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March 29, 2019

Thank you for subscribing to my e-newsletter. Below you will find updates from federal, state and local agencies on events from the past week and the week ahead.

We started the week quickly at the Texas Capitol. Monday morning, I had House Bill 76 on the floor. I was honored to have the full support of my fellow House members as we passed this important legislation to protect Texas UIL student athletes and remember the Cody Stephens.

Tuesday started early with a full slate of bills on School Safety in the House Public Education committee hearing. We heard more than 20 bills that day, ranging from statewide plans, like Dr. Greg Bonnen's HB 17, to my own HB 734, allowing school board members to carry firearms when serving in that capacity. It was a long day, but we were grateful to hear from all of the witnesses who came to testify into the late hours.

The House passed HB 1, the general appropriations bill, a little after midnight Thursday morning. The final bill stays below constitutional spending limits and the growth or population-plus-inflation. We funded our state's highest priorities while remaining responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. I am also very proud that House Appropriations Chairman, Dr. John Zerwas, accepted my amendment to the supplemental budget, SB 500, allocating $30 million to fund the ongoing dredging projects in Lake Houston.

Our team is now busy preparing for HB 3, the school finance reform bill, to be on teh floor for debate next Wednesday. Tune in to watch it by clicking here: www.house.texas.gov.

Should you have questions regarding anything in this newsletter, please feel free to contact us directly using the information provided at the bottom of this email.

Sincerely,
March 2019 Calendar


Download my March 2019 calendar by clicking the link below. This month is full of events in and around Texas that could be fun or useful to you and your family! This new format allows you to save the document for printing or sending to your family members.

Keep watch for these updated calendars at the beginning of each month. Important local and legislative dates and events will be posted here.



Hurricane Harvey Updates
 REMINDER: Lake Houston Survey
City Council Member Dave Martin would like to make City of Houston residents, living in the Kingwood and Lake Houston area, aware City of Houston Public Works Department is conducting a short Lake Houston Survey .
 
Since March 2018, Lake Houston has been lowered six times in the advance of inclement weather at the request of Council Member Martin. Each time the lake was temporarily lowered it was lowered between twelve to eighteen inches. 

Normal pool elevation for Lake Houston is 42.5 feet. Most recently in February, the lake was lowered to 41.5 feet to conduct necessary repairs to the spillway dam and the lake remains close to that level today.
 
Resident participation in this survey will determine if the City chooses to maintain the current lower water level of 41.5 feet temporarily during the 2019 rainy season or lower the lake an additional six inches to provide more storage in the lake during the wetter months of the year. These measures are strictly temporary for the rainy season only and this survey will assist in providing the City with valuable information before a decision is made. 

If a seasonal release is not favorable, the City of Houston plans to continue releasing water on a situational basis. During 2018, the lake was lowered when the San Jacinto River Watershed was forecast to receive more than three inches of rain during a single weather event. The lower lake levels are all temporary and no permanent lowering of Lake Houston is being considered.

The Lake Houston Survey will be open until April 2, 2019 and may only be taken once. Thank you in advance for your participation. To fill out the survey please follow this link .The survey should take no longer than two minutes to complete.

For more information, please contact Council Member Martin's office by calling (832) 393-3008 or via email at districte@houstontx.gov
Updates from Austin
House Passes HB 1: The Texas Budget &
SB 500: The Supplemental Budget
Rep. Huberty's Legislative Agenda
To see a list of Rep. Huberty's filed legislation, click here.

HJR 3 - Proposing a constitutional amendment to provide funding for the cost of maintaining and operating the public school system and to reduce school district ad valorem tax rates through an increase in the state sales and use tax rate.

HJR 121 - Proposing a constitutional amendment allowing increased distributions to the available school fund.

HB 3 - Relating to public school finance and public education.

HB 76 - Relating to cardiac assessments of high school participants in extracurricular athletic activities sponsored or sanctioned by the University Interscholastic League.

HB 734 - Relating to the carrying of concealed or holstered handguns by certain handgun license holders attending a meeting of the board of trustees of a school district or the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school.

HB 766 - Relating to exemptions for disabled peace officers and fire fighters from payment of tuition and fees at public institutions of higher education.

HB 791 - Relating to the definition of volunteer fire department for purposes of certain motor fuel tax exemptions.

HB 802 - Relating to voting rights and eligibility for office of residents of certain districts subject to a strategic partnership agreement.

HB 813 - Relating to money used by counties that participate in the low-income vehicle repair assistance, retrofit, and accelerated vehicle retirement program.

HB 831 - Relating to the residency requirement to be eligible for public office.

HB 851 - Relating to the use of individual graduation committees and other alternative methods to satisfy certain public high school graduation requirements.

HB 907 - Relating to the penalty for failure to register certain aggregate production operations with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

HB 908 - Relating to the regulation of aggregate production operation by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; increasing an administrative penalty.

HB 909 - Relating to best management practices for aggregate production operations.

HB 911 - Relating to the creation and functions of the Lake Houston Watershed Commission.

HB 1652 - Relating to the public resale by means of a public auction using online bidding and sale of property purchased by a taxing unit at an ad valorem tax sale.

HB 1671 - Relating to water quality protection areas.

HB 1725 - Relating to retired members of the Texas State Guard.

HB 2795 - Relating to a one-time supplemental annuity payment to certain retirees and beneficiaries of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

HB 2961 - Relating to an allotment under the foundation school program for students with dyslexia or related disorders.

HB 2983 - Relating to the administration to public school students in certain grades of state-administered assessment instruments.

HB 3599 - Relating to certain increases in benefits under the firefighters' relief and retirement fund in certain municipalities.

HB 3904 - Relating to public school accountability, including certain assessment requirements, performance standards, and sanctions, including sanctions affecting educator contracts, and to providing alternative methods to satisfy certain public high school graduation requirements.

HB 3906 - Relating to the adoption and administration of assessment instruments used to assess the performance of public school students.

HB 3913 - Relating to an exception from required disclosure under the public information law for certain personal information obtained by certain flood control districts.

HB 3967 - Relating to access to certain health information of public school students during an emergency evacuation.

HB 4334 - Relating to the creation of the office of inspector general at the Texas Education Agency to investigate the administration of public education.

HB 4335 - Relating to the assessment and collection of ad valorem taxes imposed by a school district.

HB 4611 - Relating to certain distributions to the available school fund.

HB 4621 - Relating to the imposition of sales and use taxes and the allocation of certain revenue from sales and use taxes to school district property tax relief and public education; authorizing the imposition of a tax.

Humble ISD Education Foundation:
Ryan J. Huberty Dyslexia Grant Recipient Update
Humble ISD Education Foundation featured a grant from the Ryan J. Huberty Dyslexia Fund in their recent newsletter and we wanted to share this important update with you. The C-Pen is a major technological breakthrough for students with dyslexia, students who are learning English or anyone who has reading difficulties. The C-Pen is a portable, pocket-sized device that reads text and can provide definitions and synonyms. Due to the generosity of donors who support the Ryan J. Huberty Fund, many Humble ISD students are able to utilize this technology. 
 
Statewide Birth-Five Needs Assessment Survey  

Commissioner of Education Mike Morath announced that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Texas Early Learning Council are conducting a statewide birth-five needs assessment to better understand the needs of those accessing, providing, and supporting early childhood programs and services for children ages birth to five. 

As part of this needs assessment, the Council is conducting a statewide survey from March 25 through April 5, 2019.

The survey is intended for:
  • Families;
  • Staff of early childhood programs and services (childcare, Head Start, public prekindergarten, early childhood intervention (ECI) and home visiting);
  • Staff of early childhood organizations (membership organizations, advocacy organizations, workforce boards, ESCs, etc.); and
  • Community organizations/partners (businesses, health service providers, local governments, religious organizations, etc.).


Questions intended for families and staff of early childhood programs and services are available in both English and Spanish.

The survey results and the statewide needs assessment will be utilized by the Texas Early Learning Council to establish a statewide strategic plan. The strategic plan will focus on improving coordination and collaboration, promoting partnerships, increasing quality, reducing duplicative efforts, efficiently utilizing resources, and easing a child’s transition into kindergarten.

The statewide birth-five needs assessment is required for the Preschool Development Grant awarded to Texas by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Education. This grant is a collaboration between the Texas Department of Agriculture, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the Texas Department of State Health Service, TEA, the Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and the Texas Workforce Commission. 
2019 Annual Family Land Heritage Program
Open to Applicants
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller invites Texas farmers and ranchers to apply for the Texas Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) Family Land Heritage (FLH) program, which since 1974 has paid tribute to families who have kept their land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years. Families are asked to submit their applications for recognition in the 2019 FLH registry by Monday, June 3. At the 44th annual recognition ceremony at the Texas Capitol this fall, Commissioner Miller will honor farms and ranches established in 1919 or earlier.

“Buried deep in the roots of our great state lays a rich agriculture heritage from the farmers and ranchers who came before us,” Commissioner Miller said. “The Texas Department of Agriculture Family Land Heritage program acknowledges Texas families who have paved the way by dedicating their lives to agriculture. Family farms and ranches are the cornerstone to the success of our state’s agriculture industry, and without them agriculture would not be the powerhouse that today drives a $110 billion Texas industry.” 

To be eligible, farms and ranches must be owned and operated by the descendants of the founder, either through blood, marriage or adoption. At least 10 acres of the land must have been in continuous agricultural production for the past 100 years or more.
 
 “As an eighth-generation farmer and rancher, I am honored to recognize the men and women who fought to help Texas agriculture flourish, and I encourage future generations to follow their lead in continuing to keep our agricultural legacy alive,” Commissioner Miller said.
 
To date, TDA has recognized more than 5,000 farms and ranches, including 228 for 150 years of operation. Seven ranches have been honored for 200 years of operation. There is no cost to apply.
 
To apply for FLH recognition, visit www.TexasAgriculture.gov and click on the Family Land Heritage icon, apply online or download the application here

Application deadline is June 3 for family farms and ranches started in 1919 or earlier
Capitol Events
Visiting with Governor Greg Abbott on the House Floor
Speaking at Pre-K Day Press Conference
Woodland Hills Elementary Students at the Capitol
Constituent Resources
Need Assistance?
Our office is always ready to assist you. Call or email us and we will do our best to help. Many State Agencies also have hotlines or citizen assistance offices to assist you. That contact information is available at this link, in alphabetical order: 

Live Updates
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Contact Information
State Representative
Dan Huberty

Casey Christman
Chief of Staff

Jack Reed
Legislative Director

Amy Peterson
House Public Education Committee Director

House Public Education
Committee Clerk

Capitol Physical Address:
1100 Congress Avenue E2.408 Austin, TX 78701

Capitol Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 2910 
Austin, TX 78768 

Capitol Phone:
(512) 463-0520

Capitol Fax:
(512) 463-1606
District Address: 
4501 Magnolia Cove
 Suite 201
Kingwood, TX 77345

District Phone:
(281) 360-9410
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