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6 Document(s) [ Subject: Artificial intelligence ]

Committee: House Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies, Select
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Artificial intelligence | Data privacy | Electronic security | Homeland security | Security measures | Social media |
Library Call Number: L1836.88 AR791
Session: 88th R.S. (2023)
Online version: View report [57 pages  File size: 235 kb]
Charge: This report should address the charge below.
1. The committee is created to conduct a comprehensive review of the advancements in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies (AI/ET) and the economic, ethical, and societal implications of those advancements. The review shall include:
(1) Examining the current state of AI/ET and its uses by public and private actors in modern society;
(2) Determining the impact of the application of AI/ET on various sectors of society, including employment, healthcare, homeland and national security, and transportation;
(3) Identifying policy considerations necessary to ensure the responsible deployment of AI/ET in Texas by both public and private actors; and
(4) Formulating recommendations for legislative, policy, regulatory, and remedial actions needed to address the challenges and opportunities presented by AI/ET.
Committee: House Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies, Select
Title: Final report
Subjects: Artificial intelligence | Data privacy | Electronic security | Homeland security | Security measures | Social media |
Library Call Number: L1836.88 AR791F
Session: 88th R.S. (2023)
Online version: View report [35 pages  File size: 1,536 kb]
Charge: This report should address the charge below.
1. The committee is created to conduct a comprehensive review of the advancements in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies (AI/ET) and the economic, ethical, and societal implications of those advancements. The review shall include:
(1) Examining the current state of AI/ET and its uses by public and private actors in modern society;
(2) Determining the impact of the application of AI/ET on various sectors of society, including employment, healthcare, homeland and national security, and transportation;
(3) Identifying policy considerations necessary to ensure the responsible deployment of AI/ET in Texas by both public and private actors; and
(4) Formulating recommendations for legislative, policy, regulatory, and remedial actions needed to address the challenges and opportunities presented by AI/ET.
Committee: Senate Business and Commerce
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Artificial intelligence | Demand Response Program | Digital currencies | Electric power plants | Electric Reliability Council of Texas | Electricity transmission and distribution | Energy conservation | Insurance industry | Noncompete agreements | Public Utility Commission of Texas | Texas Energy Fund |
Library Call Number: L1836.88 B963
Session: 88th R.S. (2023)
Online version: View report [32 pages  File size: 594 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Electricity Market Design: Assess state efforts to provide incentives for new thermal generation. Review and report on the state of the electricity market in Texas and issues impacting the reliability and resiliency of the Texas electric grid. Consider rulemaking related to wholesale market design, including the impact of these changes on grid reliability, market revenues, costs to consumers, and the efficiency of operations. Examine and report on the direct and indirect impacts that variable resources, such as wind and solar, have on grid resiliency, consumer prices, and market uncertainty. Monitor the implementation of HB 1500, 88th R.S.
2. Texas Energy Fund: Review and report on the impact of SB 2627, 88th R.S., the Powering Texas Forward Act, as passed by the 88th Legislature, which established the Texas Energy Fund (TEF) to provide grants and loans to finance the construction, maintenance, modernization, and operation of electric facilities in Texas.
3. Innovative Power Generation: Explore emerging technologies with the potential to add new dispatchable power to our electric grid including, but not limited, to small modular nuclear reactors, advanced batteries, and new developments in hydrogen and geothermal resources. Identify and recommend regulatory and policy actions required to deploy emerging technologies within the state's electric grid.
4. Transmitting Texas Power: Identify the future electric transmission and distribution system needs of the state and recommend ways to reduce barriers to constructing the necessary electric infrastructure to support the growing demand and changes in technology. Review and make any necessary recommendations to enhance legislation passed during the 88th legislative session, including the status of projects to improve the safety and resiliency of the transmission system, as well as the effect of current and future projects on consumer costs.
5. Managing Texas Sized Growth: Evaluate the state's ability to keep pace with increasing electricity demand related to population growth and energy intensive technologies such as electric vehicles and data centers. Recommend ways to increase reliability via demand-side response programs. Study ERCOT's forecasting methodology and recommend ways to increase transparency. Monitor ongoing efforts at the Public Utility Commission related to energy efficiency programs and distributed energy resources, including the implementation of SB 1699, 88th R.S.
6. Impact of Bitcoin Mining on the Texas Electric Grid: Study the impact of energy-intensive cryptocurrency mining facilities on the Texas electric grid. Report on whether any changes should be made to ERCOT demand response programs and large flexible load registration requirements to limit the impact of these facilities on system reliability and consumer costs.
7. Addressing the Rising Cost of Insurance: Assess the impact of rising property and casualty insurance costs on Texas property owners, real estate lenders, and commercial and industrial development. Identify ways to increase consumer transparency to better inform coverage decisions and make recommendations to ensure a competitive and affordable insurance market for consumers.
8. Artificial Intelligence: Examine the development and utilization of artificial intelligence (AI). Evaluate the implications of AI adoption across the public and private sectors. Make recommendations for a responsible regulatory framework for AI development, including data privacy, industry standards, consumer protections, risk mitigation, and compliance processes. Propose any necessary changes to state law to protect the Texas radio, television, music, and film industries against unauthorized use by AI. Monitor the findings of the Texas Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council.
9. Non-Compete Agreements: Examine the impact of the Federal Trade Commission’s final rule on non-compete agreements on Texas employers including, but not limited to, contractual exceptions and limitations on independent contractors, for-profit and non-profit businesses, and senior executives. Identify ways to address balancing legitimate business interests of employers while also protecting employment mobility, increasing innovation, and fostering new business formation. Report on whether any changes should be made to existing law on the criteria, procedures, and remedies on enforcing non-compete and alternative agreements.
Committee: Senate Criminal Justice
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Artificial intelligence | Bail | Child sexual abuse | Crime laboratories | Crime victims | Electronic monitoring of offenders | Financial Crimes Intelligence Center | Forensics | Identity theft | Licensing and Regulation, Texas Department of | Organized crime | Rape kits | Sex crimes | Sexually explicit content | Theft |
Library Call Number: L1836.88 C868
Session: 88th R.S. (2023)
Online version: View report [162 pages  File size: 13,874 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Stopping Child Predators: Study how predators use deepfake technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to harm or exploit children. Monitor the implementation of HB 2700, 88th R.S., relating to prosecution of certain criminal offenses prohibiting sexually explicit visual material involving children. Recommend additional legislation to protect children as technology continues to evolve.
2. Bail Reform: Examine "charitable bail organizations" that pay bail for defendants, thereby relieving them of any financial incentive to appear in court. Study the operations and funding sources of these organizations. Make recommendations to ensure accountability for "charitable bail organizations" that provide free bond for arrested individuals that reoffend while out on bond; further restrict these organizations’ ability to post bail for violent individuals; and promote transparency.
3. Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice passed by the 88th Legislature, as well as relevant agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction. Specifically, make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, or complete implementation of the following:
  • SB 1004, 88th R.S., relating to creating the criminal offense of tampering with an electronic monitoring device and to certain consequences on conviction of that offense.
4. Supporting Victims of Sexual Assault: Examine the collection and processing of "rape kits" by law enforcement agencies and testing laboratories. Make recommendations to ensure that forensic evidence collected from victims of sexual assault is processed in a timely manner.
5. Retail Theft: Study the effects of organized retail crime in Texas and in other states. Evaluate the reporting and legislative suggestions from the statewide Organized Retail Theft Task Force. Make recommendations to protect the safety of retail employees and business owners in Texas.
6. Financial Crimes: Evaluate financial criminal activity trends in Texas, including the fiscal impact on consumers, financial institutions, local economies, and businesses. Determine the extent of payment fraud by transnational criminal gangs. Study the impact of the Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC). Make recommendations that enhance penalties for check and payment fraud and identify ways to strengthen financial crime investigations in Texas.
Committee: Senate Education Subcommittee on Higher Education
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Antisemitism | Artificial intelligence | Community college finance | Diversity, equity, and inclusion | Freedom of speech | Higher education | University curriculum | University faculty |
Library Call Number: : L1836.88 ED83H
Session: 88th R.S. (2023)
Online version: View report [41 pages  File size: 588 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Higher Education - "Faculty Senates": Review and analyze the structures and governance in higher education, focusing on the role of "faculty senates," and like groups, in representing faculty interests to higher education institution administrations. Make recommendations to establish guidelines for the role and representation of faculty by "faculty senates," and like groups, at higher education institutions in Texas.
2. Innovation and Technology in Higher Education: Investigate the opportunities and challenges of emerging technology on teaching and learning, focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), online education, and digital resources. Examine aspects of intellectual property as they relate to the development of AI programs and platforms by institutions of higher education and explore the ethical issues institutions of higher education should contemplate when developing AI programs and platforms. Make recommendations to responsibly and ethically utilize emerging technology to enhance learning in higher education.
3. Monitor the Ban on Discriminatory DEI Policies: Examine the implementation of SB 17, 88th R.S., which bans discriminatory "DEI" initiatives at institutions of public higher education. Review and report on the progress each institution has made in aligning university policies and procedures with the provisions of Senate Bill 17, ensuring Texas college campuses foster equal opportunity and reward individual merit and achievement.
4. Combating Antisemitism on Texas College Campuses: Review campus policies to prevent antisemitism. Study the oversight Texas institutions of higher education have over the formation and operations of student organizations, including access to campus facilities and use of campus property. Make recommendations to prevent antisemitism on college campuses, while protecting First Amendment rights.
5. Public Junior College State Finance Program: Monitor the implementation of the new community college funding model as recommended by the Texas Commission on Community College Finance. Report on whether the rulemaking process is being successfully completed to focus on student outcomes and enhancing the role of public junior colleges in workforce training and preparation.
6. Campus Free Speech: Examine the procedures of Texas public institutions of higher education designed to protect the First Amendment free speech rights of faculty, staff, and students. Monitor and report on compliance Senate Bill 18, 86th Legislature, and make recommendations for any needed reforms.
7. Stopping DEI to Strengthen the Texas Workforce: Examine programs and certificates at higher education institutions that maintain discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Expose how these programs and their curriculum are damaging and not aligned with state workforce demands. Make recommendations for any needed reforms to ensure universities are appropriately educating students to meet workforce needs.
8. Core Curriculum Course Accessibility: Review student access to core curriculum courses at Texas institutions of higher education. Examine the availability of these courses both online and in-person, as well as any issues that would prevent or reduce in-person access. Make recommendations for any needed reforms to ensure that all students have equal in-person access to core courses.
Committee: House Transportation
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Air transportation | Artificial intelligence | Border security | Border transportation | Bridges | Data privacy | Economic impact | Electric vehicle fees and taxes | Electric vehicles | Exports | Fraud | Highway construction | Highway maintenance | Imports | Infrastructure | International trade | License plates | Motor Vehicles, Texas Department of | Ports | Railroads | Self-driving vehicles | Semi-trailer trucks | Ships and shipping | Speed limits | Toll roads | Traffic | Traffic safety | Transportation Commission, Texas | Transportation, Texas Department of | Vehicle registration |
Library Call Number: L1836.88 T687
Session: 88th R.S. (2023)
Online version: View report [61 pages  File size: 4,178 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Monitoring: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 88th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure the intended legislative outcome of all legislation.
2. Port Infrastructure and Maritime Industry: Study long-term needs of the maritime industry in Texas. Evaluate the implementation status of the Maritime Port Mission Plan and make recommendations to improve port planning, safety measures, and project delivery. Examine status of TxDOT seaport projects that received funding during the 88th Legislature.
3. Bridge Safety: Evaluate the current status of state-maintained bridges, existing safety standards related to bridges, and long-term financial needs for bridge planning, construction, maintenance, and inspection. Examine ways to improve bridge project delivery.
4. Alleviating Road Traffic: Identify the state's most congested roadways and review state forecasts for future congestion and the expected impact on economic activity. Evaluate TxDOT plans for alleviating congestion and consider the necessity of additional options to ensure economic development, congestion, and safety goals are achieved in a timely manner with reduced cost to public tax dollars.

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