Week In Review
The Governor's executive order lifting most COVID-19 restrictions took effect this week. In the Legislature, lawmakers filed bills ahead of the constitutional filing deadline on Friday, and House Speaker Dade Phelan announced priorities for state electric grid reform following Winter Storm Uri.

Speaker Phelan Unveils Electric Grid Priorities
House Speaker Phelan unveiled priority legislation to address the electric grid and problems exposed by Winter Storm Uri. Seven separate bills will be filed with reforms ranging from consumer protections to improving electric grid resiliency. 

• House Bill 10 by Representative Chris Paddie (R-Marshall) restructures the ERCOT board, replacing the unaffiliated members with members appointed by the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Speaker of the House. HB 10 also requires all board members to reside in the state of Texas and creates an additional ERCOT board member slot to represent consumer interests.
• House Bill 11 by Representative Paddie requires electric transmission and generation facilities in this state to be weatherized against the spectrum of extreme weather Texas may face. Utilities will be required to reconnect service as soon as possible and prevent slower reconnections for low-income areas, rural Texas, and small communities.
• House Bill 12 by Representative Richard Raymond (D-Laredo) creates a statewide disaster alert system administered by Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to alert Texans across the state about impending disasters and extreme weather events. The alerts will also provide targeted information on extended power outages to the state's regions most affected. This system builds off the model used in Amber, Silver, and Blue Alert systems.
• House Bill 13 by Representative Paddie establishes a council composed of ERCOT, Public Utility Commission of Texas, Railroad Commission, and TDEM leaders to coordinate during a disaster. The committee will identify challenges with fuel supplies, repairs, energy operations and prevent service interruptions from the wellhead to the consumer.
• House Bill 14 by Representative Craig Goldman (R-Fort Worth) requires the Railroad Commission to adopt rules requiring gas pipeline operators to implement measures that ensure service quality and reliability during an extreme weather emergency, which covers winter and heat wave conditions.
• House Bill 16 by Representative Ana Hernandez (D-Houston) bans variable rate products like Griddy for residential customers. These types of speculative plans resulted exorbitant bills. This bill will provide consumer protection to residential customers while still allowing the competitive market to flourish.
• House Bill 17 by Representative Joe Deshotel (D-Beaumont) prevents any political subdivision or planning authority from adopting or enforcing an ordinance, regulation, code, or policy that would prohibit the connection of residential or commercial buildings to specific infrastructure based on the type or source of energy that will be delivered to the end user.

Key Business Issues
The deadline to file legislation is Friday, March 12. The following bills have been filed to address some of the most important business issues: 

Education and Workforce Development

• Public Education - Both chamber's budget proposals fully fund the investments made to public education in 2019.
• Digital Divide - House Bill 5 by Representative Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin) and Senate Bill 5 by Senator Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville) are priority bills expected to garner strong support.
• Workforce Development - House Bill 1247 by Representative JM Lozano (R-Kingsville) increases coordination between business and government. Senator Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) filed Senate Bill 1184 relating to Texas's future workforce pipeline. Senate Bill 1102 by Senator Brandon Creighton (R - Conroe) establishes the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Initiative. 

Health Care

• House Bill 4 by Representative Four Price (R-Amarillo) and Senate Bill 412 by Senator Dawn Buckingham (R-Lakeway) expands telemedicine, telehealth and technology-related health care services.

Energy

• The Partnership is working with the University of Houston for funding in Senate Bill 1 to establish a new carbon management research hub in Houston.
• House Bill 1284 by Representative Chris Paddie (R-Marshall) and Senate Bill 450 by Senator Kelly Hancock (R-North Richland Hills) establishes the regulatory framework to facilitate the development of underground carbon injection and long term storage.
• Eminent Domain - House Bill 902 by Representative DeWayne Burns (R-Cleburne) is being negotiated by industry and landowners.

Other Issues

• Flood Resilience - Senator Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood) and Representative Dennis Paul (R-Houston) have each filed multiple bills to establish a financing plan and local sponsor for the coastal barrier project. Those bills are Senate Bill 1160, Senate Bill 1222, House Bill 2390 and House Bill 3029.
• Economic Development - House Bill 1556 by Representative Jim Murphy (R-Houston) and Senate Bill 1255 by Senator Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury) extend the Chapter 313 economic development program.
• Transportation - Both chamber's budget proposals maintain transportation funding at the current levels.
• COVID Legal Liability Protections - House Bill 3 by Representative Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) provides legal protections for businesses. Senator Hancock has authored Senate Bill 6. Governor Abbott has expressed his support for the issue.

Learn more about the Partnership’s Executive Priorities.