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5 Document(s) [ Subject: Marijuana ]

Committee:	Senate State Affairs
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Affordable housing | Age (Law) | Agriculture | Alcohol laws and regulations | Audits | Beverages | Bingo | BlackRock | Boycotts | Child welfare | Children's mental health | Citizenship | Compassionate Use Act, Texas | Countywide Polling Place Program | Distilleries | e-commerce | Election administration | Election security | Electioneering | Elections | Emergency shelters | Environmental, Social, and Governance | Farm Bill | Farm produce | Financial investments | Foreign real estate transactions | Freedom of speech | Gambling | Government transparency | Hemp | High tech industry | Homelessness | Immigrants | Impeachment | Investment of public funds | Ku Klux Klan | Landlords and tenants | Lottery Commission, Texas | Lottery.com | Marijuana | Minors | Natural gas industry | Oil industry | Open government | Open Meetings Act, Texas | Open records requests and decisions | Paxton, Ken | Political violence | Pornography | Primary elections | Product safety | Public demonstrations | Public Information Act, Texas | Public retirement systems | Real estate transactions | Runoff elections | School districts | Secretary of State, Texas | Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act | Social media | State comparisons | Substance abuse | Texas Constitution | Texas Distilled Spirits Association | Texas history | Texas Lottery | Transitional housing | U.S. Constitution | Voter registration |
Library Call Number:	L1836.88 ST29A
Session:	88th R.S. (2023)
Online version:	View report [93 pages  File size: 2,963 kb]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Maintaining Election Security: Identify threats to Texas’s election integrity, including those from "Big Tech" and foreign entities. Recommend ways to neutralize such threats. Additionally, evaluate the countywide polling place program in Texas. Make recommendations to address countywide polling issues, such as increased wait times, longer travel distances, supply shortages, and reporting irregularities. Evaluate current laws that prohibit political subdivisions and public school districts from using government resources for illegal electioneering. Make recommendations to strengthen these laws and put a stop to illegal electioneering.
2.	Social Media & Protecting Children: Study the impact of social media use on children. Review current mechanisms in place to protect minors online. Monitor the implementation of HB 18, 88th R.S., relating to the protection of minors from harmful, deceptive, or unfair trade practices in connection with the use of certain digital services and electronic devices, including the use and transfer of electronic devices to students by a public school. Make policy recommendations to further protect Texas children online.
3.	Protecting Texas Land and Assets: Evaluate strategic land and asset acquisitions in Texas by foreign entities that threaten the safety and security of the United States. Further, evaluate large-scale purchases of single-family homes by domestic entities and its impact on housing affordability for Texas families. Make recommendations to ensure Texans are secure from foreign threats and homes are affordable in our state.
4.	Responsible Investing: Study the impact of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors on our state’s public pensions, with a focus on proxy voting services. Make recommendations to ensure our state’s pension systems vote and invest in accordance with their fiduciary responsibility to maximize profit. Additionally, monitor the implementation of SB 13, 87th R.S., relating to state contracts with and investments in certain companies that boycott energy companies. Specifically, examine how a company is removed from the list of companies that boycott energy companies when the company ceases to boycott energy companies. Report on how frequently the list maintained by the comptroller is updated and make recommendations to ensure an ongoing accurate list.
5.	Banning Delta 8 and 9: Examine the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Texas. Make recommendations to further regulate the sale of these products, and suggest legislation to stop retailers who market these products to children.
6.	Impeachment Reform: Evaluate the constitutional and statutory impeachment procedures in our state. Make recommendations to ensure a fair and transparent process.
7.	Runoff Elections: Study the prerequisites, timing, and efficiency of runoff elections. Make recommendations to increase the efficiency and lower the costs of runoff elections. Examine the 50% vote threshold to avoid a runoff, particularly when four or more candidates are running for the same office. Report whether the vote percentage threshold should be lowered in some instances.
8.	Lottery: Study "lottery courier services," which allow their clients to purchase lottery tickets over the internet. Report on the number of couriers and the magnitude of sales from such services in Texas. Determine whether courier services are operating legally in Texas and whether a change in law is needed to respond to technological advancements to protect children in our state and to maintain original legislative intent. Recommend legislation to clarify Texas’s laws regarding online lottery sales.
9.	Unmasking Protestors: Study the use of face coverings and hoods designed to conceal the identity of those bent on committing crimes at protests. Recommend legislation to stop the chaos and destruction by those who attempt to commit crimes while concealing their identity during public gatherings.
10.	Stop Noncitizen Voting: Evaluate the current safeguards in place to prevent noncitizens from voting in elections. Recommend legislation to facilitate the removal of noncitizen voters from the voter rolls as well as legislation to prevent noncitizens from registering to vote in Texas.
11.	Beverages with THC: Evaluate Texas laws and regulations concerning THC beverage manufacturing and delivery. Report on the current regulations and safeguards Texas may or may not have in place for drinks with any amount of THC. Recommend legislation to protect Texas consumers.
12.	Public Trust in Government: Examine the current state of accountability, ethics, and transparency in local government. Recommend ways to bolster public trust in local government by strengthening the Public Information Act and Open Meetings Act.
13.	Addressing Homelessness: Study programs that address the homelessness crisis in Texas. Specifically, review programs like Haven for Hope and determine whether such programs could be a model throughout our state. Propose legislation to address the root causes of homelessness by expanding successful programs for cities of all sizes.
14.	Election Audit Reports: Evaluate the Secretary of State’s election audit reports. Make recommendations to secure our elections and ensure counties follow the law.
15.	Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on State Affairs passed by the 88th Legislature. Specifically, evaluate the impact of SB 2284, 88th R.S. relating to the sale of distilled spirits to ultimate consumers by the holder of a distiller's and rectifier's permit. Report whether the increased sale of distilled spirits has had a positive impact on economic development and public safety in this industry.
Committee:	House Criminal Jurisprudence
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Bail | Capital punishment | Capital punishment of mentally ill inmates | Capital punishment of mentally disabled inmates | Court Administration, Texas Office of | Court costs and fees | Courts | Criminal justice | Emergency management | Fines | Gun control | Guns | Hurricane Harvey | Jury instructions | Legal malpractice | Marijuana | Mentally ill persons | Penalties and sentences (Criminal justice) | Prosecutorial misconduct | Risk-based decision-making | School safety | School violence | Sex crimes | Shootings | State jail system |
Library Call Number:	L1836.85 C868h
Session:	85th R.S. (2017)
Online version:	View report [103 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Evaluate the impact of Hurricane Harvey on the Texas criminal justice system, including its effect on the speed of criminal trials and litigation, criminal courts, district attorneys' ability to prosecute, and attorneys' ability to provide proper defense. Recommend any changes that could improve operational stability of state criminal justice institutions following a natural disaster and changes that would allow for a more effective response.
2.	Assess developments in medical science and legal standards related to the imposition of the death penalty on defendants with serious mental illness or intellectual and developmental disabilities. Review statutorily prescribed jury instructions used during capital sentencing.
3.	Study current practices for the enforcement of criminal laws against low-level possession of marijuana. Examine the use of alternative punishments and improvements to criminal enforcement mechanisms and community supervision.
4.	Examine instances of prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective assistance of defense counsel. Review systemic and structural issues affecting the resolution of criminal cases.
5.	Examine the legal framework surrounding sexual assault prosecutions, including statutory definitions, certain age-based offenses, and ongoing developments in evidence collection and processing.
6.	Review the Texas state jail system, including its original intent, sentencing guidelines, effectiveness, and recidivism rates. Make recommendations for changes in the state jail system that will improve outcomes. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Corrections)
7.	Monitor the work of the Office of Court Administration on pre-trial risk assessment tools for the Texas Judiciary, and study the use of risk assessment tools at various stages in the criminal justice process. Monitor litigation on Harris County pretrial bond practices. Monitor the implementation of the legislation passed by the 85th Legislature regarding the imposition of fines, fees, and court costs in criminal courts.
8.	Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 85th Legislature.
9.	Review the applicable portions of the state's penal laws and make legislative recommendations regarding whether existing protective order laws are sufficient or could be amended to include 'red flag' or mental health protective orders or whether 'red flag' or mental health protective orders should be independently created to allow law enforcement, a family member, a school employee, or a district attorney to file a petition seeking removal of firearms from a potentially dangerous person and providing for mental health treatment for the potentially dangerous person, while preserving the fundamental rights of the Second Amendment and ensuring due process.
10.	Examine current statutes designed to protect minors from accessing firearms without proper supervision and make recommendations to ensure responsible and safe firearm storage, including enhancing the penalty to a felony when unauthorized access results in death or bodily injury.
Committee:	House County Affairs
Title:	Interim Report
Subjects:	Counties | County jails | Ebola | Emergency management | Homelessness | Hospitals | Jail population | Jail Standards, Texas Commission on | Managed care | Marijuana | Medicaid | Mental health services | Population growth | Specialty courts | Veterans |
Library Call Number:	L1836.83 C832
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View report [106 pages]
Charges:	This report should address the charges below.
1.	Examine population growth in Texas counties and the impact the growth has had on housing, available land resources, businesses in Texas, as well as the impact of growth on the state's economy. Evaluate Texas's preparedness to respond to future growth and ensure economic stability.
2.	Continue oversight of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and issues jails currently face, including the mental health of those in jail, and make recommendations for refinement or improvement of processes and programs.
3.	Monitor the health advisory panel stemming from HB 3793, 83rd R.S..
4.	Determine which counties have implemented a cite-and-summons policy, whether the policy has been effective in lessening overcrowding in county jails, and whether those cited by peace officers comply with the policy.
5.	Study the implementation of SB 462, 83rd R.S.. Examine which counties currently have veterans courts, as well as veterans courts in other states, and determine how those programs are working and whether these courts provide additional services or resources for veterans. Make appropriate recommendations. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs)
6.	Conduct legislative oversight and monitoring of the agencies and programs under the committee’s jurisdiction and the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 83rd Legislature. In conducting this oversight, the committee should: a. consider any reforms to state agencies to make them more responsive to Texas taxpayers and citizens; b. identify issues regarding the agency or its governance that may be appropriate to investigate, improve, remedy, or eliminate; c. determine whether an agency is operating in a transparent and efficient manner; and d. identify opportunities to streamline programs and services while maintaining the mission of the agency and its programs.
Supporting documents
Committee:	House County Affairs
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, May 5, 2014 (Texas Commission on Jail Standards and county jails, HB 3793 mental health advisory panel, cite-and-summons policy, oversight of healthy community collaboratives)
Library Call Number:
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View document [102 pages  File size: 9,604 kb]
Committee:	House County Affairs
Title:	Committee meeting handouts and testimony, October 20, 2014 (Population growth, Texas Commission on Jail Standards and county jails, HB 3793 mental health advisory panel, emergency response preparedness/ebola)
Library Call Number:
Session:	83rd R.S. (2013)
Online version:	View document [171 pages  File size: 12,739 kb]

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