by Eissler
Creighton, co-author

This bill elevates the importance of postsecondary readiness for all Texas students and sets the goal of making Texas among the top ten states in preparing students for postsecondary success over the next ten years. It also stresses the importance of workforce readiness in education for those students who would benefit from job skills training. In response to concerns of many school officials and families, the bill reduces the reliance on the TAKS test as the sole measure of a student's achievement.

This bill is establishes funds and a research program to begin the process of creating additional national research universities ("tier 1 schools") in Texas.

Research demonstrates that children who participate in high-quality prekindergarten programs are more successful academically, especially children who come from low-income families or who are English language learners. This bill provides funding to enhance the quality of full-day pre-k program in public schools.

This bill allows schools to use electronic textbooks and instructional materials if they believe the materials will be educationally beneficial and financially prudent. It protects the ability of the State Board of Education to review all materials and allows for parental review of electronic materials comparable to that of normal textbooks. The legislation will allow schools to take advantage of modern technology to benefit students.

The Texas Workforce Commission is responsible for administering wage claims for workers seeking lost wages from their employers. Currently, wage claims must be filed by mail or in person. TWC expends staff resources rejecting claims received by fax, and the claimant must then re-file the claim. This bill allows the Workforce Commission to accept wage claims by electronic methods, saving state resources and ensuring that workers receive payment more quickly.

Cities, counties, and school districts are responsible for purchasing items and services with taxpayer dollars. This bill standardizes purchasing requirements for all governmental entities so they can get a better value for their dollar and save money.

This bill allows the Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners to issue a temporary license to a person who has been hired as a full-time faculty member at one of the two chiropractic colleges in Texas.

A Texas Department of Agriculture study found that modifications were needed in the weights and measures program to improve consumer protection. No state agency is designated to regulate fuel quality in Texas. This bill authorizes the TDA to implement a risk-based weights and measures inspection schedule and a fuel quality regulatory program to further protect Texas consumers.

This bill includes human trafficking victims in the list of those who are eligible for benefits and protections under the Victims' Bill of Rights and the Crime Victims' Compensation Act.

This bill standardizes the offenses that involve coercing, soliciting, or inducing gang membership and soliciting membership in a criminal street gang. It increases the punishment for soliciting minors to become gang members.

Human trafficking is a modern day form of slavery. Texas has 20 percent of the market in the United States, and Houston is currently the world's largest center for human trafficking. Currently, Texas has an active and working system in place, largely funded via federal dollars, for international victims of human trafficking administered out of the Refugee Affairs Program. This bill creates an assistance program for domestic victims of human trafficking under HHSC, which would include a searchable database of programs available for domestic victims, a grant program, a training program for judges, prosecutors and law enforcement personnel, and an outreach initiative

This bill authorizes a groundwater district to enforce its rules against any person by injunction, mandatory injunction, or other appropriate remedy in a court of competent jurisdiction. Previously, entities were required to follow the rules but the districts had no way of enforcing them in court. This bill allows the district to collect civil fees for penalties and court costs.

Current law does not provide sufficient framework for dealing with "inactive" oil and gas. These wells pose many potential risk factors and have regulatory loopholes. This bill sets criteria for proper handling of these wells, while still allowing the operator to make a decision that best fits his or her business model. The bill also protects the Oil-Field Clean-up Fund against liability from inactive wells by raising accountability and responsibility of operations in a manner that balances risk and cost.

Water is a finite resource that requires careful and proactive management, especially in Texas given our population growth and frequent droughts. This bill establishes a phase-in of high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, recognizing that conserving water through more efficient use is one of the most cost-effective ways to protect our water supply. The bill allows manufacturers and retailers sufficient time to change their production and turn over their inventory.

The population of Texas is projected to more than double by 2060. The demand for water will also increase over this time. One of the potential sources for that new water is neighboring states with surpluses that are looking to sell water elsewhere. This bill will help Texas meet future water needs by facilitating transfers of water from out-of-state sources.

In 2008, business payments under the revised Texas franchise tax almost doubled; however, this increase was not spread equally across the business community. Smaller businesses bore the brunt of this tax increase. As the Texas economy gradually works its way out of a recession, small businesses need some tax relief. This bill seeks to mitigate the effect of the new franchise tax by exempting 40,000 additional businesses from having to pay the franchise tax.

One of the current appraisal formulas allows for property to be valued on what it could produce rather than its current use. This bill requires that the market value of a residence homestead be determined solely on the basis of the property's value as a residence homestead, regardless of whether the residential use of the property by the owner is considered to be the highest and best use of the property.

Numerous municipal utility districts in Montgomery County and Liberty County were created by the legislature in 2005 and 2007 in anticipation of new growth and development. Districts such as these must hold a confirmation election within five years or the district is dissolved. This bill repeals the deadlines for confirmation elections to preserve the creation of the districts until development in the region necessitates activation of the municipal utility districts.

This bill allows the City of Conroe to create a Tax Increment Financing Reinvestment Zone. With the permission of landowners, the city can dedicate 20% of property tax revenue from property within a designated zone to redevelop the area. The city hopes this will allow them to revitalize the downtown.