this, so critical of a resolution to honor his incredible life. Sylvester was bigger than life. For those of you didn't know him, it's a real loss for you not to have known him. For those of us that got to know him and work with him in the House, he just was spectacular in every way. He cared so deeply about his people that he represented. He cared so deeply about his family. For years he sat behind me on the floor, and at that time, my deskmate was none other than the former Speaker, Tom Craddick. And you can imagine the fellowship, the times we shared, the emotion was so deep when he cared about policy that affected the constituents he was so blessed to represent. And he always, always was so passionate about his family, about Ashley and the family as a whole. His heart was always with them. And didn't matter whether or not he was serving in the House or when he was Mayor of Houston, we still maintained an incredible friendship all those years. During Harvey and all the various things that would occur over those eight years he served as Mayor. He was always so responsive whenever there were issues or challenge, he always was there to lend a helping hand. And so, I just want to let everyone know that didn't know Sylvester what an incredible human being he was, and that we lost one of the most special people we ever have had walk the face of the Earth. He cared so deeply, he loved everyone. Doesn't matter whether or not you're a Democrat or Republican the way he would come alongside every freshman lawmaker in that House of Representatives, regardless of party and get to know them and to care about them and to try to help them. I'll never forget some of the things that he would do in teaching about the parliamentarian process and ways to get things done most effectively in the House. And as you've heard, you go back and listen to some of the tapes on various big debates over the years in the House, there was no more passionate or better orator that has ever walked on the floor of the House Chamber. Truly, there's not been. And so, I just know that he's looking down upon his family and all of us and this great state that he loved. And I know heaven's a better place because Sylvester Turner is there. And we pray for him and his soul, we pray for his family, and may God bless him in his memory. Thank you, Senator Miles.

President Pro Tempore:  Chair recognizes Senator Miles to close on the memorial resolution.

Senator Miles:  Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Members, again. Mr. Chairman, I move to adopt Senate Resolution 258 in memory of the Honorable Sylvester Turner. Gone, but will never be forgotten, we adjourn in memory of his legacy, of the great, great public servant. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Senator Zaffirini submitted the following Motion In Writing:

Mr. President:

I move to suspend Senate Rule 11.13 so that committees may meet during the reading and referral of bills.

ZAFFIRINI

The Motion In Writing was read and prevailed without objection.

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 Education K-16 might meet at 11:45 a.m. today in the Betty King Committee Room, 2E.20.

On motion of Senator Zaffirini and by unanimous consent, the Senate at 11:39 a.m. agreed to recess, until 2:00 p.m. Monday, March 17, 2025, for the introduction of bills and resolutions on first reading.

The Senate further agreed to adjourn, upon completion of the introduction of bills and resolutions on first reading, until 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, March 18, 2025.

The following bills and resolutions were introduced, read first time, and referred to the committees indicated:

SB 1701 by Parker

Relating to the health care professional education fund.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1702 by Parker, Creighton, Hagenbuch, A. Hinojosa

Relating to a parent's right to receive notice each time the parent's child obtains a school library material.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1703 by Parker

Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to receive certain tax revenue derived from a hotel and convention center project and to pledge certain tax revenue for the payment of obligations related to the project.

To Committee on Economic Development.

SB 1704 by Parker, Huffman

Relating to certain rights of crime victims and witnesses and associated persons and to victim impact statements.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1705 by Parker

Relating to the regulation of virtual currency kiosks.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1706 by A. Hinojosa

Relating to the authority of the governing board of a state governmental body to conduct a closed meeting to deliberate an issue involving certain defense, military, or aerospace issues.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1707 by A. Hinojosa

Relating to a study by the Texas Education Agency regarding standardizing building designs for public schools.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1708 by A. Hinojosa

Relating to the effect of the model subdivision rules on an exception to county platting requirements applicable to the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality.

To Committee on Local Government.

SB 1709 by A. Hinojosa

Relating to the designation of a portion of Farm to Market Road 70 in Nueces County as the Los Robles Trail.

To Committee on Transportation.

SB 1710 by Gutierrez

Relating to the creation of the School Violence Victims' Compensation Fund.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 1711 by Gutierrez

Relating to prohibiting 3D-printed firearms; creating an offense.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 1712 by Gutierrez

Relating to gun storage; creating an offense.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 1713 by Zaffirini

Relating to the authority of a county to dispose of surplus and salvage property to a civic or charitable organization.

To Committee on Local Government.

SB 1714 by Zaffirini

Relating to the provision of solid waste disposal services by certain counties; authorizing a fee; creating a criminal offense.

To Committee on Local Government.

SB 1715 by Middleton

Relating to an exemption from the franchise tax for certain qualified space companies.

To Committee on Finance.

SB 1716 by Middleton

Relating to measures to support the enrollment of students with a nontraditional secondary education at public institutions of higher education, including eligibility for certain student financial assistance programs.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1717 by Middleton

Relating to the terminology used in statute to refer to the partially landlocked body of water on the southeastern periphery of the North American continent.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 1718 by Sparks

Relating to the eligibility of the National Rifle Association's Annual Meetings and Exhibits or another annual event of the National Rifle Association for funding under the major events reimbursement program.

To Committee on Economic Development.

SB 1719 by Hughes

Relating to the rulemaking power of the Texas Supreme Court.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 1720 by Eckhardt

Relating to production fees imposed by the Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District; authorizing an increase in the rate of the fee.

To Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs.

SB 1721 by Middleton, Hall

Relating to the transfer of the licensing and regulation of charitable bingo to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 1722 by Middleton

Relating to parental leave policies for certain public school classroom teachers.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1723 by Creighton

Relating to the establishment of a rapid DNA analysis pilot program in certain counties.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1724 by Johnson

Relating to certain statutory changes to reflect and address same-sex marriages and parenting relationships and to the removal of provisions regarding the criminality or unacceptability of homosexual conduct.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 1725 by Miles

Relating to the establishment of the office of community violence intervention and prevention within the Department of State Health Services and a grant program for violence intervention and prevention services.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1726 by Johnson

Relating to the Social Work Licensure Compact; authorizing fees.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1727 by Perry, Creighton, Flores, J. Hinojosa, Huffman, Kolkhorst

Relating to the protection and detention of a juvenile who engages in delinquent conduct or commits a felony offense while committed to the custody of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department; changing the eligibility for community supervision; redefining habitual felony conduct.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1728 by Perry

Relating to the participation of certain juvenile justice entities in the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program.

To Committee on Economic Development.

SB 1729 by Miles

Relating to the registration and inspection of vehicles.

To Committee on Transportation.

SB 1730 by Hall

Relating to the recovery of damages for injuries arising out of certain uses of force or deadly force.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1731 by A. Hinojosa

Relating to a franchise tax exemption for corporations operating a spaceport for certain national defense purposes.

To Committee on Finance.

SB 1732 by Hughes

Relating to the prescribing and ordering of Schedule II controlled substances in a narcotic drug treatment program by certain advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1733 by Kolkhorst

Relating to the composition of the board of the Calhoun Port Authority.

To Committee on Transportation.

SB 1734 by West

Relating to status of certain documents or instruments purporting to convey title to or an interest in real property.

To Committee on Jurisprudence.

SB 1735 by Menéndez

Relating to the regulation of real estate appraisers and appraisal management companies.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1736 by Menéndez

Relating to a convenience fee for processing electronic payments for motor vehicles.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1737 by Huffman, Flores

Relating to service retirement benefits payable by the Employees Retirement System of Texas to certain law enforcement officers and custodial officers.

To Committee on Finance.

SB 1738 by Huffman

Relating to the resumption of service by certain judicial officers under the Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan Two.

To Committee on Finance.

SB 1739 by West

Relating to use and operation of the childcare protection and enhancement fund.

To Committee on Finance.

SB 1740 by Parker

Relating to the protection of critical components of the electric grid from damage from electromagnetic threats.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1741 by Parker, Bettencourt, Campbell, Creighton, Flores, Kolkhorst, Middleton

Relating to measures to prevent espionage and intellectual property theft at public institutions of higher education.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1742 by Hughes

Relating to required instruction in the Success Sequence for students in public schools.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1743 by Campbell

Relating to the creation of the office of inspector general for education at the Texas Education Agency to investigate the administration of public education and required reporting on misconduct by employees of certain educational entities; creating a criminal offense; increasing an administrative penalty; authorizing an administrative penalty.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1744 by Hughes

Relating to the designation of Farm-to-Market Road 3535 in Camp County as the Camp County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway.

To Committee on Transportation.

SB 1745 by Creighton

Relating to the name, rights, powers, and privileges of the Cedar Port Navigation and Improvement District.

To Committee on Transportation.

SB 1746 by Creighton

Relating to the relocation or removal of dredged spoils or materials by a navigation district.

To Committee on Transportation.

SB 1747 by Alvarado, Cook, Eckhardt

Relating to coverage for screening mammograms, diagnostic imaging, and supplemental breast examinations under certain health benefit plans.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1748 by Alvarado

Relating to notice for certain defendants regarding the unlawful possession or acquisition of a firearm or ammunition and a related affidavit of firearm dispossession.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 1749 by Creighton

Relating to the confidentiality of certain information for employees of a county, a court, or the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System and the employees' family members.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1750 by Paxton

Relating to instructional facilities funding for certain open-enrollment charter schools.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1751 by Paxton

Relating to the definition of licensing authority as it relates to the collection of certain licensing information about certain day-care employees.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1752 by Johnson

Relating to status offenses committed by a child, including the repeal of the status offense of a child voluntarily running away from home.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1753 by Blanco

Relating to requiring contracts with Medicaid managed care organizations to permit the organizations to offer certain mental health or substance use services or food and nutrition assistance services in lieu of other state Medicaid plan services.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1754 by Birdwell

Relating to the authority of a taxing unit to enter into an agreement to exempt from ad valorem taxation a portion of the value of property on which a renewable energy facility is located or is planned to be located.

To Committee on Economic Development.

SB 1755 by Birdwell

Relating to the facility or location at which public school prekindergarten classes may be provided in partnership with a private entity.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1756 by Birdwell

Relating to the authority of certain municipalities to use certain tax revenue for hotel and convention center projects and other qualified projects.

To Committee on Economic Development.

SB 1757 by Birdwell, Johnson

Relating to the operation of rock crushing facilities.

To Committee on Natural Resources.

SB 1758 by Birdwell

Relating to the operation of a cement kiln and the production of aggregates near a semiconductor wafer manufacturing facility.

To Committee on Natural Resources.

SB 1759 by Birdwell

Relating to the declaration of an oil or gas emergency by the Railroad Commission of Texas and the liability of a person for assistance, advice, or resources provided in relation to an oil or gas emergency.

To Committee on Natural Resources.

SB 1760 by Zaffirini

Relating to guardianships for persons who are incapacitated; changing a fee.

To Committee on Jurisprudence.

SB 1761 by West

Relating to the collection of certain incident-based data reported to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1762 by Blanco

Relating to geothermal energy conservation wells.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1763 by Hughes

Relating to the production and ownership of brine.

To Committee on Natural Resources.

SB 1764 by Cook, Alvarado

Relating to accountability interventions for certain school districts with low-performing campuses.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1765 by Cook

Relating to the creation of a task force to evaluate the housing needs of senior citizens who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1766 by Cook

Relating to a study by the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies nursing advisory committee on school nurse staffing.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1767 by Cook

Relating to the employment of full-time registered nurses at public schools.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1768 by Cook

Relating to a health impact assessment for certain transportation projects of the Texas Department of Transportation.

To Committee on Transportation.

SB 1769 by Cook

Relating to the use of state money for high-speed rail operated by a private entity and to the construction of certain high-speed rail.

To Committee on Finance.

SB 1770 by Cook

Relating to the accommodation of pedestrians, bicyclists, persons with disabilities, children, senior citizens, users of public transportation, movers of commercial goods, and motorists on streets and highways.

To Committee on Transportation.

SB 1771 by Hughes

Relating to compliance of certain aeronautics structures with federal law.

To Committee on Transportation.

SB 1772 by Zaffirini

Relating to the designation of a portion of Farm-to-Market Road 2360 in Starr County as the Jose Maria Longoria Sr. Memorial Highway.

To Committee on Transportation.

SB 1773 by Miles

Relating to the enforcement of municipal rules, ordinances, or police regulations prohibiting illegal dumping; increasing a penalty.

To Committee on Local Government.

SB 1774 by Miles

Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for certain acts of official oppression.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1775 by Miles

Relating to processes to ensure continuity of care and services for certain offenders.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1776 by Miles

Relating to the payment of certain fines and costs by a defendant.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1777 by Miles

Relating to a prohibition on payments for certain group home referrals; creating a criminal offense.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1778 by Miles

Relating to the use of telemedicine services in the juvenile justice system.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1779 by Miles

Relating to the issuance of a transcript by a public institution of higher education to a student who fails to pay certain student fees.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1781 by Miles

Relating to a franchise tax credit for taxable entities that provide child care.

To Committee on Finance.

SB 1782 by Miles

Relating to the maintenance of criminal history record information for group home applicants and employees; creating a criminal offense.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1783 by Miles

Relating to a prohibition on the crushing of contaminated concrete by certain concrete crushing facilities.

To Committee on Natural Resources.

SB 1784 by Parker

Relating to notice provided by a health care provider before initiating debt collection against a patient.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1785 by Eckhardt

Relating to the confinement in a county jail of certain defendants who are incompetent to stand trial and to the compensation to the county for the costs of that confinement and of the provision of jail-based competency restoration services.

To Committee on Finance.

SB 1786 by Creighton

Relating to public higher education.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1787 by Hagenbuch

Relating to the licensing of certain military veterans as health care providers.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1788 by Hagenbuch

Relating to establishing a grant program to equip motor vehicles used by peace officers with certain bullet-resistant components.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1789 by Schwertner

Relating to electric service quality and reliability.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1790 by Campbell

Relating to the composition of the Comal County Juvenile Board.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1791 by Middleton

Relating to the effects of unresponsive insureds for a personal automobile insurance policy.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1792 by Middleton

Relating to the emergency possession of certain abandoned children by designated emergency infant care providers and the termination of parental rights to those children.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1793 by Middleton

Relating to an annual report by the comptroller of public accounts on certain issues regarding the employment of veterans in this state.

To Committee on Veteran Affairs.

SB 1794 by Middleton

Relating to interlocutory appeal from certain orders by a political subdivision or an officer or employee of a political subdivision.

To Committee on Jurisprudence.

SB 1795 by Middleton

Relating to the process for filling a vacancy on the board of trustees of an independent school district.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1796 by Middleton

Relating to statutory construction.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1797 by Middleton

Relating to a prohibition against the consideration of race or ethnicity as a factor when appointing the members of a state board, commission, or other state agency with statewide jurisdiction.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 1798 by Middleton, Schwertner

Relating to the resident status, tuition rates, and certain financial support for students enrolled at public institutions of higher education, including students not lawfully present in the United States.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1799 by Middleton

Relating to revision or elimination of the motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program.

To Committee on Natural Resources.

SB 1800 by Middleton

Relating to creating the criminal offense of abandoning a resident of an assisted living facility during a declared state of disaster or local state of disaster.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1801 by Sparks

Relating to the composition, duties, and personnel of the Moore County Juvenile Board.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1802 by Alvarado

Relating to a landlord's duty to repair or remedy certain conditions.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1803 by Alvarado

Relating to a franchise tax credit for taxable entities that subsidize child-care costs of the entities' employees.

To Committee on Finance.

SB 1804 by Alvarado

Relating to restitution and compensation paid to victims of certain offenses for tattoo removal related to the offense.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1805 by Sparks

Relating to the administration of and procedures relating to early voting by personal appearance.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 1806 by Sparks

Relating to the inspection, purchase, sale, possession, storage, transportation, and disposal of petroleum products, oil and gas equipment, and oil and gas waste; creating criminal offenses and increasing the punishment for an existing criminal offense.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1807 by Zaffirini

Relating to the confidentiality of certain personal information of an applicant for or a person protected by a protective order.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 1808 by Hughes

Relating to the dissolution of the Rose City Municipal Utility District.

To Committee on Local Government.

SB 1809 by Flores

Relating to the creation of the offense of fraudulent use or possession of a gift card or gift card redemption information.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1810 by Schwertner

Relating to annual statistical reports for fixing title insurance premium rates.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1811 by Menéndez

Relating to the use of extrapolation by a health maintenance organization or an insurer to audit claims.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1812 by Campbell, Menéndez

Relating to prior authorization for prescription drug benefits related to the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1813 by Middleton

Relating to the delegation of certain authority of a county judge in certain counties.

To Committee on Local Government.

SB 1814 by Hancock

Relating to creation and maintenance of an electronic database to provide information to certain members of the United States armed forces regarding the resources and benefits provided to veterans.

To Committee on Veteran Affairs.

SB 1815 by Hancock

Relating to the transition of the nurse aide certification program from the Health and Human Services Commission to the Texas Board of Nursing and the creation of a workgroup on nursing career pathways.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1816 by Hancock

Relating to the titling, registration, and operation of a miniature vehicle.

To Committee on Transportation.

SB 1817 by Hancock

Relating to the compensation and professional representation of prospective student athletes and student athletes participating in intercollegiate athletic programs at certain institutions of higher education.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1818 by Hancock

Relating to the issuance of a provisional license to certain military service members, military veterans, and military spouses to engage in a business or occupation in this state.

To Committee on Veteran Affairs.

SB 1819 by Kolkhorst

Relating to the assessment of public school students in social studies in grade five.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1820 by Johnson

Relating to certain disclosures and other requirements and prohibited conduct relating to the sale of tickets for concerts and other events.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1821 by Johnson

Relating to notice of the health of children attending a child-care facility.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1822 by Johnson

Relating to the use of artificial intelligence-based algorithms in utilization review conducted for certain health benefit plans.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1823 by Parker

Relating to the replacement transactions of certain life insurance and annuity contracts from an insurer to a replacing insurer.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1824 by Schwertner

Relating to the removal of battery energy storage facilities.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1825 by Schwertner

Relating to fire safety standards and emergency operations plans for the operation of battery energy storage.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1826 by Schwertner

Relating to career and technology education programs in public schools and the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) program, including funding for those programs under the Foundation School Program, and to the new instructional facility allotment and the permissible uses of funding under the Foundation School Program.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1827 by Parker

Relating to investigational stem cell treatment.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1828 by Parker

Relating to human trafficking prevention, including training for medical assistants, disclosure of human trafficking information by certain health care facilities, and protection for facility employees who report human trafficking.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1829 by Parker

Relating to human trafficking prevention, including training for first responders, disclosure of human trafficking information by certain health care facilities, and protection for facility employees who report human trafficking.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1830 by Parker

Relating to regulating parental reunification therapy in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 1831 by Parker

Relating to the duties of the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee and the collection, maintenance, and disclosure of maternal health records regarding voluntary termination of pregnancy.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1832 by Parker

Relating to providing for an election by the parent of a student who was victimized by a public school employee to transfer the student to another public school campus or receive funding for the student to attend private school.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1833 by Parker

Relating to the use of a social media platform in furtherance of an offense involving the delivery of a controlled substance; increasing criminal penalties.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1834 by Sparks

Relating to the adoption of the revised Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children by the State of Texas; making conforming changes.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1835 by Sparks

Relating to the maximum number of nonresident scholarship students permitted to pay resident tuition and fees at certain public institutions of higher education.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1836 by Hughes

Relating to the evaluation of applications for certain financial assistance administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

To Committee on Local Government.

SB 1837 by Hughes

Relating to interim rates charged by electric utilities during a rate suspension period.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1838 by Zaffirini

Relating to the appointment of attorneys ad litem and the compensation of certain attorneys ad litem in suits affecting the parent-child relationship filed by a governmental entity.

To Committee on Jurisprudence.

SB 1839 by Zaffirini

Relating to the delivery of a will in probate proceedings transferred to other courts.

To Committee on Jurisprudence.

SB 1840 by Zaffirini

Relating to the disciplinary and investigatory powers of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 1841 by Johnson

Relating to the confidentiality of certain information collected by certain local governments and airport governing boards.

To Committee on Transportation.

SB 1842 by Paxton

Relating to authorizing a credit union to act as a school district depository.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1843 by Paxton

Relating to the audiology and speech-language pathology interstate compact; authorizing fees.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1844 by Paxton

Relating to disannexation of certain areas of a municipality for failure to provide services.

To Committee on Local Government.

SB 1845 by Hughes

Relating to the registration as a lobbyist of persons who engage in certain lobbying activities on behalf of a foreign adversary and to prohibitions on the receipt of compensation related to those lobbying activities; providing a civil penalty.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 1846 by Eckhardt

Relating to money awarded to providers of women's health services and family planning services, including the repeal of prohibitions on the provision of those services.

To Committee on Health and Human Services.

SB 1847 by Hughes

Relating to prohibiting contracts or other agreements with certain foreign-owned companies in connection with critical infrastructure in this state and the use of certain technology purchased or leased from those companies.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SB 1848 by Zaffirini

Relating to the disclosure of confidential juvenile records to a managed assigned counsel program.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 1849 by Zaffirini

Relating to repayment of certain mental health professional education loans.

To Committee on Education K-16.

SB 1850 by Zaffirini

Relating to data collection of truancy case outcomes.

To Committee on Criminal Justice.

SB 2188 by A. Hinojosa

Relating to space flight activities.

To Committee on Natural Resources.

SB 2230 by A. Hinojosa

Relating to the closure of beaches for space flight activities; creating a criminal offense.

To Committee on Natural Resources.

SB 2312 by Hughes

Relating to the establishment and powers and duties of the Texas Advisory Committee on Geopolitical Conflict.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SB 2345 by Schwertner

Relating to the administration of, contributions to, and benefits under retirement systems for firefighters in certain municipalities.

To Committee on Finance.

SCR 30 by Huffman

Designating Matagorda County as the official Birding Capital of Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035.

To Committee on Administration.

SCR 31 by Hughes

Designating Mineola as the official Sweets Capital of Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035, replacing the city's previous designation as the City of Festivals.

To Committee on Administration.

SCR 32 by Hall, Eckhardt

Directing the Texas Facilities Commission to name the new transit amenity center at 207 W. 14th Street in the Capitol Complex the "Lead On! Transit Amenity" in honor of Justin Dart.

To Committee on Administration.

SCR 33 by Parker

Urging Congress to preserve Sections 45U, 45Y, and 48E of the Internal Revenue Code.

To Committee on Business and Commerce.

SJR 56 by West

Proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the creation of the child care protection and enhancement fund.

To Committee on Finance.

SJR 63 by Middleton

Proposing a constitutional amendment regarding the terminology used in the Texas Constitution to refer to the partially landlocked body of water on the southeastern periphery of the North American continent.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SJR 64 by Zaffirini

Proposing a constitutional amendment regarding the disciplinary powers of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SJR 69 by Parker

Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the Veterans' Land Board to issue general obligation bonds in an aggregate principal amount that is greater than amounts previously authorized.

To Committee on Veteran Affairs.

SJR 70 by Zaffirini

Proposing a constitutional amendment to make gender neutral the constitutional provisions governing the qualifications of a person to be a senator or member of the house of representatives.

To Committee on State Affairs.

SJR 71 by Hughes

Proposing a constitutional amendment prohibiting the imposition of a carbon tax.

To Committee on Finance.

On motion of Senator King, Senator J. Hinojosa will be shown as Co-author of SB 14.

On motion of Senator Eckhardt, Senator Paxton will be shown as Co-author of SB 349.

On motion of Senator Eckhardt, Senator Sparks will be shown as Co-author of SB 423.

On motion of Senator Sparks, Senator Hall will be shown as Co-author of SB 495.

On motion of Senator Zaffirini, Senator West will be shown as Co-author of SB 523.

On motion of Senator Bettencourt, Senator Hagenbuch will be shown as Co-author of SB 569.

On motion of Senator Schwertner, Senator Hagenbuch will be shown as Co-author of SB 706.

On motion of Senator Menéndez, Senator Zaffirini will be shown as Co-author of SB 752.

On motion of Senator Middleton, Senators Kolkhorst, Menéndez, and West will be shown as Co-authors of SB 1006.

On motion of Senator West, Senator Miles will be shown as Co-author of SB 1080.

On motion of Senator Schwertner, Senator Hughes will be shown as Co-author of SB 1122.

On motion of Senator Sparks, Senator Hall will be shown as Co-author of SB 1224.

On motion of Senator Parker, Senator Hagenbuch will be shown as Co-author of SB 1283.

On motion of Senator Schwertner, Senator Menéndez will be shown as Co-author of SB 1945.

On motion of Senator Zaffirini, Senator Miles will be shown as Co-author of SB 1946.

On motion of Senator Hughes, Senator Creighton will be shown as Co-author of SCR 9.

On motion of Senator King, Senator Hagenbuch will be shown as Co-author of SR 78.

Pursuant to a previously adopted motion, the Senate at 12:05 p.m. recessed until 2:00 p.m. Monday, March 17, 2025.

The following committee reports were received by the Secretary of the Senate in the order listed:

BUSINESS AND COMMERCE — CSSB 504, SB 917, CSSB 925, CSSB 388

TRANSPORTATION — SB 1902, SB 1121, SB 995, SB 857, SB 305, SB 296, CSSB 284, SB 35, CSSCR 25

BUSINESS AND COMMERCE — CSSB 6, CSSB 815

STATE AFFAIRS — CSSB 3

CRIMINAL JUSTICE — CSSB 1281, SB 1379, SB 1300, CSSB 1497, SB 1499, SB 1498, SB 1451

SB 263, SB 523, SB 569, SB 688, SB 766, SB 914, SB 971, SB 1066

SR 215, SR 245, SR 247, SR 248, SR 249, SR 250, SR 251, SR 252, SR 253, SR 254, SR 255, SR 256, SR 258