Miscellaneous Bill Tracking

85th Legislative Session

The bills below could impact people with disabilities in Texas.

Miscellaneous Bills — Passed

BILLAUTHORDESCRIPTION, REMARKS, LAST ACTION
HB 1542Four PriceRelating to the definition of the least restrictive environment for the placement of children in foster care.
no datano dataRemarks: Redefines “least restrictive environment” in a placement for a child in the custody of Child Protective Services (CPS) as the place closest to the child’s home and most able to meet the child’s identified needs. For a child needing basic or moderate services, that placement will be in a foster home or a cottage home. Cottage homes may house up to 12 children
no datano dataLast Action: 09-01-17 G Earliest effective date
SB 377Charles PerryRelating to the Texas Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Program.
no datano dataRemarks: Requires rule modification so that the program can be administered under contract by a consortium of states. Also requires the program’s advisory board to delegate asset allocation and investments to an approved bank, another state, or a consortium of states.
no datano dataLast Action: 05-29-17 G Earliest effective date

Miscellaneous Bills — Not Passed

BILLAUTHORDESCRIPTION, REMARKS, LAST ACTION
HB 468Oscar LongoriaRelating to a restriction on certain accommodations in accessible hotel and motel guest rooms.
no datano dataRemarks: Would have specified the height of beds in accessible hotel rooms, and would have authorized a civil penalty between $500 to $5,000, depending on the number of violations.
no datano dataLast Action: Introduced and referred to committee on House Business and Industry
HB 2992Victoria NeaveRelating to assistance animals used by persons with disabilities and to the prosecution of the offense of misrepresenting an animal as an assistance animal.
no datano dataRemarks: Would have created a misdemeanor offense when a person falsely represents their animal as a service animal in order to gain access, permission, or benefits reserved for people with disabilities who use service animals. False representation would have occurred when a person fits an animal with a harness, collar, vest, sign, tag, or leash of the type commonly used by service animals when the animal had not in fact been specially trained.
no datano dataLast Action: Withdrawn from the Local Calendar
HB 3279Matt SchaeferRelating to eligibility requirements for the specialized telecommunications assistance program.
no datano dataRemarks: Would have changed the eligibility requirements to participate in the specialized telecommunications assistance program to: 1) require professional
no datano dataLast Action: Introduced and referred to committee on House State Affairs
HB 3374John KuempelRelating to registration and regulation of real-time captioning providers.
no datano dataRemarks: Would have required providers who engage in real-time captioning for those who have hearing impairment to hold a certificate of registration issued by the Judicial Branch Certification Commission. Would have set out requirements for providers to obtain and retain this certificate.
no datano dataLast Action: Set on the House Calendar
SB 25Brandon CreightonRelating to eliminating the wrongful birth cause of action.
no datano dataRemarks: Would have prohibited a cause of action based on the claim that if medical information had been disclosed timely the person would not have been permitted to have been born alive but would have been terminated.
no datano dataLast Action: Reported favorably from committee on House State Affairs
SB 428Jose RodriguezRelating to the waiver of state park, museum, and other state-operated facility entrance fees for persons with certain disabilities.
no datano dataRemarks: Would have allowed people with a physical, mental, intellectual, or developmental disability and a paid personal attendant to have free admission to state parks, museums or other state operated facilities.
no datano dataLast Action: Introduced and referred to committee on Senate Agriculture, Water, and Rural Affairs
SB 1427Kelly HancockRelating to providing information regarding perinatal hospice care and prohibiting discriminatory abortions; creating an administrative penalty, a civil remedy, and criminal offenses.
no datano dataRemarks: Would have prohibited abortion based on race, ethnicity, sex, or the probability of a diagnosis of a disability. Would have created a Class A misdemeanor for intimidating a person to coerce an abortion based on race, ethnicity, sex, or probability of disability. Would have required the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to develop perinatal hospice care information. Would have required a pregnant woman who receives a diagnosis of a life-threatening disability of the unborn child to receive information about the availability of perinatal hospice care.
no datano dataLast Action: Introduced and referred to committee on Senate Health and Human Services
SB 1740Borris MilesRelating to the applicability of the death penalty to a capital offense committed by a person with an intellectual disability.
no datano dataRemarks: Would have prohibited a defendant who has an intellectual disability from being sentenced to death. Would have created procedures for the judge and jury regarding: 1) determination of an intellectual disability by a clinician; 2) possible sentencing alternatives; and 3) appealing a ruling.
no datano dataLast Action: Introduced and referred to committee on Senate Criminal Justice
SB 1743Judith ZaffiriniRelating to transferring the Office for the Prevention of Developmental Disabilities to The University of Texas at Austin.
no datano dataRemarks: Would have transferred the Office for the Prevention of Developmental Disabilities from HHSC to the University of Texas at Austin.
no datano dataLast Action: Vetoed by the Governor
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