Late last night (May 12, 2011), HB 1937, which proposes to make it a felony for TSA agents to inappropriately touch the traveling public without probable cause in Texas airports, passed the Texas House without amendment and a unanimous voice vote.  HB 1937, championed by State Representative David Simpson (HD-7), had amassed 96 authors/co-authors, 4 representatives shy of a supermajority of the Texas House of Representatives, by the time it was considered.  This bill will now be scheduled for a hearing in a Senate Committee prior to a vote by the Texas Senate.  Governor Rick Perry has indicated he will sign the bill if it passes. 

Special recognition for this acheivement is due in large measure to State Representative Dennis H. Bonnen (HD-25) who furiously pushed bills through so HB 1937 could be read before the clock struck midnight and any and all unread bills died by procedure.

Simpson’s companion bill, HB 1938, which proposed to ban the use of “naked” body scanners without probable cause had been reported to the Calendars Committee with 56 authors/co-authors and a unanimous recommendation from the House Transportation Committee, died by procedure.  Due to Texas’ short legislative session that ends on June 30th, any bills that had not passed 2nd reading on the House floor by May 12th cannot complete the legislative process in time to be considered by the full legislature.  The ban on the scanners will have to be reconsidered in the 83rd legislative session in 2013.

You can support the Simpson bill’s journey through the Senate using  our WRITE THE STATE LEGISLATURE tool.

Click here to read the report by the Associated Press on this historic step taken by the Texas Legislature.