May 17, 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. As well, please note the section below with information and resources for those affected by recent severe weather.

We are in the home stretch! With less than 11 days remaining in the 86th Legislative Session, each new day brings another legislative deadline. So far, I have had two bills sent to Governor Abbott's desk, with one officially receiving his signature yesterday morning. I was honored to be joined by Senator Seliger for the signing of SB 312 along with our hard-working staff members, pictured below.

Sunday brings the final deadline for the House to distribute a Daily Calendar to hear Senate Bills on the floor. We will be convening tomorrow, Saturday, May 18th, to hear third reading of the bills on today's calendar. As we get closer to the end of the session, things will begin moving quickly. For more up-to-date information, please follow us on social media. Tune in any day to watch us 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,

Impacted by Recent Severe Weather?

Immediate Assistance: Call 2-1-1 TEXAS/United Way HELPLINE is the information resource before, during and after natural disasters. Call 2-1-1 for food assistance replacement of clothes or furniture, etc. 

Have you reported your flood damage?: The Harris County Home Flooding & Damage Report is used by the County is designed to assist the Harris County Flood Control District and the Harris County Engineering Department in determining what areas have experienced structural flooding and damage due to severe weather. This report will allow damage assessment teams to quickly deploy to those locations to asses the area in the wake of an incident. Your information will be sent directly to those agencies and will not be shared with anyone outside of government. ONLY Enter information regarding severe weather of May 2019.

Crisis Cleanup: Residents that need cleanup assistance due to the severe weather and flooding in May 2019 are encouraged to register their home with Crisis Cleanup by calling 844-965-1386 . Crisis Cleanup is an online database used by local faith-based organizations and disaster relief agencies to coordinate cleanup efforts after a disaster. There are no guarantees for service, but all disaster survivors with cleanup needs are asked to register. Residents who are selected to receive cleanup assistance from a faith-based or disaster relief organizations will receive a call from the organization to schedule a date and time for assistance to be provided. The Crisis Cleanup line will be open Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, through May 24, 2019.

Repairing your home?: If you are beginning to make repairs to your home, please ensure the appropriate permit has been obtained from the City of Houston Permitting Center . By state law, all electrical work requires a permit and must be completed by a licensed electrical contractor. For questions, contact Electrical Inspections at (832) 394-8860. Permits are also required for all other mechanical work. For questions, contact Mechanical Inspections at (832) 394-8850. Permits are not required to replace bathroom or kitchen faucets, ballcocks or water control valves, garbage disposals, or water closets. Permits are required for all other plumbing work, including sinks. For questions, contact Plumbing Inspections at (832) 394-8870. 

For homes located in the floodplain: You must contact the City of Houston Floodplain Management Office prior to making any repairs at (832) 394-8854. For information on flood damage repair requirements, visit floodplain.houstontx.gov. The City of Houston's interactive mapping system can help residents find their estimated Base Flood Elevation (BFE) or 500 year flood elevation for their property online here  (must use internet explorer), instructions to navigate this site can be found here .  The Houston Permitting Center Main Office is located at 1002 Washington Avenue, Houston, Texas, 77002 and open Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Applications can be routed from the Kingwood Satellite permitting offices to the Main Office for customers not wanting to drive: Kingwood Satellite Office at 3915 Rustic Woods, Kingwood, TX 77339, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Property Owners Should Prepare

for Lower Lake Levels

Houston Public Works will lower Lake Houston by  6 inches  on  Monday, May 20th  to allow contractors to begin a rehabilitation project on the dam. Lake Houston will be lowered  another 6 inches  on  Tuesday, May 28th following Memorial Day weekend, for a total of  1 foot . Work on the dam will continue through the end of the year.  Property owners should secure property along the shoreline.

 

The levels in Lake Houston will naturally return to full and require lowering to 41.5 feet to continue the rehabilitation project. Property owners should be prepared, as advance notice may not be possible. 

Separately, if Lake Houston is above 41.5 feet and the National Weather Service predicts greater than 3 inches of rain within a 48-hour period, the lake may be temporarily lowered to 41.5 feet before the storm. It takes 24-hours to lower Lake Houston by 12-inches. Lake Houston has a normal pool elevation of 42.5 feet. To monitor current water levels at Lake Houston, visit:  www.coastalwaterauthority.org

Governor Abbott Signs SB 213

Texas Named Best State For Business

For 15th Year By CEO Magazine

For the 15 ^th year in a row, Texas has been named the best state for business by Chief Executive Magazine. The rankings are determined by CEO assessments of the best and worst states for business, which include factors such as a state’s business climate, workforce, and quality of life. Texas has secured the top spot each year since the rankings’ inception.

 

“Texas is the gold standard when it comes to creating an environment that allows businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive, and today’s ranking is further evidence of that,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “Our talented workforce and staunch commitment to free market principles have led to unprecedented economic growth. As Governor, I will continue to cultivate a business climate that encourages innovation and opportunity for all.”

Houston Public Media:

Red, White and Blue Interview

Comptroller Releases Revised Revenue Estimate

"Based on changes in estimated revenue collections for this fiscal year, I am revising my projected ending balance of revenue available for general-purpose spending in the current biennium. I now expect the 2018-19 ending balance to be slightly more than $4.7 billion — an increase of $518 million from the January 2019 Biennial Revenue Estimate.

This estimate does not account for any appropriations made by the 86th Legislature; nor does it make any adjustments for legislation that may affect revenue collections. Passage of House Bill 1525, for example, would make another $550 million available for general-purpose spending in the 2020-21 biennium, unless it were dedicated to a specific purpose.

Some of the increased revenue projected for fiscal 2019 is attributable to upwardly revised estimates of oil and natural gas production tax collections. Consequently, I now expect to transfer $1.67 billion each to the State Highway and Economic Stabilization funds in fiscal 2020, an increase of $266 million per fund from my previous estimate. Not counting any appropriations from the Economic Stabilization Fund by the 86th Legislature, I now expect its balance to be $15.62 billion at the end of the 2020-21 biennium. " Glenn Hegar, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

2019 Texas Public Higher Education Almanac

Highlights Progress Toward 60x30 Goals

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) launched its ninth annual Texas Public Higher Education Almanac today as part of the agency’s efforts to promote transparency and accountability among Texas public institutions of higher education.

The 2019 Almanac provides higher education facts and performance data that allow users to compare Texas public higher education institutions. The data provide a snapshot of Texas’ progress in achieving goals of the state’s higher education plan, 60x30TX. The Almanac draws from data in the agency’s accountability system -- long recognized as a “best practice” national model for higher education performance data.

“The 2019 Higher Education Almanac shows where we stand today in meeting the 60x30TX goals,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Raymund Paredes. “As the data on developmental education and college readiness starkly demonstrate, Texas has some tough numbers to overcome if the state is to reach our goals. But there is ample justification for optimism. The Texas legislature is considering major reforms for K-12 education that would significantly improve college readiness and encourage more high school graduates to enroll in our public colleges and universities. For all our challenges, Texas is on track to achieve the goals of 60x30TX.”

The THECB and the Texas Higher Education Foundation would like to thank all those who dedicated their time, effort and resources to produce this year’s almanac. Investment in both the almanac and the 60x30TX.com website reflects a continued commitment to help ensure data-driven policy discussions and decisions in Texas.

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.

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: 

http://www.lrl.texas.gov/genInfo/stateAgencies.cfm

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