85th Legislature (2017) Bill Positions
The TCCB does not take positions on all bills in any legislative session, and the analysis of the bills provided below were made at various phases of the legislative process. The analysis may not accurately reflect the final status of the bill.
This bill establishes a sliding scale for the levels of monetary assistance for foster caregivers and puts in place penalties for fraud. The TCCB supports this bill which provides greater levels of assistance to foster parents at lower income levels.
This bill moves the Department of Family Services out of the Health and Human Services Commission to function as a stand alone state agency. The TCCB supports this bill which allows for greater efficiency and focus on the needs of families involved in the protective services system.
This bill creates a regional community based foster care system. The TCCB supports this bill which respects the value of regional and local communities in developing local solutions for families involved with the protective services system.
This bill seeks to establish greater parity and access to mental health, and substance abuse treatment. The TCCB supports this bill to provide greater access to mental health and behavioral health treatment.
This bill increases access to mental health resources through school districts (ISDs) and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) by: requiring continuing teacher education on mental health; including mental health classes as part of student curriculum; and requiring ISDs and the TEA to publish a list of best-practice mental health programs. The TCCB supports this comprehensive bill because it would offer increased access to care for vulnerable students.
This bill requires rapid mental evaluation of individuals detained for crimes when law enforcement believes the detainee is mentally ill. This bill also allows judges to place mentally ill convicts into treatment programs if they determine that doing so also ensures public safety. Third, this bill provides for the medical treatment of defendants in custody. Finally, this bill establishes a grant administered by Health and Human Services to reduce the arrest and incarceration of the mentally ill. The TCCB supports this comprehensive bill which improves the treatment of the mentally ill in the criminal justice system.
This bill establishes a state grant that would match donations to organizations providing mental health programs. The TCCB supports this bill to increase mental health services in the community.
This bill establishes a grant, administered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), to develop innovative programs to educate children with autism. The TEA must award grants in a way that reflects the geographic diversity of Texas, and the program is revenue neutral. The TCCB supports this bill because it provides help to at-risk and vulnerable students.
This bill on human trafficking requires a convicted trafficker to register with their local law enforcement or county. The bill also establishes training programs to educate commercial driver's license holders on how to recognize and prevent trafficking. Finally, the bill clarifies that sexual abuse of trafficked minors is a crime, even if the offender did not know the victim's age. The TCCB supports this bill, which seeks to identify and recover victims of trafficking and justly punishes those who engage in the crime.
This bill significantly limits the ability of a local community to control the export of their groundwater to other areas of the state. The TCCB opposes this bill because it violates the principle of subsidiarity.
This bill improves processes to prevent wrongful convictions. The TCCB supports this bill which seeks to provide greater protection against wrongful conviction.
This bill requires the proper burial or cremation of unborn children lost through miscarriage or abortion. The TCCB supports this bill to provide proper respect to the remains of unborn children.
This bill creates a tax credit for businesses who provide tuition assistance for college for persons in low income areas. The TCCB supports this bill which provides greater access to education for families.
This bill allows judges to assign community service to reduce or eliminate fines for low-income offenders. The TCCB supports this bill to show financial mercy and better enable offenders to rehabilitate.
This "anti-sanctuary cities" bill requires local law enforcement to ask immigration status of someone lawfully detained and withholds state funding from entities who do not comply. The TCCB opposes this bill which punishes local entities for not enforcing complex federal law.
This bill prohibits local law enforcement from detention and search based suspicion of immigration violations unless officers are acting at the request of ICE. This sanctuary cities bill exempts hospitals and schools from the requirements that cities or counties may not prohibit employees from verifying the immigration status or reporting an undocumented person to ICE if the person is lawfully detained or under investigation for criminal offense. Prohibits race, color, language or national origin from consideration in enforcement of immigration violations.
This bill repeals the use of the death penalty in Texas while still allowing life without parole. The TCCB supports this bill to end the use of the death penalty.
This bill institutes a six month waiting period for divorce when there is a child under eighteen or still in high school or an adult disabled child living in the household. The TCCB supports this bill to provide more time for counseling and other support to protect marriages.
Note: There is an exemption in the bill for cases of family violence and those under protective orders.
This bill expands public school choice eligibility to all special education students, and then provides them transportation. The TCCB supports this bill which provides greater access to parental choice in education.
This bill allows victim-offender mediation for first time offenders in misdemeanor or state jail felony cases for both juveniles and adults. The TCCB supports this bill which creates new for restorative justice opportunities.
This bill allows for a tax refund or tax credit for businesses who hire employees who are former criminal offenders. The TCCB supports this bill which provides incentives for employers who assist in the entry of former offenders.
This bill repeals the provisions of statute that allow for abortion after 20 weeks if the baby has s severe and irreversible abnormality. The TCCB supports this bill which recognizes the humanity of unborn children with disabilities.
This bill extends parental sick leave rights to parents caring for foster children. The TCCB supports this bill which increases the parental sick leave rights of foster parents.
This bill repeals no fault divorce. The TCCB supports this bill which removes the ability for a spouse to end a marriage without cause.
This "raise the age" bill changes the ages for a juvenile to 18 in order to comply with Supreme Court decisions. The TCC supports this bill to reform juvenile justice processes in Texas.
This "anti-sanctuary cities" bill requires local law enforcement to ask immigration status of someone lawfully detained and withholds state funding from entities who do not comply. The TCCB opposes this bill which punishes local entities for not enforcing complex federal law.
This bill requires monthly electronic abortion reporting by abortion facilities. The TCCB supports this bill which increases the transparency of abortion reporting data.
This "anti-sanctuary cities" bill requires local law enforcement to ask immigration status of someone lawfully detained and withholds state funding from entities who do not comply. The TCCB opposes this bill which punishes local entities for not enforcing complex federal law.
This bill requires monthly electronic abortion reporting by abortion facilities. The TCCB supports this bill which increases the transparency of abortion reporting data.
This bill prohibits the use of the death penalty when the person is convicted solely through the law of parities. The TCCB supports this bill which prevents the use of the death penalty against persons who did not personally commit murder.
This "anti-sanctuary cities" bill requires local law enforcement to ask immigration status of someone lawfully detained and withholds state funding from entities who do not comply. The TCCB opposes this bill which punishes local entities for not enforcing complex federal law.
This bill prohibits cities and counties from establishing local rules or ordinances for entities who have a state license. The TCCB opposes this bill as it violates the principal of subsidiarity and local control.
This bill puts into statute the Basic Allotment amount which was previously only contained in the 2015 General Appropriations Act. The TCCB supports this bill because changes in education funding through the Basic Allotment minimize inequity and inefficiency.
This bill allows for free universal pre-kindergarten for 4-year-old children. The TCCB supports this bill to increase access to pre-kindergarten programs.
This bill requires that payday and auto-title lending loan disclosure be provided in English and Spanish. The TCCB supports this bill as it allows for greater transparency in loan disclosure.
This bill bans partial birth abortion including the creation of a criminal penalty for the physician and a civil cause of action for the father. This bill also prohibits fetal tissue research from abortion victims. The TCCB supports this bill to allow prosecution and penalty for the crime of partial birth abortion and to prevent the sale of the bodies of children lost to the tragedy of abortion.
This bill requires the Texas Workforce Commission to publish a list of employers that have been penalized for wage theft violations for up to three years since the violation. The TCCB supports this bill as a deterrent to wage theft in Texas.
This bill extends criminal penalties to private school personnel engaged in inappropriate relationships with students and creates a state jail felony for concealment of child sexual abuse. The TCCB supports this bill which seeks to create a safer school environment.
This bill requires the Children's Health Insurance Plan to include contraceptive coverage. The TCCB opposes this bill to require access to contraception for children.
This bill allows state funds to be used to pay for child care services for students at risk of dropping out. The TCCB supports this bill to discourage dropouts and provide assistance with child care for teen parents.
This bill requires reporting from jails regarding the implementation of policies for adequate care to pregnant prisoners. The TCC supports this bill to improve care to pregnant women confined in jail.
This bill prohibits a two defendants in a capital cases from being tried together when the death penalty is being sought. The TCCB supports this bill because it recognizes that the law of parties may incriminate people falsely, and because this provides a gradual approach to ending Texas' use of the death penalty.
HB 269
This bill would allow individuals who have been convicted of prostitution to have their records sealed if a court finds that the person was a victim of human trafficking or compelled into prostitution. The TCCB supports this bill because it seeks to restore the dignity of human trafficking victims.
This bill requires that applicants for commercial truck licenses participate in a training class on recognition and reporting of human trafficking. The TCCB supports this bill to increase education to rescue victims of trafficking.
This bill extends the Down Syndrome education act to include awareness and treatment referral information for spina bifida. The TCCB supports this bill to increase parental awareness of resources to assist parents whose children are diagnosed with spina bifida.
This bill establishes a task force to assess the public and private costs of providing humanitarian relief to refugee children. The TCCB supports this bill to better assess and provide for the needs of children seeking asylum.
This bill expands Medicaid coverage to residents eligible for federal matching funds in counties that submit a request for the funding. The TCC supports this bill to provide greater access to healthcare.
This bill prohibits the imposition of the capital punishment upon defendants found guilty of helping another person commit a capital felony. The TCCB supports this bill because we oppose the imposition of the death penalty upon defendants who did not themselves commit a capital offense, and opposes the imposition of capital punishment.
This "anti-sanctuary cities" bill requires local law enforcement to ask immigration status of someone lawfully detained and creates a liability for localities. The TCCB opposes this bill which punishes local entities for not enforcing complex federal law.
This bill allows teens who are pregnant or have children to consent to medical treatment for contraception without their parent's involvement. The TCCB opposes this bill as an erosion of parental rights.
This bill allows additional funding for behavioral health specialists in school districts with more than half of the students are educationally disadvantaged or homeless. The TCCB supports this bill to increase behavioral health services to those in need.
This bill allows a school campus to donate excess food to non-profit organizations to provide food for hungry families. The TCCB supports this bill to feed hungry families.
This bill requires a penalty for wage theft, rather than making it subject to the discretion of the commission examiner. The TCCB supports this bill as a deterrent to wage theft in Texas.
This bill eliminates the Texas DREAM Act which allows resident tuition for undocumented immigrants who completed high school in Texas. The TCCB opposes this bill which reduces access to affordable tuition for tax paying residents of Texas.
This bill prohibits lawsuits for wrongful birth. The TCCB supports this bill which recognizes that all children deserve to be born.
This bill changes the advance directives form to remove a reference to the law's applicability to pregnant women. The TCCB opposes this bill because it decreases transparency.
This bill adds the violation of continuous trafficking of persons to the offenses requiring registration as a sex offender. The TCCB supports this bill to punish traffickers.
This bill expands Medicaid coverage to all people qualified for federal matching funds. The TCCB supports this bill to expand healthcare coverage for low income families.
This bill seeks to fund rural districts based only on student attendance rather than geographic size. The TCCB supports this bill as a step toward a student-centered school finance system.
This bill prohibits refugees from using driver's licenses for employment or public benefits. The TCCB opposes this bill which denies access to benefits that refugees currently have and need to become self-sufficient.
This bill grants immunity from civil liability with respect to any claim that is based on the person's decision to exercise the option to forbid the carrying of handguns by a license holder on the property by providing notice. The TCCB supports this bill to limit liability for businesses who do not post signs prohibiting handguns.
This "anti-sanctuary cities" requires compliance with ICE detainers, preempts local law enforcement policies, and denies state grant funds for cities who do not use local law enforcement for federal enforcement of immigration laws. The TCCB opposes this bill which requires local police to enforce complex federal immigration laws and has the potential to undermine public safety and the well-being of the community.
This bill allows cities and counties to regulate the location of half-way houses including limiting the number of them in a community. The TCCB opposes this bill because it is an obstacle to re-entry and reintegration into society.
This bill directs public school districts to adopt character trait education programs. The TCCB supports this bill to create public school programs that focus on character and values.
This bill requires payday and auto-title lenders to verify a consumer's ability to repay a loan in a reasonable time period before extending a loan. The TCCB supports this bill to ensure that a consumer has the ability to repay a loan.
This bill changes unborn child to embryo or fetus in educational language. The TCCB opposes this bill which seeks to dehumanize unborn children.
This bill requires hospitals to provide sexual assault survivors with emergency contraception. The TCCB opposes this bill which requires hospitals to provide contraception and abortifaciants.
This bill eliminates the Texas DREAM Act which allows resident tuition for undocumented immigrants who completed high school in Texas. The TCCB opposes this bill which reduces access to affordable tuition for tax paying residents of Texas.
This "anti-sanctuary cities" requires compliance with ICE detainers, preempts local law enforcement policies, and denies state grant funds for cities who do not use local law enforcement for federal enforcement of immigration laws. The TCCB opposes this bill which requires local police to enforce complex federal immigration laws and has the potential to undermine public safety and the well-being of the community.
This "anti-sanctuary cities" requires compliance with ICE detainers, preempts local law enforcement policies, and denies state grant funds for cities who do not use local law enforcement for federal enforcement of immigration laws. The TCCB opposes this bill which requires local police to enforce complex federal immigration laws and has the potential to undermine public safety and the well-being of the community.
This "anti-sanctuary cities" bill requires local law enforcement to ask immigration status of someone lawfully detained and withholds state funding from entities who do not comply. The TCCB opposes this bill which punishes local entities for not enforcing complex federal law.
This bill creates civil liability for a local government that releases an immigrant with an ICE detainer if that immigrant commits a felony within four years of release. The TCCB opposes this bill which will result in costs local citizens based on the actions of others.
This bill would deny state funding to local communities for failure to use an E-verify program. The TCCB opposes this bill because the potential economic harm to the state’s economy and local service delivery appears to outweigh the minimal benefits this bill seeks to achieve.
This bill removes in-state tuition for undocumented residents of Texas. The TCCB opposes this bill which prevents access to education for children who are high school graduates from Texas public schools.
This bill puts in place protections to ensure that victims and witnesses of crimes are not inappropriately targeted for immigration violations. The TCCB supports this bill to improve community policing.
This bill allows for patients with a terminal illness to access investigational adult stem cell treatments with physician approval. The TCCB supports this bill to provide research and access to ethically appropriate adult stem cell treatments.
This bill requires the comptroller to compiles an annual comprehensive financial analysis of the impact of undocumented immigrants on the state budget and economy. The TCCB supports this bill because it addresses both the costs and contributions of immigrants to the economy.
This bill allows DFPS to cooperate with non-profits, including faith based organizations, regarding services available in the community. The TCCB supports this bill which increases access to parenting resources and prevents investigations based solely on a request from a parent for a list of community resources.
This bill prohibits payday and auto-title lenders from making telemarketing calls to the general public. The TCCB supports this bill which curbs predatory lending practices.
This "anti-sanctuary cities" requires compliance with ICE detainers, preempts local law enforcement policies, and denies state grant funds for cities who do not use local law enforcement for federal enforcement of immigration laws. The TCCB opposes this bill which requires local police to enforce complex federal immigration laws and has the potential to undermine public safety and the well-being of the community.
This "anti-sanctuary cities" bill requires local law enforcement to ask immigration status of someone lawfully detained and withholds state funding from entities who do not comply. The TCCB opposes this bill which punishes local entities for not enforcing complex federal law.
This bill encourages community collaboration to assist children in foster care in applying for college. The TCCB supports this bill which increases access to education and provides practical assistance to children aging out of foster care.
This bill prohibits payday and auto-title lenders from filing or threatening to file criminal charges for non-payment of a payday or auto-title loan. The TCCB supports this bill which clarifies the prohibition on threats of criminal charges related to payday and auto-title loans.
This "anti-sanctuary cities" requires compliance with ICE detainers, preempts local law enforcement policies, and denies state grant funds for cities who do not use local law enforcement for federal enforcement of immigration laws. The TCCB opposes this bill which requires local police to enforce complex federal immigration laws and has the potential to undermine public safety and the well-being of the community.
This bill adds fetal development to the essential knowledge and skills for health curriculum. The TCCB supports this bill to better educate children about the development of the human person.
This bill prohibits abortion coverage on the health care benefit exchanges and other insurance plans. The TCCB supports this bill to ensure that Texans are not required to fund abortion when they purchase insurance.
This bill adopts statewide the payday and auto-title lending regulations passed in almost 40 cities throughout the state along with strong provisions to limit fees through their inclusion in borrowing limits. The TCC supports this bill as a positive step forward in reforming predatory lending practices.
This bill allows for the cremation of human remains using alkaline hydrolysis. The TCCB opposes this bill because the dehydration of human remains in a vat of chemicals is disrespectful of the human body and does not allow for burial of the body.
This bill creates a school choice corporate tax credit that would enable insurance companies to contribute to a non-profit scholarship for low income students to attend accredited private schools or for public school students to participate in after school care programs. The TCCB supports this bill to increase parental choice in education.
This bill allows for parole after serving 20 actual calendar years for offenders who were under 18 at the time of their offense if they pass a comprehensive mental health evaluation. The TCCB supports this bill which allows for mercy for defendants who were children at the time of the commission of their crimes.
This "anti-sanctuary cities" requires compliance with ICE detainers, preempts local law enforcement policies, and denies state grant funds for cities who do not use local law enforcement for federal enforcement of immigration laws. The TCCB opposes this bill which requires local police to enforce complex federal immigration laws and has the potential to undermine public safety and the well-being of the community.
This bill allows defendants to be released on personal bond without surety if they haven’t been convicted of a violent offense and are pregnant. The TCCB supports this bill, but note that presumptive release should apply to all low-risk offenders, in addition to expectant mothers.
This bill allows unmarried minors who are mothers to consent to medical treatment related to contraception. The TCCB opposes this bill because it interferes in parental rights.
This bill would withhold contracts from businesses who do not use the E-Verify program. The TCCB opposes this bill because the potential economic harm to the state’s economy appears to outweigh the minimal benefits this bill seeks to achieve.
This bill adds business owners with disabilities to the list of people eligible for state contracting preferences as minority owned businesses. The TCCB supports this bill to recognize the dignity of persons with disabilities who seek self-sufficiency by becoming business owners.
This bill repeals the use of the death penalty in Texas while still allowing life without parole. The TCCB supports this bill to end the use of the death penalty.
This bill requires the department of public safety to place foster children in the least restrictive environment. The TCCB supports this bill which ensures that foster children are placed close to their current community in homes that are best able to meet their needs.
This bill allows private schools to implement policies on maintenance, administration, and disposal of epi-pens. The TCCB supports this bill to provide better access to epi-pens for children with severe allergies.
This bill creates an expedited process to place children in voluntary temporary care. The TCCB supports this bill because it provides reasonable temporary placements for children in emergency removal.
This bill increases the personal need allowance for nursing home residents on Medicaid to $75 per month. The TCC supports this bill to allow nursing home residents to increase their personal needs allowance.
This bill establishes a committee to develop a list of public defenders who are qualified to file death penalty appeals. The TCCB supports this bill to seek better qualified counsel for indigent defendants.
This bill establishes a 25% interest rate on payday and auto-title loans. The TCCB supports this bill which will set a reasonable rate for short term loans.
This bill terminates the rights of a parent who has been convicted of sexual assault of the child's other parent. The TCCB supports this bill to protect children from persons convicted of sexual assault.
This bill extends penalties to school personnel engaged in inappropriate relationships with students and creates a criminal offense for concealment of child sexual abuse. This bill also establishes a registry to allow all schools to know when a staff member has been dismissed from another Texas school for abuse. The TCCB supports this bill which seeks to create a safer school environment.
This bill provides protections to ensure that child welfare providers who act based on sincerely held religious beliefs are not discriminated against in grants or ability to provide child welfare services. The TCCB supports this bill to protect the conscience rights of providers.
This bill applies trafficking penalties for perpetrators against children under 14 regardless of whether or not the defendant knew that the child was under 14. The TCCB supports this bill because abuse trafficking of a child under 14 should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
This bill terminates the parental rights of a parent convicted of raping the other parent of the child. The TCCB supports this bill which protects children and parents from sexual predators.
This bill provides conscience protection for people who have a sincerely held religious belief that marriage is between one man and one woman. The TCCB supports this bill to protect religious liberty.
This bill prohibits state and local governments from entering into contracts with abortion providers or affiliates. The TCCB supports this bill to stop local governments from subsidizing abortion providers and affiliates with tax payer supported buildings and programs.
This bill changes the organ donation registry in Texas to presumed consent which requires drivers to opt-out of organ donation rather than opting-in to the registry. The TCCB opposes this bill which violates standard informed consent processes.
This bill includes abortion facilities, birthing centers, and drug treatment programs in agency regulation for adverse actions. The TCCB supports this bill to increase transparency of providers with adverse rulings.
This bill creates incentives to reduce emissions on governmental fleets, including school buses. The TCCB supports this bill to improve air quality in Texas.
This bill requires that payday and auto-title lenders comply with the federal military lending act. The TCCB supports this bill to prevent predatory loans to active duty military.
This bill requires a full investigation of all reports of child abuse and neglect made by a first responder, a school employee, or a physician. The TCCB supports this bill to ensure full investigation of allegations of child abuse or neglect.
This bill requires local law enforcement to work and comply with ICE in the detention and deportation of migrants, but makes no distinction based upon the character of a detainee. If ICE seeks to detain and deport a migrant of good moral character, this bill requires local law enforcement to comply. The TCCB opposes this bill because it is not targeted, proportional, and humane.
This bill creates a pilot program for financial education and savings for foster children who are aging out of care. The TCCB supports this bill to provide practical financial education and support to foster children transitioning to independent living.
This bill requires that CPS case workers receive training in trauma-based care. The TCCB supports this bill to ensure additional trauma training for CPS workers.
This bill improves testing for lead in drinking water in public schools. The TCCB supports this bill ensure that public school students have access to safe, drinkable water.
This bill would allow victims of human trafficking who have been convicted of low-level offenses (theft, possession of controlled substance) to have their records sealed. The TCCB supports this bill because it seeks to restore the dignity of human trafficking victims.
This bill recognizes that confiscation or destruction of identification documents as an action that constitutes force, fraud, or coercion. The TCCB supports this bill which provides greater tools in prosecuting human traffickers.
This bill increases human trafficking enforcement of massage parlors and allows landlords to evict tenants who are using the premises for prostitution or trafficking. The TCCB supports this bill to increase enforcement actions against human traffickers.
This bill requires facilities licensed by the state to display hotline signs for human trafficking. The TCCB supports this bill to increase trafficking victim identification and rescue.
This bill establishes a sex trafficking prevention program in public schools that provides students appropriate information on human trafficking; healthy boundaries for relationships; how to recognize potentially abusive or harmful relationships; and how to avoid high-risk activities. The TCCB supports this bill which would help students recognize and avoid trafficking and report abuse that they encounter.
This bill allows the state to prosecute human trafficking networks by targeting the computer networks and internet sites used in the course of human trafficking. The TCCB supports this bill to allow for more opportunities for the prosecution of human traffickers.
This bill allows deputy county clerks or clerks and deputies in adjacent counties to certify marriage licenses if a county clerk declines to administer the oath on the license. The TCCB supports this bill to provide greater conscience protections for clerks.
This bill requires the TCEQ to make environmental and water use permit applications available online. The TCCB supports this bill which enhances public participation in the protection of the environment.
This bill increases the penalties for coerced or forced abortion by a human trafficker and requires increased trafficking signage in abortion facilities. The TCCB supports this bill to better rescue trafficked victims and punish traffickers.
This bill prohibits governmental entities from requiring wedding industry professionals (bakers, caterers, photographers, etc.) from providing services in a way that violates their sincerely held religious beliefs. The TCCB supports this bill to secure religious freedom and conscience protections.
This bill establishes that a physician or health care provider may not be held civilly or criminally liable solely because of the physician's or health care provider's conscientious refusal of a health care service. This bill also requires healthcare facilities to establish conscientious refusal protocol that facilitates the patient's healthcare service. The TCCB supports this bill to secure conscience protections.
This bill requires abortion complications to be reported by health care facilities with the highest level of specificity. The TCCB supports this bill which will produce more accurate abortion complication data for sound policy decisions.
This bill removes directives that require judges and attorneys to lie to jurors about the level of unanimity required for a death sentence. The TCCB supports this bill which will improve the rights of jurists serving in death penalty sentencing cases.
This bill expands a grant program to include projects that reduce emissions, recover or prevent loss of natural resources, or recover waster to generate power. The TCCB supports this bill to reduce pollution, increase renewable energy, and reduce waste.
This bill prohibits the use of the death penalty on people who were severely mentally ill at the time of their crime. The TCCB supports this bill which reduces the use of the death penalty in Texas.
This bill prevents local municipalities from regulating payday and auto-title lenders. The TCCB oppose this bill which prohibits local subsidiarity and undermines the city ordinances that the bishops helped to pass in 43 cities.
This bill requires the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to improve early intervention services by identifying geographic areas with the greatest need. The bill also requires that DFPS and the Higher Education Coordinating Board enter into agreements with colleges and universities in order to study and report on DFPS' geographic analysis. The TCCB supports this bill because it establishes an effective program to help at-risk children before they are placed into the foster care system.
This bill requires the Department of Family and Protective Services identify the five zip codes with the highest number of at-risk families, and provide increased services to ensure family preservation or achieve family reunification. Families in the zip codes will be prioritized if they have a history of abuse or neglect. The TCCB supports this bill because it establishes an effective method to help at-risk children before they are placed into the foster care system.
This bill requires the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to maintain investigators to respond to after-hours reports of child abuse. The bill also requires DFPS to offer care for caseworkers who incur trauma through exposure to tragic and stressful situations. Finally, this bill requires DFPS to develop and implement a caseload management system that: ensures equity in caseload among workers; includes geographic case assignment to effectively serve high-risk areas; and anticipates vacancies in locations with high turnover. The TCCB supports this bill because it provides an effective means to aid abused children and the caseworkers who minister to them.
This bill extends benefits to patients with disabilities. The TCCB supports this bill to provide critical services to people with disabilities.
Current law (TGC 508.050) requires that the Board of Pardons and Paroles provide guidance to the Governor when he considers pardoning convicts or lessening their punishment. This bill requires that the Board's report be public, and that their investigation be more detailed in consideration of facts. The TCCB strongly supports this bill because it fulfills the requirements of both justice and mercy for prisoners who seek redemption.
This bill allows school boards to establish before and after school care programs. The TCCB supports this bill which creates new opportunities for quality and safe before and after school care in public school.
This bill prohibits state and local governments from entering into contracts with payday lenders or their affiliates. The TCCB supports this bill to stop local governments from subsidizing payday lenders and affiliates with tax payer supported buildings and programs.
Under current law, assault is a Class A misdemeanor. (TPC 22.01(b)) However, assault is considered a 3rd degree felony when the offense is committed against certain groups, such as police, firefighters, paramedics, and family members. Under this bill, if the perpetrator knew or should have known that the assault victim is pregnant, the crime is a 3rd degree felony. The TCCB supports this bill because it recognizes the increased injustice of assault on a mother and her unborn child.
This bill would establish a $300,000 grant program administered by the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and the Governor with the goal of awarding grants to faith-based community programs that improve foster care and collaborate with DFPS. The TCCB supports this bill because it provides an additional program by which Catholic Charities will be able to minister to foster children.
This bill would establish a $300,000 grant program administered by the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) with the goal of awarding grants to faith-based community programs that improve foster care. The TCCB supports this bill because it provides an additional program by which faith-based ministries will be able to minister to foster children.
This bill prohibits a county from fining a person for an action or omission that reflects a sincerely held religious belief. The TCCB supports this bill to provide clear protection of religious liberty.
This bill establishes a registry of programs that improve irrigation and provide incentives for water conservation. The TCCB supports this bill to protect and maintain access to water.
This bill extends criminal penalties to private school personnel engaged in inappropriate relationships with students and creates a state jail felony for concealment of child sexual abuse. The TCCB supports this bill which seeks to create a safer school environment.
This bill provides conscience protections to ensure that child welfare providers who act based on sincerely held religious beliefs are not discriminated against in grants or ability to provide child welfare services. The TCCB supports this bill to ensure the that religious providers have the freedom to serve children in line with our mission based values.
This bill directs DFPS to license and reimburse group homes for victims of human trafficking. The TCCB supports this bill which increases opportunities to provide restoration services to victims of human trafficking.
This bill requires DFPS to provide monetary assistance for day care regardless of the total number of hours the foster parents work. The TCCB supports this bill to end discrimination against part-time day care assistance for foster parents who may not have additional work outside of the home.
This bill interferes in local ordinances to regulate payday and auto-title lenders. The Bishops oppose this bill which interferes in local subsidiarity and undermines the city ordinances that the Bishops helped to pass in 43 cities.
This bill creates a school choice corporate tax credit that would enable insurance and alcohol companies to contribute to a non-profit scholarship for low income students to attend accredited private schools or for public school students to participate in after school care programs. The TCCB supports this bill to increase parental choice in education.
Under current law (TEC 28.004), trustees of a school district must maintain an advisory council to offer guidance on health education. Under this bill, the entire council must be appointed by the trustees; the council's quarterly meeting notes must be made public; and the content of proposed sex-ed must be communicated to parents. In addition, this bill prohibits districts from distributing contraception to students. The TCCB supports this bill because it recognizes that the state's proper role in education is one of support for parents.
This bill requires DFPS to develop a waiver process for annual training requirements for verified foster parents. The TCCB supports this bill to provide greater flexibility which could increase the pool of foster parents.
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that prohibits state funding for a voucher program to pay for any part of a student's attendance at a private school. The TCCB opposes this bill which limits opportunities for parental choice in education.
This "anti-sanctuary cities" requires compliance with ICE detainers, preempts local law enforcement policies, and denies state grant funds for cities who do not use local law enforcement for federal enforcement of immigration laws. The TCCB opposes this bill which requires local police to enforce complex federal immigration laws and has the potential to undermine public safety and the well-being of the community.
This bill extends criminal penalties to private school personnel engaged in inappropriate relationships with students and creates a state jail felony for concealment of child sexual abuse. The TCCB supports this bill which seeks to create a safer school environment.
HB 4253/HB 4255
This bill requires DFPS to develop a waiver process for annual training requirements for verified foster parents. The TCCB supports this bill to provide greater flexibility which could increase the pool of foster parents.
This bill bans partial birth abortion including the creation of a criminal penalty for the physician and a civil cause of action for the father. This bill also prohibits fetal tissue research from abortion victims. The TCCB supports this bill to allow prosecution and penalty for the crime of partial birth abortion and to prevent the sale of the bodies of children lost to the tragedy of abortion.
This bill creates a grant program for law enforcement agencies to provide bullet-proof vests to officers. The TCCB supports this bill to increase safety for community servants.
This bill prohibits abortion coverage on the health care benefit exchanges and other insurance plans. The TCCB supports this bill to ensure that Texans are not required to fund abortion when they purchase insurance.
This bill prohibits lawsuits for wrongful birth. The TCCB supports this bill which recognizes that all children deserve to be born.
This bill allows for free universal pre-kindergarten for 4-year-old children. The TCCB supports this bill to increase access to pre-kindergarten programs.
This bill extends eligibility for Medicaid from six months to one year. The TCCB supports this bill to increase healthcare coverage for children.
This bill terminates the rights of a parent who has been convicted of sexual assault of the child's other parent. The TCCB supports this bill to protect children from persons convicted of sexual assault.
This bill requires the use of E-verify for state contractors and grant recipients and authorizes suspension of licenses by private employers who hire undocumented workers. The TCCB opposes this bill because of the high error rate of the E-verify program.
This bill requires that applicants for commercial truck licenses participate in a training class on recognition and reporting of human trafficking. The TCCB supports this bill to increase education to rescue victims of trafficking.
This bill includes abortion facilities, birthing centers, and drug treatment programs in agency regulation for adverse actions. The TCCB supports this bill to increase transparency of providers with adverse rulings.
This bill requires eligibility for federal financial aid in order to receive TEXAS grants for state financial aid. The TCCB opposes this bill because it penalizes tax-paying Texas residents.
This bill changes Texas statue recognizing marriage as between one man and one woman to between two individuals regardless of gender. This TCCB opposes this bill which codifies same sex unions as marriage in Texas law.
This bill requires the Children's Health Insurance Plan to include contraceptive coverage. The TCCB opposes this bill to require access to contraception for children.
This bill allows teens who are pregnant or have children to consent to medical treatment for contraception without their parent's involvement. The TCCB opposes this bill as an erosion of parental rights.
This bill increases the immigration law, use of force, and cultural sensitivity training requirements for all forces assigned to patrol the border. The TCCB supports this bill to improve law enforcement training for those serving the Texas border region.
This bill puts in place protections to ensure that victims and witnesses of crimes are not inappropriately targeted for immigration violations. The TCCB supports this bill to improve community policing.
This bill prevents to execution of persons with an IQ below 75. The TCCB supports this bill to protect people with intellectual disabilities from execution.
This bill would withhold contracts from businesses which could delay the state’s construction projects and delay revenue that would have been generated through the projects. The TCCB opposes this bill because the potential economic harm to the state’s economy appears to outweigh the minimal benefits this bill seeks to achieve.
This bill improves identity protections for stalked and trafficked victims. The TCCB supports this bill to assist victims with recovery.
This bill prohibits retaliation by employers for employees who seek unpaid wages and extends the time to recover unpaid wages to two years. The TCCB supports this bill to prevent wage theft and retaliation for workers seeking recovery of wage theft.
This bill directs the department of family and protective services to collaborate with local agencies to assist foster care youth in obtaining high school diplomas and access to career and college guidance. The TCCB supports this bill to improve support services to children aging out of foster care.
This bill allows religious liberty protections for county employees related to granting marriage licenses. The TCCB supports this bill which grants conscience protections for county employees who object to same sex marriage.
Under current law (TGC 508.145), convicts are not eligible for parole if they: committed a capital offense; are serving life without parole; or sexually abused a young child. Under this bill, convicts would also not be eligible for parole if they traffic a child with intent to force the victim into labor or sexual abuse. The TCCB supports this bill because it maintains justice for the commission of an egregious crime which disregards the personal dignity of victims.
This bill creates a school choice corporate tax credit that would enable insurance companies to contribute to a non-profit scholarship for low income students to attend accredited private schools or for public school students to participate in after school care programs. The TCCB supports this bill to increase parental choice in education.
This bill allows for parole after serving 20 actual calendar years for offenders who were under 18 at the time of their offense if they pass a comprehensive mental health evaluation. The TCCB supports this bill which allows for mercy for defendants who were children at the time of the commission of their crimes.
This bill allows private schools to implement policies on maintenance, administration, and disposal of epi-pens. The TCCB supports this bill to provide better access to epi-pens for children with severe allergies.
This bill limits the release of prisoners to daylight hours without the permission of the prisoner to be released after hours. The TCCB support this bill which better facilitates healthy re-entry into society.
This bill abolishes the death penalty. The TCCB supports this bill to end the use of the death penalty in Texas.
Under current law (TEC 29.201), children assigned to schools with several years of poor performance must allow these students to transfer to a different school or school district. According to the Texas Education Agency's 2015 data, there were 1,532 poorly-performing schools enrolling 930,132 students; this represents 18 percent of statewide enrollment. By 2014, 2,217 students enrolled in this transfer program. This bill provides transportation funding to allow greater access to the transfer program. The TCCB supports this bill because the state's proper role in education is one of support for parents.
This bill requires the posting of signs in restrooms of sexually oriented businesses that provide the anti-trafficking hotline number. The TCCB supports this bill as one step to identify, rescue, and restore victims of human trafficking.
This bill prohibits state and local governments from entering into contracts with payday lenders or their affiliates. The TCCB supports this bill to stop local governments from subsidizing payday lenders and affiliates with tax payer supported buildings and programs.
This bill prohibits state and local governments from entering into contracts with abortion providers or affiliates. The TCCB supports this bill to stop local governments from subsidizing abortion providers and affiliates with tax payer supported buildings and programs.
This bill seeks to establish greater parity and access to mental health, and substance abuse treatment. The TCCB supports this bill to provide greater access to mental health and behavioral health treatment.
This bill expands access to insurance for serve mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, and serve emotional distress of a child. The TCCB supports this bill to increase access to healthcare coverage for mental health issues.
This bill improves reporting requirements for complications of abortion. The TCCB supports this bill to provide greater transparency and public data regarding abortion complications.
This bill provides protections to ensure that child welfare providers who act based on sincerely held religious beliefs are not discriminated against in grants or ability to provide child welfare services. The TCCB supports this bill to protect the conscience rights of providers.
This bill provides conscience protection for people who have a sincerely held religious belief that marriage is between one man and one woman. The TCCB supports this bill to protect religious liberty.
This bill requires judges to determine lawful immigration status of individuals on trial for violent offenses. If the convict is an unlawful migrant, punishment for the offense is increased and the convict cannot be released for parole without the guarantee of deportation by federal authorities. The TCCB supports this bill because it is targeted, proportional, and humane.
This bill removes directives that require judges and attorneys to lie to jurors about the level of unanimity required for a death sentence. The TCCB supports this bill which will improve the rights of jurists serving in death penalty sentencing cases.
This bill allows parents to request a copy of human sexuality curriculum in public schools and to refuse to consent for their student to participate. The TCCB supports this bill which allows for greater parental involvement in human sexuality education.
This bill extends benefits to patients with disabilities. The TCCB supports this bill to provide critical services to people with disabilities.
These bills includes payday and auto-title fees in the interest calculation for the purpose of determining usury if the loan is unsecured or if the proceeds are used for personal, family, or household expenses. The TCCB supports these bills to reduce fees leaving families in a cycle of debt.
This bill sets aside the conviction of a victim of human trafficking if their offense occurred while they were trafficked. The TCCB supports this bill which promotes recovery for trafficking victims.
This bill removes provisions in current law that are designed to balance patient rights and healthcare provider conscience rights when family members request treatment that healthcare professionals determine to be inappropriate. The TCCB opposes this effort to replace a balanced process with a process that violates Catholic teaching on patient and provider autonomy.
This bill would establish a driver's permit program for individuals who have: resided in Texas for one year; are unlawful migrants; and have not be convicted of a felony. The TCCB supports this bill as a part of comprehensive immigration reform, which addresses enforcement and admittance.
This bill increases the penalties for coerced or forced abortion by a human trafficker and requires increased trafficking signage in abortion facilities. The TCCB supports this bill to better rescue trafficked victims and punish traffickers.
Under this bill, individuals convicted of specific offenses can have their record sealed by the courts if they committed the offense solely because they were a victim of human trafficking. The offenses include: possession of small amounts of marijuana; prostitution; and low-level theft. The TCCB supports this bill because it aids recovery from an egregious offense.
This bill seeks to prohibit local cities from establishing payday and auto-title lending regulations. The TCCB opposes this bill because it violates the Catholic principle of subsidiarity.
This bill would allow the Office of State-Federal Relations to establish a guest worker program for migrants who seek temporary work in Texas. Among other things, migrants would need to pass a background check; receive employer health insurance; and apply for public entitlement assistance under a guest worker status. The TCCB supports this bill which is a critical part of comprehensive immigration reform, which we have consistently supported before state legislators.
This bill requires increased public participation and mitigation efforts for applicants for environmental permits in areas that are majority low income or racial minorities. The TCCB supports this bill which exercises a preferential option for the poor in seeking to prevent environmental injustice.
This bill requires abortion complications to be reported by health care facilities with the highest level of specificity. The TCCB supports this bill which will produce more accurate abortion complication data for sound policy decisions.
This bill repeals the contested case hearing process for environmental quality permits. The TCCB opposes this bill because it limits the community's ability to protect health in light of potential environmental hazards.
This bill establishes a unit within the Department of Public Safety (DPS) which would investigate and combat human trafficking and implement a public outreach campaign on this issue. The TCCB supports this bill which seeks to punish and prevent an egregious crime.
This bill allows foster parents to make educational choices related to special education. The TCCB supports this bill to make educational decision making for special needs foster children more efficient.
This bill directs DSHS to consider providing dental services to adults with disabilities. The TCCB supports this bill to provide the opportunity for better dental care for low income persons with disabilities.
This bill creates a pilot program for self-sufficiency for families receiving TANF. The TCCB supports this bill as a positive strategy to bring families out of poverty and into self-sufficiency.
This bill establishes a commission to study and recommend improvements to the school finance system. In particular, the commission would study the purpose of the system; the relationship of state and local funding; the proper level of tax effort; and adjustments to reflect current student demographics. The TCCB supports this bill as a first step to reforming school finance in a manner that is equitable for students and increases parental involvement.
This bill establishes that a suit may be filed by a state-licensed business in district court against a municipal regulation if the municipal regulation is more burdensome than the state regulation, or the municipal regulation would result in an adverse economic impact on the business. The TCCB opposes this bill, as it unravels years of work by local communities to regulate payday and auto title lending.
This bill prohibits bail for undocumented immigrants being detailed for felonies. The TCCB opposes this bill because it requires criminal judges to rule on immigration status without proper training in federal immigration law.
This bill repeals the constitutional amendment limiting marriage to one man and one woman. The TCCB opposes this bill because the sexual difference between male and female is essential for marriage.
This resolution seeks to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. The TCCB opposes this bill because it sends a message to children and young people that drug use is socially and morally acceptable.
HB 1766