State
BY EMILY LINCKE, JESSICA SHORTEN & AUBREY VOGEL
5 legislative updates from Houston-area lawmakers
With all committee assignments o cially announced for the Texas House, both chambers of the legislature are beginning to move bills to various Senate and House committees. Here are ve local bills which Community Impact sta are keeping an eye on as bills begin to move into the next stage in the legislative process.
“Citizens of the Magnolia area must currently travel to Conroe or Houston for driver’s license services, and the region would greatly bene t from the establishment of a local driver’s Bell’s o ce led House Concurrent Resolution 11 in November in an e ort to order the Texas Department of Public Safety to prioritize the center’s construction. Concurrent resolutions must be approved by both houses of the Legislature but are often used to provide direction to state agencies and boards. 2 Magnolia could see driver’s license mega center State Rep. Cecil Bell Jr., R-Magnolia, launched an initiative to construct a new driver’s license mega center in the Magnolia area.
3 Lawmakers hope to up emergency preparation in senior living facilities Two bills led by Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, and Rep. Ana Hernandez, D-Houston, aim to improve emergency preparedness in senior living facilities, according to lings. Alvarado’s proposed bill, Senate Bill 481— referred to a committee Feb. 3—would call for facilities to create emergency response plans. Hernandez’s legislation, House Bill 2218, would require generators for emergencies in facilities with elevators.
1 Houston lawmakers look to regu- late cottage food production industry State Rep. Lacey Hull, R-Houston, is looking to shift regulations for the cottage food production industry through House Bill 2588, while Rep. Janis Holt, R-Silsbee, will target regulations for mobile food units. Hull’s bill, titled the Food Freedom Act, would shift oversight of foods which are produced in an individual home setting to the state Health and Human Services Commission. The bill also prevents local governments and health departments from regulating and requiring licensure or permitting to operate. Holt’s bill would create requirements for “mobile food units” to obtain permits from county or public health districts. The bill would require the owners of these units to provide storage, food preparation and sales preparation plans to pass preoperational inspections.
4 Legislators push for Anti-Human Tra cking Intelligence Center Senate Bill 389, led by Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, aims to create an Anti-Human Tra cking Intelligence Center under the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to serve as the state’s primary entity for tracking and response e orts regarding human tra cking.
license mega center.” STATE REP. CECIL BELL JR.
What can a cottage food production make?
Total cases on the docket
5 Additional district courts proposed for Brazoria, Fort Bend counties Brazoria and Fort Bend counties could each see two additional district courts with Senate Bills 328 and 329 led by Sen. Joan Hu man, R-Houston. Currently, Brazoria County has ve district courts, while Fort Bend County has eight. The changes could come as both Fort Bend and Brazoria counties have seen growth in population and caseload since their last district courts were approved in 2015 and 2019, respectively.
Fort Bend County
Brazoria County
Allowed
Not allowed
39,304
30K 20K 10K 0 40K
Baked goods Fermented vegetable products Fruits (frozen and fresh)
Meats Seafood Ice and ice products Raw milk Low-acid canned goods
31,190
21,575
17,940
Dried herbs and seasoning mixes
SOURCE: TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE COMMUNITY IMPACT
INCLUDES CRIMINAL, CIVIL AND FAMILY CASES SOURCE: TEXAS OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
25
CYPRESS EDITION
Powered by FlippingBook