From the 86th: 2019 Session Recap
The 2019 session has now come and gone. What started out with 7,323 bills filed concluded at the end of the 140 days with just 1,429 bills sent to Gov. Abbott’s desk. Of those, Gov. Abbott later vetoed 56 bills.
Statistically and compared to previous sessions where approximately 25 percent of the bills that get filed eventually pass, this 2019 session was low on the passage percentage coming in below 20 percent. The number of vetoes this session was also the most of any session since Gov. Abbott won the governorship.
There were also nearly 700 more bills filled in the 86th Session compared to two years ago during the 85th Session. This session nearly set a record for the most bills filled in a session, coming in just 95 bill short of the all-time high set in 2009.
We are thrilled that 2019 was another highly successful session for TMHA. We achieved great success with our top priorities and seized on opportunities to amend other bills and pick up even more ground for the industry. TMHA thanks all our members, board of directors, and executive board members for their support. We would also like to thank our TMHA Lobby Team who worked countless hours to ensure not only that the manufactured and modular housing industries of Texas were fully protected, but that we made substantial improvements to level playing fields, open markets, and prevent burdensome local regulations. Our job is to advocate for our industry and to make Texas a state for factory-built housing to thrive in.
TMHA ended up tracking 283 bills this session. While most did not pass, the following is our summary of the ones that did, and a few that didn’t that you still might find interesting like, say, if you have any interest in the plumbing industry.
We have organized our recap under the following titles:
TMHA’s Top 2019 Legislative Priorities
Landlord Tenant & MH Communities
Transportation and Oversized Vehicles
Building, Construction, and Permitting
City, County, and Local Government
Plumbing State Deregulation…Almost (and the Impact on Fire Sprinklers)