The Texas Tribune has been looking at some of the changes in law that will come down on September 1st when the laws passed by the 84th Session take effect.
2306 students should file this under "bill making."
1 - Law Enforcement Will Receive Training on Dog Encounters.
2306 students should file this under "bill making."
1 - Law Enforcement Will Receive Training on Dog Encounters.
Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, the measure's author, said more pets are being killed in confrontations that could be avoided if officers were better trained.
“That's not the first type of response we want our peace offices to have when approaching a pet,” Collier said.
The Legislature overwhelmingly passed the bill, and in May, Gov. Greg Abbottsigned it into law.
As directed by the law, the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement is developing a statewide training curriculum that will be mandatory for officers starting in January, said Gretchen Grigsby, director of government outreach for the organization.
While the program has not yet been finalized, training will consist of how officers should handle canine-related calls, anticipate unplanned encounters with dogs and use nonlethal methods to defend against an attack.
2 - State College Aid Becoming Less Accessible for Middle Class.
State grants have always made up a small portion of Texas students' college aid — about 6 percent, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. But for middle-class Texans, the state's help has been shrinking even more. Six aid programs accessible to a broad array of income groups, including people from families that make more than about $60,000 per year, have been targeted for elimination since 2011. Meanwhile, scholarships and grants for the poorest Texans have grown.
The change isn't necessarily intentional. Each cut was an individual decision, and lawmakers have said they eliminated programs that were inefficient or weren't achieving their desired goals. But all of the cuts combined have caused some higher education leaders to wonder whether middle-income residents are being left behind.
“We do a great job of taking care of poor kids,” said Raymund Paredes, commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, “but I think we need to take a look at middle class families.”
3 - Texas Grand Jury Selection to Become More Random.
"The judge’s role in this matter changes significantly,” Harris County District Clerk Chris Daniel said in a statement. "However, this law affects the operations of the district clerk’s office very little and we are pleased to accommodate accordingly."
Under the current system, a district judge has the option of picking three to five people to serve as jury commissioners, who then select 15 to 40 prospective jurors. HB 2150 removes that option, leaving judges to seat juries through random selection.
"It sort of cancels out the previous system whereby the judges simply picked people that he or she knows or feels comfortable with, and I think we've seen the result of that," said Douglas Smith, a policy analyst for the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition. "Grand juries tend to be white, they tend to be older, so they tend not to represent the broader perspectives in the community."
4 - New Law Will Help More Texans Go Solar.
Senate Bill 1626 will close the loophole that allowed developers to keep solar power out of communities that keep “developing” for decades. The law, which takes effect Sept. 1, says developers of expanding neighborhoods larger than 50 homes may not ban solar devices.
“They cannot say 'no' anymore,” said Patel, standing in his front yard as the summer sun beat down on a roof pocked with mounting studs, but devoid of photovoltaic cells to soak up the rays.
Though small in scope, the new law, which sailed through the House and Senate, illustrates the state’s growing embrace of solar power after a relatively slow start. And as one of the top priorities for solar power advocates last legislative session, it also underscores a shift in strategies for solar power advocates in Texas and elsewhere, as improving technology drives down the cost of harnessing the sun’s energy.
“We’re not seeking new mandates or subsidies,” said Charlie Hemmeline, executive director of the Texas Solar Power Association, “but we do need to make sure that markets work effectively and that customers are empowered to make a real choice.”
