Subscribe to receive our Floor Reports covering all the action on the Texas House and Senate floor!
Summary: Among other minor changes, the legislation:
Analysis: HB 1494 is somewhat of a mixed bag. There are some provisions we support, including repealing Class C offenses and making Civil Violations out of infractions related to standard weights, measures, and containers and clarifying that a person must knowingly use incorrect weighing device for it to be an offense.
However, this legislation also creates new licensing requirements, increases the frequency of license renewals, substantially increases penalties by as much as 20 times the current amount, and creates a new Class A misdemeanor offense. These provisions constitute an onerous expansion of government. On balance, the government expanding provisions of this bill outweigh the government limiting provisions.
We recommend legislators oppose HB 1494 as it is currently written. We would support an amended version of this legislation that does not create a new Class A misdemeanor, removes the increased penalties, eliminates language that establishes license periods by rule and not statute, and does not make licensing requirements more onerous.