Legislation authored by Joseph Charles Whitfield

Includes legislation with Joseph Charles Whitfield as the primary author for the 56th through 59th Legislatures. For other types of authorship, search the Legislative Archive System.

59th Regular Session
HB 461	Caption: Relating to the State's guaranteeing loans to students of institutions of higher education.
HB 462	Caption: Relating to permitting counsel in a civil case to inform the jury of the effect of findings it is requested to make on special issues.
HB 545	Caption: Relating to providing that 90 per cent of the money for operating the Department of Public Safety be appropriated from the state highway fund and the remaining 10 per cent be appropriated from the general revenue fund; abolishing the operator's and chauffeur's license fund.
HB 546	Caption: Relating to the appointment and compensation of official shorthand reporters of civil and criminal district courts and county courts at law in certain counties.
HB 577	Caption: Relating to abolishing the death penalty for capital offenses and substituting "life imprisonment with parole rights restricted" as the maximum punishment for crime in this state.
HB 584	Caption: Relating to amending certain Acts so as to exempt municipal employees acting within the scope of their office on employment from certain requirements arising under the Texas Motor Vehicle Safety-Responsibility Act.
HB 811	Caption: Relating to permitting certain counties to establish an office of Public Defender.
HB 871	Caption: Relating to amending the Texas Motor Vehicle Safety-Responsibility Act, providing for the surrender of license and automobile registration where such license and automobile registration have been suspended or where the security deposited has been canceled or terminated.
HB 873	Caption: Relating to amending the subject matter of the Texas Unemployment Compensation Act.
HB 874	Caption: Relating to providing that employment shall not be denied to any person because of failure to qualify for pension, retirement or insurance programs; providing penalties.
HCR 10	Caption: Providing for adjournment for a certain period.
HCR 139	Caption: Granting George Bradford and Hardy Bradford permission to sue the State of Texas.
HCR 162	Caption: Granting Leonard L. Sims permission to sue the State of Texas.
HJR 28	Caption: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Texas relating to guaranteeing loans to students of institutions of higher education.
HJR 42	Caption: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Texas so as to authorize the Texas Legislature to provide a system of Retirement, Disability and Death benefits for the officials and employees of the various counties, or other political subdivisions of the State or the political subdivisions of any county.
HJR 43	Caption: Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Texas authorizing each county or other political subdivisions of the State, or the political subdivisions of any county, to provide a Retirement, Disability and Death Compensation Fund for all officers and employees.
HR 286	Caption: Providing for the appointment of a voting machine study committee.
HR 459	Caption: Providing for an interim committee to counsel and advise with the Houston Legal Foundation's voluntary plan to provide certain counsel to those who do not have funds available.
59th 1st Called Session
HB 2	Caption: Relating to providing for a system of voter registration; amending the Texas Election Code.
HCR 2	Caption: Requesting that the Governor and the Attorney General be urged not to prosecute and appeal of Civil Action No. 1570, styled the United State of America vs. the State of Texas.
58th Regular Session
HB 47	Caption: Relating to making it unlawful for any person employed in the Executive branch of the State Government, or any agency or department thereof, to use his official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with, or influencing the passage of legislation; providing a penalty for violations of this Act.
HB 477	Caption: Relating to witnesses summoned to appear before a court of inquiry conducted by a justice of the peace, to grant every such witness the privilege against self-incrimination, the right of representation by counsel and the right to be confronted by witnesses against him and to cross-examine same.
HB 505	Caption: Relating to the implied consent of the driver of a motor vehicle to submit to chemical testing to determine alcoholic content of blood providing that any person who operates a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this State shall be deemed to have given his consent to a chemical test or tests of his blood, breath, saliva, or urine for the purpose of determining the alcoholic content of his blood.
HB 506	Caption: Relating to the issuance of drivers' licenses and regulations pertaining thereto; providing for the issuance of an occupational license; providing a penalty for violation.
HB 507	Caption: Relating to surrender and return of suspended or revoked operator's, commercial operator's, or chauffeur's license after final conviction of a penal offense, providing that such suspended license shall be returned to the licensee if the Governor grants its restoration upon recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Paroles.
HB 524	Caption: Relating to providing for competitive bidding on all purchases by a public school of a value over One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) and on all contracts by a public school for the construction, maintenance, repair or renovation of any building or for the materials used in the construction, maintenance, repair or renovation thereof when said contracts involve One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) or more.
HB 528	Caption: Relating to requiring cities having a population of more than eight hundred thousand (800,000), according to the last preceding Federal Census to make deductions from the monthly salaries of firemen and monthly contributions of specified amounts into the Firemen's Relief and Retirement Fund.
HB 640	Caption: Relating to abolishing the death penalty for capital offenses and substituting "life imprisonment with parole rights restricted" as the maximum punishment for crime in this state, and to define the restricted parole rights of persons receiving the herein-established maximum sentence for capital offenses.
HB 761	Caption: Relating to providing that a jury determination shall conclusively establish good cause thereby waiving limitation requirements in meritorious cases coming within the provisions of this Act.
HB 762	Caption: Relating to providing tenure of employment for educational employees of the State of Texas.
HB 1004	Caption: Relating to authorizing certain counties to establish the office of Public Defender.
HB 1029	Caption: Relating to increasing the compensation of court reporters in all counties having a population of one million (1,000,000) or more inhabitants according to the last preceding federal census.
HB 1081	Caption: Relating to creating and establishing a conservation and reclamation district known as Harris County Water Control and Improvement District-Fondren Road.
HCR 13	Caption: Commending Chief J. A. Stahl and firemen Ken Biggs, Malcolm Coker and Arthur Centeno of the Houston Fire Department.
HCR 38	Caption: Granting George Rich permission to sue the State of Texas.
HCR 41	Caption: Relating to the 59th Legislature of Texas resolving itself into a constitutional convention.
HCR 66	Caption: Recalling House Bill No. 528 from the Governor.
HCR 98	Caption: Granting Continental Fidelity Investment Company permission to sue the State of Texas.
HJR 3	Caption: Relating to proposing a constitutional amendment to provide that no county shall have more than seven representatives unless the county's population exceeds seven hundred thousand (700,000), and to provide for one additional representative for each additional one hundred thousand (100,000) people above seven hundred thousand (700,000).
HJR 26	Caption: Relating to resolving the 59th Legislature of Texas into a Constitutional Convention during the final twenty days of the Regular Session of the 59th Legislature in 1965 to draft a substitute Constitution for this State.
HJR 66	Caption: Relating to proposing a constitutional amendment to provide that the Legislature shall have the power to raise the maximum amount of monthly payment to each needy aged person from state funds to Thirty-two Dollars ($32); providing that total payment to the needy aged, needy blind, and needy children from state funds shall not exceed a certain sum; and providing for the payment of an additional sum from state funds to the needy aged for certain purposes.
HR 343	Caption: Congratulating William H. Gardner and James Mousner on their promotions at the Houston Post newspaper.
HR 533	Caption: Advising the House conference committee on Appropriations on the position of the House regarding the salaries of the Judiciary.
57th Regular Session
HB 126	Caption: Relating to an Act known as the Teacher Tenure Act for Texas, defining teacher tenure, teacher, tenured teacher, board and full-time basis; providing for the probationary period to entitle a teacher to the benefits of the Act and framing the conditions of such probationary period.
HB 249	Caption: Relating to amending the employers' liability and workmen's compensation insurance laws of the State by providing that the liability of the association for funeral benefits shall not exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500).
HB 251	Caption: Relating to authorizing the Texas Board of Corrections to sell the Blue Ridge Prison Farm, except for 200 acres to be reserved for hospital and state office building site and to use the proceeds for the construction of a state hospital for mentally retarded children.
HB 416	Caption: Relating to amending Article 3.40 of the Insurance Code, Acts of the 52nd Legislature, as amended, pertaining to investments by life, health or accident insurance companies in real estate by adding to said Article a paragraph permitting such companies to acquire, secure, retain, hold and convey real property for additional purposes subject to restrictions and limitations.
HB 577	Caption: Relating to the implied consent of the driver of a motor vehicle to submit to chemical testing to determine alcoholic content of blood providing that any person who operates a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this State shall be deemed to have given his blood, breath, saliva, or urine for the purpose of determining the alcoholic content of his blood.
HB 944	Caption: Relating to amending the subject matter of the Texas Unemployment Compensation Act to authorize the Texas Employment Commission, upon the advice and consent of the Governor to enter into valid agreements with appropriate agencies of other states and/or the Federal Government to pay extend unemployment compensation benefits under the employment compensation laws of one or more states or under one or more such laws of the Federal Government.
HB 1080	Caption: Relating to amending a certain Act relating to Pension Systems for policemen in certain cities, relating to eligible investments for surplus pension funds.
HCR 86	Caption: Directing the Legislature to meet in a Constitutional Convention during the final 20 days of the 58th Legislature in 1963.
HCR 113	Caption: Suspending the Joint Rules of the Legislature so either house may consider H. B. No. 730.
HCR 114	Caption: Suspending the Joint Rules of the Legislature so either house may consider H. B. No. 251.
HCR 118	Caption: Suspending the Joint Rules of the Legislature so either house may consider S. B. No. 2.
HJR 18	Caption: Relating to proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Texas requiring the Legislature to provide a method of procedure for removing any elective county officer or any school board trustee by a recall election.
HR 14	Caption: Directing the creation of committees to notify the Senate and Governor that the House is organized.
57th 1st Called Session
HCR 19	Caption: Requesting the Governor to obtain an independent firm in order to perform an audit of the State Board of Insurance.
57th 3rd Called Session
HCR 37	Caption: Suspending the Joint Rules of the Legislature to allow either house to consider H. B. No. 111 at any time.
HR 128	Caption: In memory of Ben C. Belt of Houston.
56th Regular Session
HB 229	Caption: Relating to amending the Code of Criminal Procedure so as to provide that when an accused in any felony is arraigned or it is made known to the court at any time that he is not able to hire an attorney that the court shall appoint one (1) or more practicing attorneys to represent him and the attorney shall have ten (10) days notice unless waived in writing by the accused and attorney.
HB 230	Caption: Relating to amending the Code of Criminal Procedure by increasing attorney fees for representation of indigents accused of felony offenses.
HB 231	Caption: Relating to amending certain statutes so as to exempt from taxation property owned or used in conducting any association engaged in the educational development of boys, girls, young men or young women through a program designed to demonstrate the operation of the American business system or private enterprise.
HB 352	Caption: Relating to counties having a population of eight hundred thousand (800,000) or more, relating to the purchasing of or contracting for supplies and material for the use of counties, providing for the advertising for bids once each week for two (2) successive weeks in at least one daily newspaper published and circulated in the county, where the total expenditure for any such purchase or any such contract shall exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000).
HB 435	Caption: Relating to creating three additional District Courts in Harris County, Texas; providing for an effective date for said Courts.
HB 436	Caption: Relating to creating two (2) additional Criminal District Courts of Harris County, prescribing the jurisdiction thereof.
HB 437	Caption: Relating to the Code of Criminal Procedure of the State of Texas, as amended as the same relates to and provides for the Criminal District Court of Harris County, Texas, the Criminal District Court No. 2 of Harris County, Texas, the Criminal District Court No. 3 of Harris County, Texas, the Criminal District Court No. 4 of Harris County, Texas, and the Criminal District Court No. 5 of Harris County, Texas; creating Criminal Judicial Districts of Harris County, Texas.
HB 441	Caption: Relating to abolishing capital punishment; defining offenses and punishments; repealing Articles relating to enforcement of the judgments in capital cases; repealing Articles relating to commutation of the death sentence by the Governor.
HB 459	Caption: Relating to amending the Code of Criminal Procedure providing for the execution of convicts condemned to death by the administration of a lethal gas.
HB 461	Caption: Relating to authorizing the establishment of custodial institutions for persons afflicted with cerebral palsy and related neuromuscular and skeletal diseases under the jurisdiction of the Board for Texas State Hospitals and Special Schools.
HB 465	Caption: Relating to amending certain acts so as to provide that the dues or assessments payable by a public employee to any labor union shall not be retained from his compensation without the written consent of such employee.
HB 478	Caption: Relating to amending the Insurance Code relating to the fixing of rates of automobile insurance.
HB 479	Caption: Relating to precluding a compromise, adjustment, settlement or commutation which includes the cost or expense of items of medical aid, hospital services, nursing, chiropractic services, medicines or prosthetic appliances which have not been actually furnished to and received by an employee and providing that after the first final award or judgment, the Industrial Accident Board shall have continuing jurisdiction in the same case to render successive awards to determine the liability of the association for the cost or expense of any such items actually furnished to and received by said employee not more than six (6) months prior to the date of each successive claim filed by the employee.
HB 558	Caption: Relating to providing that teachers and other employees of the public free school system of Texas and of the institutions of higher learning which are tax supported in whole or in part shall not be required to participate, nor prevented from participating in political activities at any level.
HB 687	Caption: Relating to regulating the business of persons who for any consideration whatsoever engage in business as private investigators, guards or patrolmen, or insurance adjusters.
HB 792	Caption: Relating to amending certain acts to provide authority and procedure for the Department of Public Safety to furnish information from the licensing records and the fees to be charged therefor.
HB 922	Caption: Relating to authorizing and requiring the appointment of official shorthand reporters in each District Court and each County Court at Law heretofore and hereinafter created in counties having a population of eight hundred thousand (800,000) or more.
HB 948	Caption: Relating to the issuance of time warrants in independent school districts in counties of more than eight hundred six thousand, seven hundred (806,700) and less than eight hundred six thousand, seven hundred and fifty (806,750).
HCR 91	Caption: Suspending the Joint Rules of the Legislature to allow either house to consider H. B. No. 948 at any time.
HR 41	Caption: Commending the State Board of Insurance's work with private insurance companies to provide a merit rating system.
HR 87	Caption: Urging the US Secretary of the Interior to consider certain locations in Texas for desalination projects.
56th 1st Called Session
HB 62	Caption: Relating to amending the Code of Criminal Procedure by increasing attorney fees for representation of indigents accused of felony offenses.
HR 53	Caption: Directing the creation of a committee to study the operations of the State Hospitals and Special Schools system.
HR 94	Caption: Directing the creation of a committee to study road building and maintenance of the Texas Farm to Market Road Program.
56th 2nd Called Session
HB 38	Caption: Relating to amending the Code of Criminal Procedure increasing attorney fees for representation of indigents accused of felony offense; providing for fees on pleas of guilty.
HR 92	Caption: Requesting the meeting of the Joint Conference Committee to hold meetings open to the public.