Bohac Passes Legislation That Will Benefit Texas Families
AUSTIN, TEXAS–The 81st legislative session ended with a flurry of activity as legislators worked feverishly to pass significant reforms to help Texas families. State Representative Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston) fared well this session, having passed twelve pieces of legislation that will now become law, along with twenty other significant measures that he co-authored or joint-authored.
This legislative session Representative Bohac’s priorities included jobs and the economy, tax relief, appraisal reform, public education, public health, border security, criminal justice and local quality of life. As always, Rep. Bohac’s legislative agenda is crafted by input from residents of HD 138.
“I am very appreciative of the input and regular communication I received from residents of my district throughout the legislative session,” said Bohac. “By rolling up our sleeves and working together we were able to draft and pass legislation that benefits the residents of our community, and the citizens of Texas.”
Highlighted below are four of Bohac’s twelve bills set to become law in the coming months.
House Bill 1801 expands the annual Sales Tax Holiday to include school supplies. This sales tax exemption is estimated to save Texas families $9.5 million a year.
“The savings will decrease the burden that many families face while trying to prepare their children for school, which is especially important in the current economic climate,” said Bohac.
On the health care front, Bohac passed House Bill 392 that requires each nursing home in Texas have an automated external defibrillator on site and staff members who are trained to use the device.
“This will help protect some of our most vulnerable Texans, and this measure will ultimately save lives and improve resident quality of life,” said Bohac.
Consumer protection was an important issue this session and Bohac was able to pass an extremely important bill aimed at helping Texans with their electric bills. House Bill 1799 will require each residential electric provider to include a statement in large print on each customer’s monthly bill directing consumers to www.powertochoose.com. Powertochoose.com is run by the Public Utilities Commission and is a clearing house for all electric rates and consumer complaint scorecards. It provides important information so that consumers can choose an electric plan that fits their needs and budget.
“This bill shines a bright light on the practices of retail electric providers and equips consumers with information to make informed decisions regarding their electric service,” said Bohac.
Bohac’s local quality of life agenda included creating minimum habitability standards for apartments in Houston. House Bill 1819 requires the City of Houston to create standards by which all apartments must adhere, and the legislation requires a regular inspection program. This program will ensure that apartment owners who choose to let their facilities become run down and magnets for criminal activity face tough consequences.
“More than 1 million Houstonians live in apartments that do not have regular inspections, and that is unacceptable to me,” said Bohac. “I have seen apartments that are literally crumbling, and that is dangerous for the residents and for the surrounding neighborhoods, as deteriorating apartments often become havens for criminal activity.”
Rep. Bohac also supported passage of a fiscally conservative budget that prioritized key services, preserved the state’s Rainy Day Fund, and provided $1.9 billion in additional funding for education. Additionally, Bohac supported reducing taxes for over 40,000 small business owners across the state–7,000 in Houston alone. He also voted to cut property taxes for disabled veterans and helped pass several appraisal reform measures.