The Texas Restaurant Association approaches advocacy on two fronts: working to defeat legislation and regulations which could negatively impact your business and promoting legislation and regulations which could benefit the industry and your business.
For 140 days, 31 Senators and 150 House members meet in Austin to discuss and debate issues impacting Texans. They will introduce thousands of bills and resolutions, of which hundreds will pass and move on to the Governor to be signed or vetoed. The Capital will be swarming with lobbyists, school children, state agency employees, local constituents and advocacy groups ranging from the Hells Angels to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
The Texas Restaurant Association will be right in the middle of the action, working hard to advocate for the industry’s and our members’ interests. During the current Session, our focus is on the following key issues:
- Legislation that will make it easier and less costly for restaurant employees to obtain food handler certification and food handler permits.
- Legislation to ensure that franchisees are not unduly burdened with high unemployment insurance tax rates when they purchase a franchise from a corporate franchisor or other franchisee. Franchisees should be permitted to use their own unemployment experience rating rather than be forced to accept the higher corporate franchise rate.
- Passage of the Department of State Health Services sunset bill which will provide that Texas restaurant managers maintain the ability to receive manager food safety training through an Internet examination or through a proctored exam setting.
In addition, TRA will be closely following any bills related to the franchise tax; margins tax; alcohol, beer and wine regulations and permitting requirements; immigration reform; labor and employment law; and gun rights. You can follow the key bills that TRA is tracking on our Bill Watch page
If you are interested in receiving Legislative and Regulatory Alerts via email from the Texas Restaurant Association, please sign up here.
You can also find who represents you in the Texas Legislature and begin to establish a relationship with them.
