It’s amazing to read the previous week’s report and compare it to what really happened. What should have been a relatively quiet and routine week turned into a nightmare. We need to keep focused on our legislative program even though we’ve got a fight on our hands with HB3390.
This coming week, the only bill that is set for hearing is SB 1007 by Hegar. This is the Sunset Bill for the State Board of Insurance which includes the State Fire Marshals Office. This bill has passed the Senate and is set for hearing on April 28 in the House Insurance Committee. This bill should pass without any problems.
In other action from last week:
The BIG item is the surprise substitute by Rep. Harper Brown for HB 3390 in Urban Affairs Committee. This substitute creates MANDATORY REGULATION FOR VOLUNTEERS. This thing has to be amended on the House floor. Call your Representative and get everybody else you know to call their Representative and urge them to support a floor amendment to remove Sections 17 and 28 from CSHB 3390 when it comes to the floor. This is serious. We have to have united support from the volunteer service to keep this thing from passing. The Senate companion to this thing is SB 1011. It has passed the Senate and has been sent to the House. It is a good bill. It has been referred to Urban Affairs. No hearing set yet.
HB 387 (Pena), HB 606 (Farabee) and HB 794 (Phil King) which are our fuel tax exemption bills were left pending in Ways and Means as was HB 2716 by Bolton which adds emergency services districts to the list of fuel tax exemption entities.
HB 2737 allowing for the sale of used, surplus or slavage property by and ESD to a VFD was reported favorably from County Affairs and sent to Local and Consent Calendar
HB 1913 by McReynolds—Clean up bill for black hydrants was reported favorably as substituted from Urban Affairs
Bill Status—not in any particular order:
SB 254 by Estes—Fuel tax exemption—Passed Senate—Sent to House
SB 1007 by Hegar—This is the Sunset Bill for the State Board of Insurance which includes the State Fire Marshals Office. Passed the Senate and sent to the House Insurance Committee. Hearing scheduled for April 28.
HB 2914 by McReynolds—This bill establishes a fuel mitigation pilot grant program for fire departments. Passed House..Sent to Senate
HB 1146 by Anchia—Applies to working hours of paid firefighters in cities of one million or more population. It has no effect on most firefighters.Reported favorably by House Urban Affairs Committee
HB 3960 by McReynolds—ensures that Workman’s Compensation Insurance if carried on a volunteer or employee of an emergency services organization Is in effect while that person is responding to an emergency. Left pending in Business and Industry
HB 1587 by Rose—This bill allows for voluntary marking of out of service fire hydrants. This bill was scheduled for hearing in Urban Affairs on April 8, but was not heard. Rep. Rose has said he will pull this bill. SFFMA is opposed to this bill
HB 3477 by Bolton—allows for an emergency services district to impose an advalorem tax for acquiring land, equipment or construction - Left pending in Ways and Means
HB 2737 by Bolton—allows the sale of used, surplus or salvage property by an ESD to a VFD. Reported Favorably from County Affairs. Sent to local and consent calendars
HB 387, HB 606, HB 797 by Pena, Farabee, King—Fuel tax exemption. All left pending in Ways and Means
HB 4002 by McReynolds) Wildfire Protection Plan Funding (one of several requests) Reported favorably from Committee. Sent to Calendars
HB 2013 by Keffer allowing tuition free for volunteers with advanced accredited certification pursuing a degree in fire science at a public college. Passed favorably as substituted from Higher Ed Committee
HB 793 by P..King allowing for the charging of reasonable fees by emergency services performed by volunteer fire departments. This bill is scheduled for hearing, but is supposed to be pulled by the author. This bill has absolutely no chance of passing and is not acceptable to anybody including the people who asked Rep. King to introduce it. King says he would rather concentrate his efforts on passing fuel tax exemption rather than on this losing effort.
HB 90 by Mando Martinez banning novelty lighters. Reported favorably from the State Affairs Committee. Sent to Calendars
HB 959 by Bonnen grants extra homestead exemption to volunteer firefighters and volunteer EMS providers. Pending in Ways and Means
HB 1585 by Rose grants extra homestead exemption to volunteer firefighters, volunteer EMS providers and foster care providers. Awaiting hearing in Ways and Means
HB 1026 by Edwards organizing regional response teams along House Representatives district lines. Reported favorably as subsituted from Defense & Veterans Affairs. SFFMA originally opposed this bill, but we have not seen the substitute. Texas Fire Chiefs have elected to remain neutral on this bill.
SB 1485 by Watson allowing ESD’s to sell surplus equipment to VFD’s. Passed Senate. Sent to House
HB 2854 by Hughes allows paid fire service organization that has personalized license plates to designate what charitable organization the fees from the sale of those plates goes to. Reported favorably by House Transportation Subcommittee on License Plates.
HB 784 by Hughes allows volunteers to purchase more than one set of volunteer certified license plates. Reported favorably by House Transportation Subcommittee on License Plates
HB 1913 by McReynolds This is the clean up bill for black hydrants. Reported favorably as substituted by Urban Affairs
HB 2298 by Yvonne Davis—relates to the use of the Firefighters Advisory Committee by the TCFP. It says they can use them if they want to. Left pending in Urban Affairs. This bill is rolled into the substitute for HB 3390
HB 3390 by Harper-Brown—This is the Sunset Bill for the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. Reported favorably as substituted.
HB 4123 by Alonzo—Collective bargaining for paid firefighters. This bill specifically does NOT include volunteers. Left pending in Urban Affairs
HB 846 by Mando Martinez—provides for EMS, fire and police to only have to provide information on incidents that occurred after their last license renewal. Placed on the Local and Consent Calendar from Urban Affairs
HB 2203 by Isett—This is the Sunset Bill for the State Board of Insurance. Left pending in Insurance Committee
HB 1511 by Otto—This bill prohibits a municipality from requiring sprinklers in residences with less than 7500 square feet. It has been reported favorably from the House Insurance Committee
HB 2348 by Dutton—This bill relates to a contract between a water supply district and a municipality for the providing fire suppression. Reported favorably as Substituted from Natural Resources Committee
HB 2807 by Maldonado—This bill relates to the water pressure standards for fire hydrants in certain municipalities. Left pending in Environmental Regulation Committee
HB 3603 by Paxton—This bill relates to the study of fire flow service by water supply corporations in semi urban areas—Referred to Natural Resources
HB 3609 by Miller—Relating to a requirement to provide sufficient water pressure for fire suppression in certain special utility districts. Referred to Natural Resources Committee
SB 1011 by Estes-This is the Sunset Bill for the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. It has passed the Senate and has been referred to the House Urban Affairs Committee
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