Honorable Al Edwards
HOUSE DISTRICT 146
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
Honorable Al Edwards voted to provide funding for new highway and bridge construction projects in District 146. One of the major projects is the new location of Airport Blvd. to Hiram Clark to F.M. 521. The second major project is widening Dixie Farm Road to four lanes. Landscape improvements are being made to the Old Spanish Trail and Almeda corridors. Emergency service connections to the Texas Medical Center are being constructed as well as improvements to the Main Street corridor. Landscaping improvements are being made all along the freeway interchanges.
There are also a number of other improvement projects for District 146 which will be a total appropriation within the next 10 years of approximately $166,453,647. These statistics have been provided by the Texas Department of Transportation.
Public Schools
Schools in House District 146 that are in the Houston Independent School
District have been receiving lots of renovations and remodeling. I am happy
to say that all the following schools are currently being worked on. There
is a lot of air conditioning and gymnasium work going on in the district
as well.
Bonham Elementary - Renovations in progress
Fairchild Elementary - Painting
Foster Elementary - School is to be replaced. Project 50% completed.
Red Elementary - Renovations in progress
Reynolds Elementary - To be replaced. New school in progress.
Rhoads Elementary - New SPARK Park
Young Elementary - Renovations/Expansion - Completed
Cullen Middle - Auditorium Repairs
Johnston Middle - New auditorium seating; gymnasium flooring
Woodson Middle - Painting
DeBakey HS - Renovations and Painting
Veterans
Military members - HB 1170
Requires an institution of higher education to readmit a student who left for military duty without requiring reapplication or charging a fee for readmission
Guard and Reserves - HB 1630
Authorizes institutions of public education to excuse absences for people called to active military service.
Veterans - HB 2604
Extends a veteran preference for entry into job training and employment assistance programs that are offered by state agencies. It also extends this preference for entry into job training programs not run by state agencies that are at least partially funded by the state. It also transfers the veterans employment programs from the TWC to the TVC.
TWC and Military Dependents - SB1212
Directs the Texas Workforce Commission to create programs in Texas' defense dependent communities to support military families by providing employment assistance services to the spouses and dependents of military personnel who are assigned to duty in Texas.
Military Dependents
New legislation directs public schools to assist military dependents with admission and transition
Terrorist attacks - HB 503
Updates the Hazlewood Act to include those who have served in the military as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Education
Security in Public Schools - S.B. 11
Requires each school district to adopt and implement a multi-hazard emergency operations plan that addresses mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery as recommended by the commissioner of education in conjunction with the governor's office of homeland security for use in district schools.
Requires the emergency plan to include a system for providing immediate notification to parents or guardians through a variety of communication methods in the event of an emergency.
No Competition During TAKS - S.B. 658
Requires the State Board of Education to adopt rules to prohibit UIL events between Monday and Thursday of the week in which the first administration of TAKS occurs.
Permits the Commissioner of Education rules to provide for changing the scheduled date of a TAKS administration under exceptional circumstances, including severed weather, natural disaster, or extensive damage to a district's facilities, and to establish criteria to determine when a UIL competition conflicts with a changed test date and must be cancelled.
Revising the Teacher Retirement System - S.B. 1691
Prohibits school districts from offering employees incentives for early retirement. Provides that TRS members who are not retired or eligible for certain insurance coverage are eligible for monthly compensation supplementation.
Provides that a person who becomes a member of TRS on or after Sept. 1, 2006, is eligible to retire and receive retirement benefits if the member is at least 65 years old and has a least 5 years of service credit in TRS; or is at least 60 years old, has at least five years of service credit in TRS, and the sum of the member's age and amount of service credit in TRS equal the number 80.
Protective Services
Relating to Protective Services - S.B. 6
Widespread problems have been documented in Texas' existing systems for protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and neglect. This bill reforms Child Protective Services by requiring the Department of Family and Protective Services to: videotape interviews with children during investigations, use highly skilled workers to screen case; work with law enforcement agencies for joint training for it's investigators; perform a background and criminal history check of each potential caregiver; privatizes certain child welfare functions; establish an incentive program to encourage certain department employees to obtain professional credentials in social work or psychology.
Eminent Domain
Use of Eminent Domain by Conservation and Reclamation Districts - H. B. 1208
Limits the circumstances under which a district may exercise its authority to exercise the power of eminent domain outside the district's boundaries.
Eminent Domain and Certain Municipal Districts - S.B. 224
Eminent domain is a sometimes controversial power of government whereby private property is taken for public use, but only in exchange for "adequate" compensation. This bill denies the power of eminent domain to 21 Municipal Management and Improvement Districts in Harris County.
Relating to Eminent Domain - S.B. 7
Currently, the Texas Constitution permits condemnation of land for public use. Previous to the United States Supreme Court ruling in Kelo et al. v. City of New London et al, public use was understood to be for parks, roads, and other objectives. In light of this recent ruling allowing the taking of private property for economic development purposes, the scope of public use needs to be redefined.
This bill will prohibit the taking of private property by eminent domain for economic development, with certain limited exceptions.
Criminal Justice
Many recent incidences, including several in Harris County, of wrongly accused and convicted defendants have risen to public awareness in the past few years. In order to prevent and possibly even cure some of these injustices, DNA crime labs are now going to be strictly regulated by the governor.
A nine member independent commission, appointed by the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the attorney general will have the power to investigate complaints against DNA crime labs in Texas. The new law also will require DNA sampling from 60,000 current state prison inmates who don't have DNA profiles in a central database.
There are an unbelievable number of fake identification cards for minors who try to abuse the proof of age laws. Legislation was passed which will bear down on minors who try to purchase alcohol and tobacco with fake identification cards. Retailers will now be allowed to use electronic scanners to read driver's licenses presented as proof of age.
Others law have been passed which will also curtail the intoxication of minors. There is a serious problem of adults purchasing alcohol or providing alcohol to minors. A new law will make adults liable for any damages caused by an intoxicated minor younger than 18 to whom they served alcohol or helped provide alcohol, regardless of whether it was in a park, restaurant, or a private home.
Health
Due to the high costs of prescriptions today, attempts by the legislature have been made to curb these costs. The State Board of Pharmacy is directed to maintain a Web site providing information to assist consumers in ordering prescription drugs from as many as ten (10) designated Canadian pharmacies. The board will be required to inspect the pharmacies to assure they meet Canadian and U.S. safety standards.
As much as we support roadside food vendors, safety regulations were increased, and Houston and Harris County officials are instructed to enforce heath and safety regulations for mobile and food vendors in the same manner they enforce other health and safety regulations relating to food service. There are over 1,600 licensed mobile food vendors in Harris County that may find their operations restricted by this legislation.
Employment
The Texas Workers Compensation Commission has been abolished and has transferred all of its duties to a new division within the Texas Department of Insurance.
Elderly
H.B. 2254
This bill will reduce the penalty for taxpayers that are over 65 years old from twelve percent to six percent if they are late in making their installment payments for ad valorem taxes. Effective date Sept. 1, 2005
S.B. 6
Requires DFPS to establish an investigation unit for adult protective services, and provides for notification of law enforcement when abuse, neglect, or exploitation is the result of criminal conduct against an elderly or disabled person.
CHIP
S.B. 1
Health and Human Services funding totaling $48.9 Billion to improve CHIP and Medicaid funding. Also a supplemental appropriation of $66 million to fund shortfalls in CHIP caseloads. Restores dental, vision, and hospice benefits.
Family Protective Services
S.B. 1
Adult and Child Protective Services receives $0.3 billion. Increases child protective service workers by 2,500. Decreases Adult Protective Services caseloads to an average of 28 per month.
Criminal Justice
S.B. 1
A $352.1 million dollar increase. This includes $119.1 million for rising health care and utility costs in prisons. Also includes Public Safety funding of $77.7 million for state trooper pay raises.
Probation overhauls were made to improve adult probation supervision.
Included in the overhauls:
a) shortening the maximum length of probation for third degree felonies from
10 to 5 years;
b) requires judges to review cases when probationers finish one-half of their
time;
c) permits judges to grant more credit for time served;
d) expands "drug courts" and requires them in counties of 200,000
or more;
establishes a pilot program to reduce the revocation rate of defendants placed
on probation.
Consent to search laws were changed to prohibit a peace officer who stops a car from searching the car unless they obtain consent from the driver.
Utilities
Law now allows uses of the System Benefit Fund (PUC) to include assistance for needy patients on life support or with very serious health problems threatened with disconnection for nonpayment.
H.R. 1242
Ordering the Texas Attorney General Office to investigate unexplained price hikes in gasoline in order to stop price gouging and consumer fraud. Also directs the AG office to provide information to Texans to find the lowest possible price for gasoline in their area.
Business Districts
H.B. 117 (1st)
Legislation filed to create the South Central Management District within House District 146; this will improve the business district by allowing the district to make improvements which will enhance safety, security, and property values; increase the flow of business and improve the quality of life.
Stem Cell Research
HB 1929
This bill would prohibit human cloning and would impose a first-degree felony for intentionally engaging in human cloning.
HB 2269
A b ill which would authorize the University of Texas System to issue additional revenue bonds of $24,670,000 for establishing and operating an adult stem cell research center at the Texas Medical Center.
College and Universities
General revenue funding increased by $832 million for higher education. Included in this was $67,900,000 for Prairie View A&M (OCR Revenue - $13,800,000), $79,084,000 for Texas Southern University (OCR Revenue - $10,900,000), and $147,800,000 for UT Health Science Center. These are the amounts for 2006, with increases allotted for 2007.
Retirees
H.B. 10
TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF TEXAS: TRS-CARE
RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE. The amount of $61,677,766 is appropriated out
of the Economic Stabilization Fund to the Teacher Retirement System of
Texas for the state fiscal year beginning September 1, 2005, for the
purpose of providing funding
for retiree[0] health-statutory funds (health care for public education
retirees[0] funded by statutory formula).
The retirement eligibility age will be raised from 50 to 60 for teachers and other school employees hired after Sept. 1, 2007. For all teachers, except for the most senior teachers, pensions will be based on the average of the highest five years salary, rather than three.
H.B. 2772
Directs ERS to evaluate the long-term impact of implementation of HSAs and HDHPs within the group benefits program on future costs and benefits and access to quality health care and provider availability.
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) were created in federal legislation to be used in conjunction with High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) in 2003. The federal government has implemented an HSA option for public employees and non-Medicare eligible retirees. The current group benefits program under the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) does not provide for HSAs and HDHPs. As such, there is insufficient information available to determine the impact of implementing HSAs and HDHPs within ERS' group benefits program
Housing Rental Developments
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs has financed 22 rental developments containing a total of 3585 units in House District 146. The vast majority of these are units affordable to very low income households. Two of these developments, containing 245 units, are for seniors.
Bayous and Bridges
Millions of dollars are being invested in the bayous and bridges in House District 146:
The roadway at Brays Bayou @ US 59, will be widened to 10-lane and 8-lane freeways. Cost: $47,809,796. At US90A @ Brays Bayou the bridge will be replaced as well as the approaches. Cost: $774,607. At SH288 @ Brays Bayou, flapgates and pumphouses will be installed, repairs to the bridge and approaches will be made, and some of the bayou structures will be replaced. Total cost: $$18,251,116. At FM 865 @ Brays Bayou, the bridge and approaches will be replaced and the fill and washout areas will be cleared and repaired. Cost: $1,724,227.
Homeland Security
S.B. 9
Requires the Governor to develop and administer a strategic plan to design and implement a statewide-integrated public safety radio and computer communications system. Requires the Governor to allocate available federal and state grants and other funding related to homeland security to state and local agencies and defense base development authorities that perform homeland security activities and measure the effectiveness of the homeland security grants and other funding.
Morality and Health on School Campuses
Bill which created a heightened awareness of cheerleading and dance team performances and prohibiting them from performing in sexually suggestive manners. Also, a resolution passed which directs the Texas Education Agency to provide leadership and guidance in promoting positive and healthy attitudes for school children, especially respect for others and oneself. If these principles are jeopardized by inappropriate conduct of students during school sponsored events, then the TEA must step in.