|
|
|
TTIA Legislative Update
|
June 24, 2015
|
|
|
|
|
Conclusion of Legislative Activity
The following highlights are provided to you as a synopsis of TTIA's efforts during this past legislative session. The period of possible legislative activity ended this past Sunday, June, 21, 2015, the date the Texas Constitution stipulates is the last day the governor can sign, veto or allow bills to become law without signature. Section 14, Article IV, Texas Constitution states every bill which passed both houses of the Legislature shall be presented to the Governor for approval. Sunday, June, 21, 2015, is the 20th day following final adjournment of the Regular Session. The following represents bill statistics as of June 21, 2015:
|
|
House and Senate Bills
| |
Filed
|
6,276
| |
Sent to the Governor
|
1,323
| |
Signed by the Governor
|
1,118
| |
Vetoed by the Governor
|
41
| |
Filed without the Governor's signature
|
162
| |
House and Senate Joint Resolutions
| |
Filed
|
200
| |
Filed with the Secretary of State
|
7
| |
House and Senate Concurrent Resolutions
| |
Filed
|
174
| |
Filed with the Secretary of State
|
15
| |
Sent to the Governor
|
85
| |
Signed by the Governor
|
84
| |
Vetoed by the Governor
|
1
|
TTIA's 84th Legislative Session Activity TTIA's legislative activity incorporated many grassroots efforts including TTIA members locally contacting their elected officials, TTIA members testifying before Senate and House committees, TTIA members providing data to support efforts to defeat harmful bills, TTIA members meeting with Senators, Representatives, the Lieutenant Governor and his key staff, the Speaker and his key staff, and the Governor's key staff, as well as TTIA staff working with our fellow travel industries associations. The final bill list for the bills mentioned in this update can be accessed here: TTIA 84th Regular Session Final Bill List. |
|
MAINTAIN THE SCHOOL START DATE LAW (4TH MONDAY IN AUGUST)
- No Senate or House school start date bill (4 Senate, 6 House) received a hearing
- A House bill was rewritten to exclude a referendum on the school start date
- An attempt to amend a House bill to include a waiver to the school start date was defeated on the Senate floor - 5 Senators, including the Chairman of the Senate Education committee, stood to oppose the measure
SUPPORT REASONABLE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE POLICIES THAT IMPACT THE TEXAS TRAVEL INDUSTRY
- Successfully supported new funding for transportation infrastructure (Move Texas Forward coalition)
PRESERVE THE EVENT TRUST FUNDS
- 10 events and 8 organizational sites were added to eligibility for the event trust fund program
- Defeated efforts to add audits and sunset date on event trust fund program
- Successfully defeated efforts to eliminate and/or curtail use of the event trust fund program
PRESERVE FULL FUNDING FOR TEXAS TOURISM
- Successfully supported efforts to ensure full funding for the governor's tourism division
PRESERVE STATE FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS THAT BENEFIT TRAVEL AND TOURISM AT THE TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT (TP&WD), TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION (THC), TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (TXDOT), AND TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS (TCA)
- Successfully supported efforts to dedicate sporting good sales tax revenues to Parks & Wildlife and the Historical Commission
- Successfully added a representative from the travel and tourism industry to the Alamo Preservation Advisory Board
- Supported efforts to nominate San Antonio's Spanish colonial missions as a World Heritage site
- Supported efforts to urge the U.S. Congress to designate the Chisholm Trail and the Great Western Trail as National Historic Trails.
PREVENT UNFAIR TAXES, REDIRECTION OF DEDICATED FUNDS & UNREASONABLE REGULATIONS ON THE TEXAS TRAVEL INDUSTRY
PREVENT UNFAIR TAXES
- Successfully opposed efforts to impose new rules and fees on import/export businesses
- successfully opposed efforts to impose new rules on residential short-term rental units
REDIRECTION OF DEDICATED FUNDS
- Successfully supported efforts to dedicate sporting good sales tax revenues to Parks & Wildlife and the Historical Commission
UNREASONABLE REGULATIONS
- successfully opposed efforts to make merchants directly liable for fraudulent use of gift cards
- successfully opposed efforts to increase regulation on lifeguard training for private pools
- successfully opposed efforts to permit DSHS to prohibit swim-up bars to serve food or drinks
- successfully opposed expanding the exemption for CHL holders to carry on private property
- successfully opposed creation of a new taxing/bond issuing entity along the San Marcos River
- successfully opposed efforts to impose state and local minimum wage
- successfully defeated efforts to memorialize travel marketing program
|
|
HB 2968 Bill Signing Ceremony
TTIA worked to ensure HB 2968 included an appointed designee representing the combined local travel & tourism industry and the businesses & landholders from the area immediately surrounding the Alamo complex to the Alamo Preservation Advisory Board.
The Alamo Preservation Advisory Board was created in 2011 to promote the development of a world-class site, including providing educational and museum facilities, in order to educate visitors on the history and importance of the Alamo in this state's fight for independence and to honor the people who lost their lives at the Alamo.
|
| | Those participating in the bill signing ceremony included Governor Greg Abbott (foreground), L to R, Representative Ryan Guillen, Mr. Ben Wright, Chief of Staff Rep. Guillen, Mr. Homero Lucero, TTIA Sr. VP for Govt Affairs and Senator Jose Menendez. |
Constitutional Amendments: November 3, 2015 Ballot
TTIA, as part of the Move Texas Forward coalition, assisted in the passage of SJR 5 (Proposition 7) which if approved by Texas voters will dedicate general sales tax revenue to the state highway fund as well as sales tax revenue from motor vehicle sales and rentals.
The seven constitutional amendments will appear on the November 3rd ballot, the amendments range in subject, but include: increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from taxation for public school purposes from $15,000 to $25,000; recognizing the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife subject to wildlife conservation laws; and, permitting professional sports team charitable foundations to conduct charitable raffles. Below is the ballot order and approved language for the seven proposed amendments:
Proposition 1 - SJR 1
"The constitutional amendment increasing the amount of the residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation for public school purposes from $15,000 to $25,000, providing for a reduction of the limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that may be imposed for those purposes on the homestead of an elderly or disabled person to reflect the increased exemption amount, authorizing the legislature to prohibit a political subdivision that has adopted an optional residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation from reducing the amount of or repealing the exemption, and prohibiting the enactment of a law that imposes a transfer tax on a transaction that conveys fee simple title to real property."
Proposition 2 - HJR 75
"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a 100 percent or totally disabled veteran who died before the law authorizing a residence homestead exemption for such a veteran took effect."
Proposition 3 - SJR 52
"The constitutional amendment repealing the requirement that state officers elected by voters statewide reside in the state capital."
Proposition 4 - HJR 73
"The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to permit professional sports team charitable foundations to conduct charitable raffles."
Proposition 5 - SJR 17
"The constitutional amendment to authorize counties with a population of 7,500 or less to perform private road construction and maintenance."
Proposition 6 - SJR 22
"The constitutional amendment recognizing the right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife subject to laws that promote wildlife conservation."
Proposition 7 - SJR 5
"The constitutional amendment dedicating certain sales and use tax revenue and motor vehicle sales, use, and rental tax revenue to the state highway fund to provide funding for nontolled roads and the reduction of certain transportation-related debt."
|
If you have questions about any of the information contained in this TTIA Legislative Update, please contact Homero Lucero, Sr. VP, Government Relations at homerol@ttia.org or 512-328-8842 x104
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
