Legislative Blog

J.B. Williams, J.D.

8 bills that modify the Government Code

A Blog about 88th Legislature Laws

A Bit of Background

The following backgrounds help summarize the author's views on both the general topic: Texas and more specifically 88th Legislature Laws as it relates to that topic.

Brief Summary of Texas

Texas is truly a Republic. There are a multitude of items that to modify the state constitution must be modified. So there are times when Constitutional amendments are on the voting ballots. While I sometimes abhor the wording, the concept that all of those legally able to vote in Texas must vote on the change is a good one. And bills in Texas are generally short, making it easier for everyone to understand.

Summary of 88th Legislature Laws

The blogs here will discuss the laws passed by Congress and signed into law, as well as those, passed by Congress and approved by the voters to become law. There are a multitude of laws and each time I post blogs I will notate here the current effective date if it is different from prior blogs. I am currently posting bills that took effect immediately - those bills total 336. I am currently posting regarding larger bills, so each blog covers a single bill.

Blog Summary

HB 1009 - Requirements for employment or contracts when providing services to individuals with intellectual or developmental disability

HB 1038 - Biennial report on state lending

HB 1088 - Representation of a community supervision and corrections department when challenged for fact or duration of supervision

HB 1182 - Judicial statistics gathered by the Texas Judicial Council

HB 1184 - Access to criminal history record information for research and statistical projects

HB 1221 - Authorizing the comptroller to release owner's claimed property to the owner's crime victim

HB 1283 - Prescription drug formularies regarding Medicaid managed care

HB 1393 - Service retirement annuity that provides increasing annuity under Employees Retirement System of Texas

8 bills that modify the Government Code

Published: 2025-06-26

HB 1009

Requirements for employment or contracts when providing services to individuals with intellectual or developmental disability

A Medicaid provider at group home or residential facility is entitled to obtain a criminal history record maintained by the Health and Human Services Commission for an applicant for employment. A person with an office under Sec 250.006, including criminal homicide, sexual assault, injury to a child, indecent exposure, online solicitation, money laundering, health care fraud, or cruelty to livestock, may not be employed as a residential caregiver.

Reportable conduct includes abuse or neglect that causes or may cause death or harm; sexual abuse of an individual; financial exploitation of an individual; emotional, verbal or psychological abuse. A Medicaid provider must suspend anyone that has reportable conduct until all appeals, informal and formal, have been exhausted and a final decision has been made by an administrative law judge.

HB 1038

Biennial report on state lending

A credit support program is where the state guarantees or provides credit enhancements for the debt of a public or private entity. This obligates the state for payment of part of the principal or interest. Lending program is where state funds are loaned to a public or private entity with the expectation that will be paid back.

No later than December 31 in every even numbered year, the board shall submit, and post on their website, a report of all lending and credit support programs. It must include the total amount the state lent; total amount of debt supported by credit support programs; and for each program the total amount of state money lent or supported. They must include the law that authorized the specific item and the reasonable estimate of the cost of default.

HB 1088

Representation of a community supervision and corrections department when challenged for fact or duration of supervision

Generally a district or county attorney defends the employee when supervision is challenged. They may request the attorney general assist or provide the defense.

HB 1182

Judicial statistics gathered by the Texas Judicial Council

For each trial court, the monthly court activity statistics and case-level information. If the county has a population of at least 1 million, then the following must be included in the report:

1. number of cases assigned to the court;
2. case clearance rate for the court;
3. number of cases disposed by the court;
4. number of jury panels empaneled by the court;
5. number of orders of continuance for an attorney before the court;
6. number of please accepted by the court;
7. number of cases tried by the court or before a jury;
8. number of cases tried before a visiting or associate judge

HB 1184

Access to criminal history record information for research and statistical projects

A research organization or institute of higher education that is doing a research project relating to administration of criminal justice, and is funded by a criminal justice grant or government funds, must have access to criminal history record information.

HB 1221

Authorizing the comptroller to release owner's claimed property to the owner's crime victim

The department needs to file a claim for unclaimed property if the offender was convicted in Texas, was ordered to pay restitution in a final conviction, and is confined in a facility operated by or under contract with the department.

A county must accept the restitution payment from the department, forward it to the crime victim or other eligible person (this includes the crime victims fund), and remit any excess balance back to the department.

HB 1283

Prescription drug formularies regarding Medicaid managed care

Merely a change of date from 2023 to 2033.

HB 1393

Service retirement annuity that provides increasing annuity under Employees Retirement System of Texas

An increasing annuity starts off at a lowered amount and increases by 2% (or the amount determined by the system) for each year. This is an optional annuity and not the standard annuity.

An increasing amount must be actuarially equivalent to the standard option annuity. This optional amount may only be chosen once at retirement, and not thereafter.

 

J.B. Williams, J.D.

4,312 federal laws were passed from 1995 through December 2016.
Along with 88,819 federal rules and regulations.