Austin –State Representative Dianne White Delisi today expressed her satisfaction as several major pieces of legislation she worked on during the year officially went into effect on September 1. During the regular session, Delisi was either the author or sponsor of a total of 35 bills that became law. This accomplishment represented a major legislative milestone, as Delisi ended the 79th Regular Session jointly holding the record for the highest number of bills passed by a member of the Texas House during that session.

"I was not trying to set any records," Delisi stated. "I just worked on what I thought were good bills for Texas and am pleased that so many of them made it through the legislative process to go to the governor's desk."

Delisi's legislative agenda encompassed within the 35 pieces of successful legislation was broad-ranging. Bills that became law covered every topic from controlling health care spending to making life easier for military families.

"My rule for legislation to file was simple: If it fixed a problem, I was willing to take a look at it," Delisi explained. "If it saved money, even better."


Highlights of the legislative package included:

• Requirements that state purchasing officials disclose family relationships with vendors before awarding major contracts (House Bill 2932). Another piece of legislation (House Bill 26) opens up the purchasing process by requiring that all major contracts be posted on the Internet. The Office of the Attorney General will now also review state health care contracts over $250 million prior to them being approved as part of House Bill 880.
  
  
• Better planning and coordination regarding emergency preparedness in Texas public schools was achieved through Senate Bill 11.
  
  
• Legislation to better police fraud in the Medicaid program was accomplished through Senate Bill 563 and Senate Bill 46. Major reforms in the Medicaid program (Senate Bill 1188) will also save taxpayer money in ways ranging from reducing unnecessary emergency room use to expanding current disease management programs to cover any chronic condition where it proves  cost-effective.
  
  
• Saving money on postage and printing of state publications by requiring that these materials be offered in an online format to subscribers (House Bill 423).
  
  
• Beefed up physical education curriculum requirements for children in middle schools in SB 42.

"What I am also gratified with is how many of these pieces of legislation had their origins in District 55," Delisi continued. "A lot of good ideas came from the residents of Bell County."


Delisi provided several examples of pieces of legislation whose roots were in Bell County:

• Bell County Attorney Richard Miller suggested a tightening of the statutes regarding the offense of hindering apprehension or prosecution that became House Bill 2104.
  
  
• The Military Child Education Coalition, headquartered in Harker Heights, provided invaluable assistance on House Bill 25, a bill to make life easier on the children of military families in the Texas public school system. The education reforms included the use of alternate exit exams for children who move frequently and the faster transfer of student records.
  
  
• Senate Bill 252 (which  Delisi sponsored in the House) will assist military communities through the current round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). The specific changes in law contained in the bill were suggested by military advocates within the district.
  
  
• The City of Temple suggested a change in law (House Bill 2931) that will make it easier for smaller communities to partner with the United States Military on joint projects that benefit that benefit both entities.

In addition to the bills on which Delisi served as either author or sponsor, she also was proud to serve as a coauthor of several other bills that became law. This included legislation to allow Texas voters to decide whether to amend the Texas Constitution to establish that marriage is between one man and one woman (House Joint Resolution 6),  and a requirement that minors obtain parental consent before undergoing an abortion (House Bill 1212, which passed via an amendment to Senate Bill 419).

"I believe the people of District 55 sent me to Austin to try to get some work done," Delisi concluded. "Their ideas and encouragement were instrumental in helping me pass the 35 bills from the 79th Regular Session that are now law."  


A complete list of Representative Delisi's legislation is available upon request.