Two years later, the district attorneys office presented evidence to a grand jury asking that they charge the accused driver with criminally negligent homicide. Is not required to apprehend the person suspected of committing an offense. Require a peace officer who participates in an investigation to keep a body worn camera activated for the entirety of the investigation. Suspensions & Reinstatements. This includes any licensed or permitted premises (e.g., bars), as well as any street, highway, or park or a common area of a school, hospital, apartment, office building, transportation facility, shop, restaurant, or nightclub. The bill, if passed, would also set the legal groundwork for licensing cultivators and dispensaries, manufacturing practices, safety testing, and more. Rudolph W. Giuliani, a former top federal prosecutor, New York City mayor and lawyer to a president, had his law license suspended after a New York court ruled on Thursday that he . If passed, HB1121, SB736 & HB2070 each seek to lay the groundwork for legalized sports betting in Texas. If passed, both HB359 & SB1935 seek to amend Subchapter C, Chapter 1952 of Texas Insurance Code in order to remove this prerequisite. In, fact, most of them wont. Each of the above bills, if passed, seek to amend several sections of Texas Election Code to reimplement the straight-ticket voting option. HB928 seeks to amend Chapter 436 of Texas Health and Safety Code to create administrative and civil penalties for food service establishments that sell catfishif the product is not, in fact, catfish as defined under the statute. OR EMAIL US BELOW. If passed, HB2452 would amend Chapter 2 of Texas Code of Criminal Procedure in order to require each law enforcement agency in the state to adopt a policy prohibiting a peace officer of the agency from making a motor vehicle stop on the shoulder of a controlled access highway.. If passed, HB827 seeks to amend Chapter 372 of the Texas Transportation Code in order to prohibit toll project entities (or private entities that operate a toll project) from disclosing information on the speed at which a vehicle is operated on the toll project to a law enforcement agency for the purpose of proving an offense under Subchapter H, Chapter 545 (speed restrictions). Citizenship or, if you are not a U.S. Citizen, evidence of lawful presence Texas Residency Identity, and Social Security Number Currently, Texas law leaves it up to the individual law enforcement officer to decided whether or not to conduct a blood alcohol test on a motorist when they hit a pedestrian. Among other things, the bill states that public, private, and independent institutions of higher education (i.e., colleges and universities) may not adopt or enforce a policy, requirement, standard, or limitation that prohibits or otherwise prevents a student athlete participating in an intercollegiate athletic program at the institution from: SCR7 seeks to have the 87th Texas Legislature designate the Bowie knife as the official state knife of Texas. The person to be arrested or attempting to escape after arrest possesses a deadly weapon; and. HCR67 seeks to designate April 6 as Tejano Day (an observance that coincides with the date in 1813 when Tejano leaders issued the first declaration of Texas independence) for a period of ten (10) years. If passed, HB502 would amend Section 504.010 of the Texas Transportation Code to authorize the department to collect a fee of $50 per year from drivers who do not wish to display a front license plate on their registered vehicle. It also states that no person may sell, offer for sale, or deliver any liquor before 10 a.m. or after 9 p.m. on any other day. Click the links below if youd like to jump to a specific section: If you have questions or concerns, please leave a comment at the bottom of this page. In accordance with these rules, an independent organization certified under Section 39.151 for the ERCOT power region shall adopt procedures and enter contracts as necessary to ensure the availability of a defined amount of emergency reserve power generation capacity the organization may call on to prevent blackouts caused by shortages of generated power. Texas law currently prohibits the consumption of alcoholic beverages during certain hours in a public place. The amount paid, the amount that would have been paid, or the amount likely to be paid for the medical or health care services by a health benefit plan, workers compensation insurance, an employer-provided plan, Medicaid, Medicare, or another similar source available. Dan Patrick announced that he will be introducing a bill known as the Star Spangled Banner Protection Act (SB4). Similar to HB36 and HB219 (above), SB128 also seeks to remove Confederate Heroes Day from the list of official state holidays. Among other things, if passed, the amendment would allow up to four (4) casinos to operate at destination resorts located in metropolitan areas of the state with a population of two million or more (i.e., Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas-Fort Worth), provided that no more than one (1) casino is located within any one metropolitan area. If passed, HB476 seeks to expand the use of the fund for veterans assistance to allow the Texas Veterans Commission to make grants to provide pro bono legal services to veterans, active duty members of the United States armed forces, and members of the state military forces. The bill also applies to distillers and brewers from out-of-state who wish to ship liquor and beer directly to consumers in Texas. Texas abortion clinics turning away patients as strict new law takes effect HB442, if passed, would effectively lower the prima facie speed limit of any residential street in Texas (located within in a municipality and not officially designated or marked as part of the state highway system) from 30 miles per hour down to 25 miles per hour. If passed, HB88 (known as the George Floyd Act) seeks to address qualified immunity for police officers by allowing civil lawsuits at the state level for deprivation of rights under color of law, require the use of de-escalation tactics, require officers to intervene if another officer is using excessive force, require officers to provide aid immediately to any person who needs medical attention (including as a result of the use of force), to further define when and why police officers can use nonlethal and lethal force, to ban chokeholds, as well as prevent arrests for misdemeanor fine-only offenses. Each of the three bills listed above seek to amend several sections of Texas Government Code (as well as the Civil Practice and Remedies Code, Family Code, Estates Code, Health and Safety Code, and Code of Criminal Procedure) in order to permit or require the attendance of a court hearing or proceeding remotely through the use of technology and the Internet.. Carneys body was tested for the presence of drugs and alcohol, but the motorist involved in the accident was not. A written verification that the professional sports team will play the United States national anthem at the beginning of each team sporting event held at the teams home venue or other facility controlled by the team for the event; and. If you were convicted of a DWI, your license can be suspended: For up to 2 years, if you are 21 years old or older. Similar to HB501 (above), HB243 seeks to adjust the amount of death benefits awarded in workers compensation cases equal the percentage increase (if any) in the Consumer Price Index. The money placed in a minors savings account, trust account, or trust subaccount may not be withdrawn, removed, paid out, or transferred to any person, including the minor, except pursuant to a court order, on the minors 18th birthday, or upon the minors death. In 2017, Colten Carney was struck and killed by a motorist while walking to work in Royse City, Texas. If passed, the bill would require law enforcement officers who investigate a right-angle collision at an uncontrolled intersection to file a written report with the Texas Department of Transportation. Currently, there is no specific penalty for turning off a camera during an investigation. HB3141 seeks to require those who sell or resell tickets for a concert or other event in this state (including the operator of a ticket website) to disclose all fees charged in connection with the sale of a ticket for the event. Both HB94 and SB90 seek to allow the use of medical marijuana for patients with debilitating medical conditions, while SB250 seeks to allow the use of medical marijuana for patients for whom a physician determines medical use is the best available treatment.. Under current Texas law, in order for an accident victim to recover compensation through their uninsured or under-insured auto insurance policy, there must first be a judgment or other legal determination establishing the other motorists liability or the extent of the insureds damages. For accounts that were closed after February 19, 2021, a payment of $250 must be sent to the former account holder. Allow motorized scooters to be ridden on sidewalks. Appropriate commission, department, or law enforcement personnel as part on an investigation related to suspected abuse, neglect, or a licensing standard violation. Texas blue laws currently state that alcohol retailers may not sell wine or vinous liquor containing more than 17 percent alcohol by volume on Sundays. Dan Patrick says he doesnt expect a push to legalize sports betting in Texas to go anywhere in this years legislative session. If passed, the bills would require the division to prepare and keep current a pandemic response plan, include provisions for: If passed, each of the bills listed above seek to amend Section 62.051 of the Texas Labor Code to raise the minimum wage in Texas. TABC License and Permit Fees Chart. Medical Evaluation Process. If voters decide to observe standard time year round, this would go into effect beginning 01/01/2022. New Texas Laws Proposed for 2021 | Montgomery Law The new laws may affect your current driving record. The bill also states that it is an affirmative defense to prosecution if: If approved, this act will take effect on 09/01/2021. Weight: 11.2 or 14.3 oz. Contractor or employee performing job duties relating to the installation, operation, or maintenance of said video recording equipment. Require motorized scooter riders to yield the right of way to pedestrians. In March of 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a waiver which permitted restaurants with a mixed beverage permit to offer beer, wine, and mixed drinks to-go with food purchases. SCR9 would designate the City of San Marcos as the official Mermaid Capital of Texas for the next 10 years. Length: 7" or 9". Excerpt from the bill: Uniquely situated amid rugged mountains and below the spectacular West Texas sky, Fort Davis is beloved by residents and visitors alike, and it has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the Lone Star States top destinations.. If passed, both HB439 and SB151 seek to create a new, lower punishment range for possession and/or delivery of marijuana concentrates. SB1853 seeks to amend Subchapter H, Chapter 151 of Texas Tax Code in order to temporarily exempt personal protective equipment from sales taxes. This made sense back when the Texas Legislature was first established in 1845 (and lawmakers had to travel to Austin by horse), but not so much anymore. In 2021 the Legislature's super-majority of Democrats sent Gov. HB170 & SB1067 both seek to adds language to Section 105.06 of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code to further define a public place in this context. HB1609 goes even further by seeking to classify possession of four (4) ounces or less of marijuana as a Class C misdemeanor. In this context, personal protective equipment means specialized clothing or equipment worn by a person meant to protect against potential infectious contaminants in the environment, or to interfere with the transmission of particles originating from the nose or mouth. Executive Orders Expired Temporary suspension of all practice agreement requirements Temporary waiver of select practice agreement requirements Currently no action on this issue Full Practice Authority States This map and table below provide links to specific information in the states.