May 10, 2021
For Immediate Release
(Austin, TX) – This past week, the Texas House of Representatives heard and passed multiple priority bills, including legislation that protects the unborn, prioritizes public safety, secures the elections process, and other meaningful reforms. Bills of note include:
SB 8 – This legislation, also known as the Heartbeat Bill, prohibits an abortion if a baby’s heartbeat is detected, which can be as early as six weeks. Current law permits abortion up to twenty weeks, which means that the Heartbeat Act will ensure we protect every innocent unborn life in the State of Texas.
SB 7 – This legislation seeks to prevent election fraud and preserve the purity of the ballot box with several key provisions. Those provisions include uniformity of the election process across the state, cracking down on mail in ballot harvesting – including prohibiting local governments from using tax dollars to solicit or distribute application for mail in ballots, and ensuring the legitimacy of voter registration.
HB 1280 – This legislation establishes an immediate prohibition on abortions in Texas should the Supreme Court rule to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. It’s also known as a trigger ban on abortion.
HB 20 – This legislation, also known as the Damon Allen Act, takes on several key bail reform issues, such as adding transparency to the bail-setting process, creates a statewide framework for training and statutory guidelines, and ensures accountability in the process to keep violent criminals off of the streets.
HB 9 – This legislation creates a penalty for those preventing, or standing in the way of, the passage of emergency authorized vehicles.
HB 1900 – This legislation seeks to defund large municipalities who elect to defund the police and is aimed at preventing significant year-over-year decreases to their police budgets.
Jared Patterson represents House District 106, which encompasses the eastern portion of Denton County. During the 86th Legislative Session, Patterson authored and passed initiatives in policy areas such as transportation, education, property taxes, as well as eliminated unnecessary and burdensome government regulations. Patterson serves on the House Committees on Business & Industry, Urban Affairs, and Resolutions Calendars. He also serves on the House Interim Study Committee on Aggregate Production Operations, and the Texas Cybersecurity Council. His family resides in Frisco.
