14
Texas Association of Builders
September/October 2015
Feature
By Felicia A. Wright, TAB Government Affairs Specialist
Inside the 84
th
Legislative Session
No. of Bills and Resolutions Filed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,476
No. of Bills Passed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,330
No. of Bills Vetoed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
No. of Bills
TAB
Tracked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,317
No. of
TAB
Priority Bills. . . . . . . . . . . .6 (100% passage rate)
No. of House and Senate Committees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
No. of Committee Hearings Monitored by
TAB
Staff and Lobbyists. . 495+
No. of
TAB
Members Testified/Served as Witnesses in Committee. . . . .40+
No. of Grassroots Letters
TAB
Members Sent to Elected Officials. . .375+
No. of
TAB
Government Relations Task Forces and Councils. . . . . . 5
No. of Rally Day Attendees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 625
No. of Days in a Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Session by Numbers
INTRODUCTION
E
very two years the Texas Legislature
convenes at the grand Capitol to
conduct business on important matters
of the state. Texas legislators, citizens, Capitol
staff, advocates, grassroots volunteers and
lobbyists work with a focused dedication to
propose and implement legislative changes
to improve the lives, culture and businesses
in Texas. Unlike most other states and the
nation’s capital, the Texas Legislature meets
for a short, yet intense, 140 days each odd-
numbered year. The 2015 session proved
to be successful for the Texas residential
construction and development industry,
as measured by the passage of the Texas
Association of Builders’ (TAB) priority
legislation and the non-passage of bills
detrimental to the home building industry.
Aside from the expected challenges
presented by the complex legislative
process – as committee hearings, opposing
votes, various deadlines, competing
politics and obvious time constraints –
the 84th Legislative Session introduced
turnover and unique challenges. The most
recognizable revision to the image of the
Texas Legislature is the new Governor,
Greg Abbott. For the first time in more
than 14 years, the Capitol housed a new
chief executive. Governor Abbott quickly
placed his own stamp on the session during
his State of the State Address, by giving
light to new ideas and dreams for Texas.
He announced five emergency items for
the legislature to address during session:
early education, higher education research
initiatives, transportation funding, border
security funding and ethics reform.
In addition to a new Governor, an entire
slate of new statewide leaders took office
and claimed the reins of their state offices.
This included Lieutenant Governor Dan
Patrick, Comptroller of Public Accounts
GlennHegar, Attorney General Ken Paxton,
Land Commissioner George P. Bush and
Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. The
House and Senate Chambers were filled
with a myriad of new names and faces. In
fact, 32 freshman members walked the pink
granite halls of the Capitol determined to
make a difference for their home districts.
For the TAB Government Relations team,
developing professional relationships with
statewide leaders and elected officials was
a key component to the creation, passage,
and implementation of pro-housing public
policy this session.
The TAB Government Relations team
focused on strengthening their established
relationships with existing legislators and
staff, building a credible and trustworthy
rapport with newly elected members and
educating all state leaders on critical matters
affecting the home building industry.
Staying focused on these goals allowed
TAB to successfully help pass several pieces
of legislation that will ultimately benefit the
residential construction and development
industry in Texas and, more importantly,
future home buyers.
This article provides an in depth summary
of some of the bills passed during the 84
th
Legislature and, as a result, what changes
may be made to the residential construction
and development industry in Texas.
Lastly, in preparation for the upcoming
Constitutional Amendment Election on
November 3, a Voter's Guide is included to
assist you at the polls (See Page 24).
