House Committee on County Affairs - 85th R.S. (2017)

Committee:	House County Affairs
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Alternatives to incarceration | Counties | County budgets | County employees | Criminal justice | Emergency management | Flood control | Flooding | Hurricane Harvey | Infrastructure | Land use regulations | Mentally ill inmates | Natural disasters | Salaries |
Library Call Number:	L1836.85 C832
Session:	85th R.S. (2017)
Online version:	View report [75 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Examine how emergency response activities are organized, funded, and coordinated. Review the impact of natural disasters on county finances. Identify any deficiencies in authority for the most populous counties related to infrastructure planning, emergency response, and recovery. Explore ways to improve efficiencies and manage costs while protecting public safety. Additionally, study the relationship between the state, counties, non-governmental organizations, and churches in preparing for and responding to Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath, and determine if preparedness plans are adequate.
2.	Evaluate whether counties have the necessary ordinance-making and enforcement authority to deal with flood risk in unincorporated rural and suburban areas of Texas. Additionally, examine whether counties have adequate resources and authority to ensure that new development in unincorporated areas is not susceptible to flooding.
3.	Study how counties identify defendants' and inmates' behavioral health needs and deferral opportunities to appropriate rehabilitative and transition services. Consider models for ensuring defendants and inmates with mental illness receive appropriate services upon release from the criminal justice system.
4.	Review the population limitations found in Local Government Code Section 154.041 and Local Government Code Section 113.047. Determine if counties with a population below 190,000 could benefit from the population limitations being removed.
5.	Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 85th Legislature.
Supporting documents
Committee:	House County Affairs
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, May 10, 2018 (emergency response)
Library Call Number:
Session:	85th R.S. (2017)
Online version:	View document [108 pages  File size: 9,830 kb]
Committee:	House County Affairs
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, August 23, 2018 (emergency response, county flood ordinances, inmate behavioral health needs)
Library Call Number:
Session:	85th R.S. (2017)
Online version:	View document [174 pages  File size: 12,880 kb]

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