LEGISLATIVESTATE

AGENDAADVOCATING FOR ISSUES THAT MATTER TO SAN ANTONIO

StateLegislativeAgenda-2017-CoverEndSheets.indd 1 2/23/2017 9:57:54 AM

STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA | PAGE 1

WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROPELLING BUSINESS SUCCESS IN SAN ANTONIO.

We support the issues identified in this brochure, as well as other legislation, that will help San Antonio and the entire state create a strong environment for job creation and business growth.

Your Chamber believes that the state’s responsible investment in education, infrastructure, and healthcare, combined with policies and programs that encourage job creation and capital investment, will sustain the state’s proven success in economic growth and the vitality of its communities.

Our over-arching priority for the 85th Legislature is protecting the investments and programs that support San Antonio’s diverse economic base. On behalf of our more than 2,000 members, who provide more than 500,000 jobs in our city, we look forward to working with members of the Texas Senate and House of Representatives on legislation that will benefit our community, our region, and the state of Texas.

RAD WEAVERCEO McCombs Partners2017 Chairman of the Board, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce

Your San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the business community’s advocate for building and sustaining a prosperous economy, is pleased to present our legislative priorities for the 85th Texas Legislative Session.

THE SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER SUPPORTS:

AEROSPACE

CYBERSECURITY

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Adjusting the State’s business tax codes to align more competitively with other states throughout the United States, particularly:

• Franchise Tax annulment to improve Texas’ ability to attract companies and offer existing companies a more efficient business climate in which to operate.

• Personal Property and Inventory Tax rate reduction as a way to support capital-intensive industries in Texas.

• Sustaining the economic development incentive programs offered by the State to businesses considering a Texas relocation and for those evaluating expansion to grow and protect aerospace jobs.

• Efforts to enhance the State of Texas’ ability to protect business and private citizen’s data and ensure confidence in the programs, processes, and systems that maintain sensitive information.

• Appropriation of funds into the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) and continued support for the Events Trust Fund, which assist in business and event attraction to the State, as well as implementation of additional transparency and oversight measures to the TEF.

• Preserving and enhancing funding to implement the Alamo Master Plan, which includes redevelopment of the Alamo complex and Alamo historic district.

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ENERGYCPS Energy

• Advocating for provisions in Texas law that ensure local control of municipally owned utilities, including oversight of CPS Energy’s Board and ultimate decision-making authority, including the local option to participate in retail competition.

• Promoting legislation that aligns with CPS’s strategic goal of developing a diversified electrical generation portfolio with a focus on spurring the local economy, including the use of clean energy and energy-efficiency initiatives.

Competitive Energy Prices

• Promoting legislation that ensures energy resources are available to Texas’ business base and economy at competitive rates.

Energy Efficiency

• Incentivizing cost-effective demand reduction resources while making appropriate investments in infrastructure, grid reliability, and security to include cybersecurity.

• Promoting incentive programs for residential, multi-family, commercial, and industrial customers that encourage the implementation of energy-efficiency improvements.

• Continued support for the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program. Attracting filmmakers and production companies to our state creates new, good- paying jobs in our communities.

• Programs that consolidate and/or expand major state facilities that involve economic development programs of the San Antonio region.

THE SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER SUPPORTS:

Clean Air Act Compliance

• Providing incentives to private and public fleet operators to adopt alternative fuels as a means of improving energy security, reducing emissions, and supporting the local economy.

• Encouraging increased funding for clean air projects such as TERP and air quality planning grants in order to support activities that help San Antonio maintain its Clean Air Act status.

HEALTHCARE AND BIOSCIENCE• Insurance coverage for the development of a state

healthcare initiative through the renewal process of the Medicaid Transformation 1115 Waiver to negotiate terms that best fit Texas’ needs and desired results of personal responsibilities and fiscal conservatism, as well as secure insurance coverage for more than one million uninsured, low-wage working Texans.

• Behavioral health funding to replace and/or repair Texas’ state hospitals and increase the number of psychiatric beds to reduce the current wait list of patients and the development of continuum of care for the state’s most severe mental health patients that includes flexible partnerships with community partners.

• State funding for graduate medical education to increase the number of physician residency training positions and retain Texas’ medical school graduates and continued funding to address the shortage of nurses and other allied health professionals affecting the Healthcare Workforce Shortage.

• Medicaid provider increase in reimbursement rates for primary care physicians and all healthcare providers to sustain the current provider network and ensure access to care for Medicaid patients.

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• Restoration of Medicare Part B co-pay of the 20 percent coinsurance payment for Medicare Part B cost-sharing on physician services for the state’s dual eligible patients.

• Trauma Funding through a funding mechanism designated to trauma which would support the state’s network of regional trauma facilities that currently provide more than $230 million each year in uncompensated care for critical healthcare services. Texas hospitals and Texans need a stable source of trauma care funding.

MILITARY• Continuation of funding for the Texas Military

Preparedness Commission’s Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant (DEAAG) at an amount sufficient to continue supporting base redevelopment as well as enhancing military value of active installations. Strengthening the Military Value Revolving Loan Program and assessing further aid to our federal military installations to increase military value and to minimize negative consequences of a potential round of BRAC.

• Electronic voting for active service members of the military and their families stationed overseas, ensuring availability and opportunity for these Texas citizens to participate in the electoral process.

• Access to healthcare in Texas Veterans Hospitals for all qualifying veterans to include ensuring proper and adequate follow through and care is provided at all Texas state sites.

• Implementing aggressive Texas veteran hiring policies and improvements. The state should analyze redundancy or barriers to Texas veterans pursuing educational or occupational careers upon completion of their service. Ensuring measures are in place to allow maximum college credit benefits for service-related training in the armed forces.

THE SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER SUPPORTS:

• The approval of land use regulations to protect military missions. The state should explore how incompatible land use and encroachment (environmental, technological, architectural) impacts military missions and implement policies that do not impede the operation of military facilities while allowing land owners to retain private property rights and compatible economic growth.

• Adding notifications to the TX Real Estate Commission Seller Disclosure Form, as well as notification to buyers of new homes, to inform them that their property is located near an installation or a military airport and may be affected by noise or other operations.

• Acceptance of other states’ certifications or licensure for military spouses and veterans. The state should understand the hardships military spouses endure related to professional certifications that do not transfer with them upon permanent change of station or final transition. Confirm that certifications, such as teaching, realty, nursing, certified public accounting, etc., that are issued by other states have transferability to Texas, alleviating a costly burden in terms of time and money to spouses who then need to recertify at different locations. Consider cross-coordination among states to allow Texas-issued certifications in other states while also accepting out-of-state certifications in Texas for military spouses and/or explore more inexpensive and time efficient means for re-certification with allowances and incentives.

TALENTDEVELOPMENTIncludes Public Ed, Higher Ed and Workforce

Texas’ employers are experiencing significant challenges in hiring appropriately qualified, technical talent to fill current job openings and fuel continued job growth. Certification and associate degree programs can help

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to fill this need and provide an identifiable future for high-school students. In continued support of House Bill 5 and its intent, we support continued efforts and strategies that align our workforce and educational systems both at a local and state level to ensure innovative models are supported with the necessary resources. This would include the alignment of our state-wide agencies: Texas Education Agency (TEA), State Board of Education (SBOE), Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), and Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), as well as alignment between our local and statewide workforce boards.

Workforce Development

• Moving all high school Technology Applications courses to Chapter 130 of the Texas Education Code, including Computer Science, to provide better alignment and funding of Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses.

• Increasing alignment among our K-12 and higher education systems to ensure increased student participation in courses that lead to in-demand occupations which can be accomplished through an increase in funding for dual credit and career tech courses. This should be focused on incentivizing institutions to offer dual-credit courses that fulfill industry demand, allow students to obtain a recognized industry certification with substantial labor market value, or result in transferrable college credit.

• Increasing flexibility of alternative certification programs that provide a means for industry experts to enter the field of education allowing for an increase in the number of industry-driven and Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses offered at the K-12 and post-secondary level.

• Appropriating funding, resources, and time to support the continued implementation of House Bill 5 as enacted in 2013 by the K-12 system, institutes of higher education (IHEs), and employers.

THE SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER SUPPORTS:

Public Education

• Adequately funding a Texas Public Education system that provides for the following: 1) equity and excellence in educational opportunities for all Texas students; 2) a permanent source of sufficient funding to meet inflationary cost pressures and student enrollment growth in PreK-12 public education; 3) an updated formula funding system to distribute money according to the specific needs of children, including funding for facilities; and 4) an increase in the Instructional Materials Allotment (IMA).

• Reducing the assessment of students in grade levels K-8 within the boundaries of the state’s requirements under the newly enacted Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Higher Education

• Enhancing formula funding for health related institutions (HRIs) like UT Health, inclusive of Graduate Medical Education, and enhancing non-formula funding for the Barshop Institute, Regional Campus-Laredo, and Outreach Support-South Texas Programs.

TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY• Preservation and growth of funding for state tourism

promotion (Office of the Governor, Economic Development & Tourism).

• Maintaing school start date law (4th Monday in August).

• Opposition of unfair taxes and unreasonable regulations on the Texas travel industry.

• Reasonable rate structures and reasonable public policies for water/drought issues impacting the Texas travel industry.

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• Protection of the proper legal use of Hotel Motel Taxes as described in state legislation.

TRANSPORTATION• Legislative efforts to fully implement Propositions 1 and

7 and ensure equitable distribution of funding among the districts. Opposing any efforts to reduce anticipated funding from these two revenue sources.

• Continued policy of non-diversion of revenue from the State Highway Fund. Urging consideration of a Constitutional Amendment to prevent such diversions in future legislative sessions.

• Efforts by the Legislature, TxDOT, TTI, and/or others to assess the magnitude of the statewide transportation funding gap and ensure that new funding is provided among all modes over the next 10 to 25 years through a revisit of the 2030 Commission effort or a comparable initiative.

• Continued alternative funding mechanisms for local MPO, and RPOs, including tolling, public private partnerships, etc. in order to accelerate project delivery. The Chamber opposes efforts to further restrict use of TxDOT funds for toll projects.

• Opportunities for local communities to examine, advance, and provide multi-modal transportation options as part of a larger transportation network, including air, rail, road, and public transportation.

WATER• Additional checks and balances in local groundwater

district laws and regulations, including regulatory consistency and science-based decisions.

• Protection of water reuse by municipalities and others for water supply and environmental benefits.

THE SAN ANTONIO CHAMBER SUPPORTS:

• Legislation and additional budget appropriations to enhance existing programs and enforcement to mitigate illegal dumping as well as waterborne and airborne trash.

• Legislation that fosters water development for growth areas of the state.

• Legislation that supports, encourages, and incentivizes the recycling and re-use of flow back and produced water in fracking operations.

• Favorable and distinct laws and regulations to encourage the development and use of brackish groundwater.

GENERAL BUSINESS• Allowing local elected officials to make decisions

regarding revenue needed to serve the priorities in the communities they represent.

• Opposing legislation that would erode the City of San Antonio’s annexation authority.

• Opposing legislation that would limit local control and undermine the fundamental authority of cities.

• Opposing legislation that imposes unnecessary burdens on the ability of a city or school district to issue debt in any way, including their ability to develop bond programs that will continue to improve the quality of life for citizens.

• Local control over San Antonio’s pension and healthcare funds to ensure health and viability.

• Priorities that keep Texas competitive in economic development through job growth, business expansion, workforce development, and capital investment.

• Monitoring and defending eminent domain authority to allow the planning and development of private and

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public infrastructure for energy, water, transportation, and expanded multi-modal transportation corridors.

• Opposing any law, statute, ordinance or rule that weakens our community’s private and/or public sector’s ability to attract talent and private investment or in any way limits San Antonio’s identity as a welcoming destination to visit, live, and work. Policies that discriminate against individuals or groups based upon gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability are not in keeping with the long history of inclusion that has been San Antonio’s promise and hamper Texas’ ability to compete in the global marketplace.

VIVA Chair Eddie AldreteSenior Vice President, IBC Bank

Rad WeaverChairman of the Board,San Antonio Chamber of CommerceChief Executive Officer, McCombs Partners

Richard PerezPresident & CEOSan Antonio Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Esteban LópezChairman of the BoardSan Antonio Hispanic Chamber of CommerceChief Medical Officer & Southwest Texas Market President, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas

Ramiro CavazosPresident & CEOSan Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Phyllis GallayChairman of the BoardNorth San Antonio Chamber of CommerceSite Director, North American Shared Service Center at BD

Duane WilsonPresident & CEONorth San Antonio Chamber of Commerce

LEADERSHIP

San Antonio Chamber of Commerce602 E. Commerce, San Antonio, TX 78205(210) 229-2100 | sachamber.org San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce200 E. Grayson, Suite 203, San Antonio, TX 78212(210) 225-0462 | sahcc.org

North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce12930 Country Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78216(210) 344-4848 | northsachamber.com

PARTNERS

2017 SPONSORS