As the 87th Texas Legislature concludes its Third Special Session, counties are still implementing the 1,081 bills that passed in the Regular Session. Below are summaries of some bills that require Commissioners Court attention. Filing Deadline Extended Since the legislature has not completed redistricting its boundaries, S.B. 13, Second Called … [Read more...] about Legislative Wrap-Up
From the General Counsel
Second Special Session Report
After failing to pass any legislation in the First Called Session due to a lack of a quorum in the House of Representatives, the Second Called Session sent 14 bills and one constitutional amendment to Gov. Greg Abbott. Some of these bills will have a significant effect on counties. S.B. 6 by Sen. Huffman will revise the bail bond system in Texas. Defendants charged … [Read more...] about Second Special Session Report
Changes in County Government Legal Requirements
Counties are governed by the Texas Constitution, legislative statutes, court decisions, and orders and regulations from the governor and state agencies. This column will discuss some recent changes affecting Commissioners Courts. VIRTUAL MEETINGS OF COMMISSIONERS COURTS In March 2020, Gov. Greg Abbott suspended certain provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act to allow … [Read more...] about Changes in County Government Legal Requirements
Regular Session Report
Despite delays and disruptions from COVID-19 and the winter storm, there were 7,148 bills and constitutional amendments introduced during the 87th Regular Legislative Session. When the session concluded, 1,081 bills were sent to the governor, and he vetoed 21 of them, including the entire appropriation for the legislature. As expected, thousands of these bills affected county … [Read more...] about Regular Session Report
Anatomy of an Unfunded Mandate, Part II
A statutory duty imposed upon counties by the legislature without funding is an unfunded mandate. Every unfunded mandate requires a property tax increase. The majority of the CJCAT legislative efforts are directed toward the prevention of additional unfunded mandates. This session was no exception. In 2005, this column described the “Anatomy of an Unfunded Mandate.” That … [Read more...] about Anatomy of an Unfunded Mandate, Part II