Rep. Zwiener Files Three New Pieces Of Legislation

Driftwood, TX — On Monday, Representative Erin Zwiener announced she had filed three more pieces of legislation to be considered in this legislative session.

With the new additions, Zwiener has filed 15 pieces of legislation thus far in the 87th legislative session. 

“These three bills came to be due to direct conversations with constituents of House District 45,” said Rep. Zwiener. “Hearing their concerns on landowner rights, our beautiful Hill Country scenery, and inappropriate use of force by law enforcement during demonstrations spurred us to action on these issues, to research ways my office could help.”

The three bills that were filed on Monday are the following: 

HB 1506: Provides for up to a 180-day pause during the eminent domain process before a condemning private entity can take possession of a property after the monetary award is determined by a Special Commissioners’ hearing.

This will encourage condemning entities to negotiate an agreeable settlement and allow time for any planned litigation, ensuring that individuals whose property is being condemned have a greater voice and ample opportunity to negotiate a fair deal.

HB 1512: Grants authority to the Hays County Commissioners, instead of Texas Department of Transportation, to handle permitting for billboards in unincorporated areas along Farm to Market and Ranch to Market roads.

This will allow Hays County to determine where billboards make sense and where they don’t, following a number of billboards appearing along rural roads in areas of Hays County that depend on scenic tourism.

HB 1513: Bans law enforcement from using less-lethal ammunition that causes blunt force trauma as a means for crowd control. Less-lethal munitions were not designed for crowd control and do not have the same precision as standard bullets.

Their use during the protests following the death of George Floyd resulted in two individuals from House District being severely injured after being struck in the head. One individual suffered a fractured skull, the other a fractured jaw.