Senate Committee on Local Government reports a string of bills to the full Senate; many placed on local uncontested calendar

The Senate Committee on Local Government on Oct. 12 reported a series of bills to the full Senate, adopting committee substitutes for multiple measures and recommending several for the local and uncontested calendar.

The actions were procedural: the committee adopted committee substitutes where noted, voted on whether to report bills to the full Senate with recommendations (most “do pass” for the committee substitute), and recommended several measures for placement on the local and uncontested calendar.

Why it matters: forwarding bills with a committee recommendation and placing measures on the local and uncontested calendar moves them closer to final Senate consideration while signaling the committee’s assessment. Several measures involve municipal land and appraisal matters that affect local governments and property owners.

Votes at a glance

- Senate Bill 434 — Reported with a recommendation that it do pass (committee vote recorded as 5 ayes, 0 nays). Recommended for the local, noncontested calendar. (Description: not specified in the hearing record.)

- Senate Bill 1,177 (committee substitute adopted) — Committee substitute reported to the full Senate as a recommendation that it do pass (committee vote recorded as 5 ayes, 0 nays). Recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. (Description: not specified.)

- Senate Bill 1,214 — Reported with recommendation that it do pass (committee vote recorded as 5 ayes, 0 nays). Recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. (Description: not specified.)

- Senate Bill 1,579 (committee substitute adopted) — Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass (committee vote recorded as 5 ayes, 0 nays). Recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. (Related to appointment of a receiver and sale/acquisition of certain abandoned, unoccupied and undeveloped parcels; description in committee hearing: summary provided by sponsor).

- Senate Bill 1,920 (committee substitute adopted) — Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass (committee vote recorded as 5 ayes, 0 nays). Recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. (This bill concerns property tax exemptions for certain cemetery parcels; see separate article.)

- Senate Bill 1,951 — Reported with recommendation that it do pass (committee vote recorded as 4 ayes, 1 nay). (Description: not specified.)

- Senate Bill 2,046 — Reported with recommendation that it do pass (committee vote recorded as 4 ayes, 1 nay). (Description: not specified.)

- Senate Bill 2,068 (committee substitute adopted) — Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with recommendation that it do pass (committee vote recorded as 5 ayes, 0 nays). Recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. (Description: not specified.)

- Senate Bill 2,183 — Reported with recommendation that it do pass (committee vote recorded as 4 ayes, 1 nay). (Description: not specified.)

- Senate Bill 3,034 (committee substitute adopted) — Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with recommendation that it do pass (committee vote recorded as 5 ayes, 0 nays). Recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. (Sponsor summary: aligns bill language with current transportation statutes and references the Doug Pickock Aggie Expressway as the future location.)

- Senate Bill 8,44 (committee substitute adopted) — Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with recommendation that it do pass (committee vote recorded as 4 ayes, 1 nay). (Description: not specified.)

The committee’s roll-call responses—where recorded—are reflected above. Several motions adopted committee substitutes at the hearing; where the record names a committee substitute being laid out and adopted, the committee then voted to report that substitute to the full Senate.