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4 Document(s) [ Subject: Social media ]

Committee: Senate Business and Commerce
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Electric utilities | Electric utility deregulation | Electric utility rates and charges | Emergency management | Flood insurance | Flood plains | Health insurance | Health insurance exchanges | Home equity lines of credit | Home equity loans | Hurricane Harvey | Mortgages | Natural disasters | Occupational licenses | Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Privacy | Social media | Texas Constitution | Wills and estates |
Library Call Number: L1836.85 B963
Session: 85th R.S. (2017)
Online version: View report [133 pages]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Study infrastructure security and energy restoration post weather events. Identify ways state government entities can help utilities more effectively stage pre-hurricane mobilization crews for managing resources before an event.
2. Examine state mortgage requirements regarding the notification of homebuyers on their need for flood insurance in flood plains and flood pool areas and make recommendations on how to better inform consumers.
3. Examine local government regulations, including occupational licenses, as related to Hurricane Harvey and determine if any are a detriment to rebuilding efforts.
4. Examine and make recommendations on the need for changes to the Texas Constitution for home equity lenders to offer various forms of relief to Texas homeowners affected by natural disasters including, among others, the authority to enter into deferment agreements. This examination should include a study of home equity rules regarding negotiation, modification and refinancing and whether constitutionally established time periods can be waived in times of disasters.
5. Free Market Electricity: Examine the competitive nature of the Texas retail electric system and what government competitive intrusions in the free energy markets may have in distorting those markets. Review the impact of competitive versus noncompetitive retail electricity markets across the state in terms of price and reliability. Consider the projected impact of establishing competitive electric retail markets statewide.
6. Health Insurance Market Stability: Study the factors affecting health insurance markets in Texas, particularly the individual market, including federal and state law. Make recommendations that would result in increased stability in the markets and enhance value and affordability for individual consumers and businesses. Examine what steps the state needs to take to allow out-of-state health insurance sales. In developing its recommendations, the committee should consider the flexibility afforded to states by 1332 "state innovation" waivers, which allow states to modify or eliminate tax penalties associated with individual and employer coverage mandates; modify requirements for benefits and subsidies; and find alternative ways to provide benefit plan choices, determine eligibility for subsidies, and enroll consumers.
7. Licensing and Fees: Review licensing requirements and fees imposed on entities within the committee's jurisdiction. Make recommendations for state licenses and fees that should be reduced, repealed or transitioned to private-sector enforcement.
8. Social Media Access: Study access issues regarding digital assets of decedents. Study social media privacy laws and whether job applicants and students' privacy is jeopardized under current law.
9. Examine the 2018 electric reliability forecasts announced by ERCOT and review how expected diminished reserve markets will impact the rates of residential and business consumers. Monitor current mechanisms available to ERCOT to ensure grid reliability, identify trends in the wholesale electric market, and make recommendations to maintain grid reliability moving forward.
10. Monitoring Charge: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Business and Commerce during the 85th R.S., including: • The implementation of legislation to deregulate occupational licensing; • The settlement of out-of-network health benefit claims involving balance billing and patient's explanation of benefits statements; and • Make recommendations regarding any additional legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/ or complete implementation.
Committee: Senate Administration
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: e-government | Electronic security | Records management | Senate Committee on Administration | Senate, Texas State | Social media | State Preservation Board | Texas Legislature Online |
Library Call Number: L1836.82 Ad85
Session: 82nd R.S. (2011)
Online version: View report [12 pages]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Continue to develop and implement cost efficiencies in the structure and operation of Senate offices and committees. Make recommendations for improving office functions and procedures and for enhancing services to Senators, the Lieutenant Governor, and members of the public.
2. Review the online legislative resources available to the Legislature and the public, and make recommendations to enhance availability and transparency of governmental information. Ensure that any recommendations include safeguards to make certain that only reliable and appropriate resource information and official public documents are made available, that official documents are not readily manipulated by external entities, and that any information is maintained in a manner consistent with records retention requirements.
3. Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Administration, 82nd Legislature, Regular and Called Sessions, and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation.
Committee: House Government Efficiency and Reform
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Accenture LLP | Administrative Hearings, State Office of | Competitive bidding | Design/build process | Government transparency | Health and Human Services Commission, Texas | IBM | Identity requirements | Information Resources, Texas Department of | Local government contracts | Occupational licenses | Privatization | Roofing | Rules and regulations | Social media | State agencies | State government contracts | State purchasing | Texas State Data Center |
Library Call Number: L1836.82 G747r
Session: 82nd R.S. (2011)
Online version: View report [161 pages]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Examine and make recommendations on purchasing cooperatives created under Chapter 791 of the Texas Government Code, including the bid process and the role of inter-local contracts. Clarify for consistency the following terms: purchasing cooperatives, inter-local contracts, and inter-local agreements.
2. Examine the utilization of alternative project delivery methods, such as design-build and construction-manager-at-risk, by municipalities, water districts, and authorities, and other local governmental entities since the passage of HB 1886, 80th Legislature.
3. Examine interagency agreements and charges for providing information or personal identification documents at the request of a state agency to fulfill day-to-day operations at the expense of the requesting state agency.
4. Examine areas of potential privatization of state services in an effort to achieve a higher level of service and greater efficiency for Texas taxpayers. (Joint with the House Committee on State Affairs)
5. Examine state agency rulemaking and consider ways to improve procedural efficiencies and public transparency, and to better inform policymakers as to their use, purpose, and cost-effectiveness, including an examination of the financial and other impacts such regulations have on both the license holder and the public. (Joint with the House Committee on State Affairs)
6. Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction and the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 82nd Legislature.
7. Find ways to increase transparency, accountability and efficiency in state government.
Committee: House Technology
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: 911 emergency telephone service | Broadband infrastructure | High tech industry | Information Resources, Texas Department of | Personnel management | Privatization | Rural areas | Social media | Texas Emerging Technology Fund | Universal Service Fund | Workforce | Workforce Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.82 T227
Session: 82nd R.S. (2011)
Online version: View report [41 pages]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Examine ways to create incentives for technology companies to come to Texas, including the feasibility of public-private partnerships. The study should include the economic impact of the high-tech industry in Texas and the state's ability to compete with other states for high-tech jobs. Examine the state's current areas of differentiated technology research and development and recommend strategies to capitalize on that intellectual property and commercialization. Include strategies to attract Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding to Texas.
2. Examine the benefits and financial costs associated with modernizing 911 call centers with the newest technology to connect dispatchers with callers using mobile means of communication in the fastest and most accurate manner possible during a time of emergency.
3. Study the impact of federal broadband expansion programs on rural areas. Coordinate this review with the Public Utility Commission's evaluation of the state Texas Universal Service Fund and the Federal Communications Commission's national broadband plan.
4. Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction and the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 82nd Legislature.
5. Examine human resource policies of state agencies that would integrate the implementation of social media to strengthen the state's workforce.

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