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5 Document(s) [ Subject: Freedom of religion ]
| Committee: | Senate State Affairs | |
| Title: | Interim Report | |
| Subjects: | Abortion | Campus carry | Concealed weapons | Court costs and fees | Election fraud | Freedom of religion | Gun control | Human trafficking | Lobbyists | Occupational licenses | Penalties and sentences (Criminal justice) | Privacy | State agencies | Theft | Voter registration | Voting by mail | Voting systems | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.86 St29a | |
| Session: | 86th R.S. (2019) | |
| Online version: | View report [51 pages File size: 1,479 kb] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Human Trafficking: Examine opportunities and make recommendations to reduce the profitability of and demand for human trafficking in Texas. Determine ways to increase public awareness on the proliferation of human trafficking, as well as resources for victims and survivors. Review the interaction between local, state, and federal agencies in responding to and prosecuting human trafficking and sex trafficking offenses in Texas' five most populous counties. Make recommendations to ensure law enforcement agencies and prosecutors have the tools necessary to promptly and thoroughly respond to these crimes. | |
| 2. | Elections: Study the integrity and security of voter registration rolls, voting machines, and voter qualification procedures to reduce election fraud in Texas. Specifically, study and make recommendations to: 1) ensure counties are accurately verifying voter eligibility after voter registration; 2) improve training requirements for mail-in ballot signature verification committees; 3) ensure every voter has access to a polling station, particularly in counties that have adopted countywide polling; 4) allow the voter registrar, county clerk, and Secretary of State to suspend an unqualified voter's registration or remove an ineligible voter from a list of registered voters; and 5) ensure compliance with laws that prohibit school trustees and employees from improperly using public funds to advocate for or against any candidate, measure, or political party. | |
| 3. | Conscience Protections for Professionals: Assess current legal protections in Texas law for professionals and students studying to pursue a professional license that have an conscience-based objection that could interfere with a professional service. Evaluate any discrimination by state agencies against an applicant for or holder of an occupational license based on a sincerely held religious belief. Make recommendations to protect Texas professionals with conscience objections. | |
| 4. | Private Personal Data: Study how state agencies sell or otherwise distribute the personal data of Texas residents and recommend whether additional measures are needed to prevent the unwanted disclosure of personal information. | |
| 5. | Taxpayer Lobbying: Study how governmental entities use public funds for political lobbying purposes. Examine what types of governmental entities use public funds for lobbying purposes. Make recommendations to protect taxpayers from paying for lobbyists who may not represent the taxpayers’ interests. | |
| 6. | Second Amendment: Examine Second Amendment legislation passed since the 84th Legislative Session including open carry, campus carry, and lowering the license to carry fee. Determine the impact these laws have made on furthering and protecting Second Amendment rights. Make recommendations that may further protect and enhance Texans' Second Amendment right to bear arms. | |
| 7. | Personal Property Protections: Examine prosecution rates for thefts involving property valued under $1,000. Make recommendations to ensure law enforcement agencies and prosecutors have the tools necessary to thoroughly protect Texans' personal property from theft. | |
| 8. | Lobbying Loopholes: Review current lobby laws and examine exceptions that allow certain individuals to avoid registration as lobbyists. Consider whether the exceptions are fair, transparent, and promote the public's trust in their elected officials and governmental institutions. Propose whether these exceptions should be limited or removed so that all people engaging in lobbying must report their lobbying activities. | |
| 9. | Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on State Affairs passed by the 86th 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:
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| Committee: | Senate State Affairs | |
| Title: | Interim Report | |
| Subjects: | Abortion | Attorney General of Texas | Court costs and fees | Emergency communications | Emergency management | Evacuation routes | Fees | Freedom of religion | Freedom of speech | Gun control | Higher education | Human trafficking | Natural disasters | Penalties and sentences (Criminal justice) | Price gouging | Public retirement systems | Theft | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.85 ST29a | |
| Session: | 85th R.S. (2017) | |
| Online version: | View report [71 pages] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Review the interaction between federal, state, and local agencies in charge of responding to natural disasters. Examine emergency situation operations, including evacuation routes and procedures, and the efficient use of Disaster Recovery Centers. Make recommendations to ensure emergency management officials have the tools and authority necessary to promptly and appropriately respond to disaster areas and alert citizens to potential threats. | |
| 2. | Study and make recommendations on the benefit of the state maintaining a single, web-based source of comprehensive information that outlines the State Emergency Operations during times of disaster. | |
| 3. | Review the Attorney General's efforts related to price-gouging and identify existing issues with current law, if any, that could be remedied to further protect Texans during times of disaster. | |
| 4. | Review laws related to looting crimes. Examine whether current penalties and enhancements are sufficient to deter looting crimes during a disaster. | |
| 5. | Second Amendment: Review local ordinances imposed on sellers and venues that affect a person's rights under the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. Examine state and local regulations and restrictions regarding the carrying of weapons during a natural disaster. Make recommendations on whether any legislation is needed to address the regulatory barriers to the full exercise of the Second Amendment rights of citizens. | |
| 6. | Pensions: Examine and assess public pension systems in Texas. Specifically, review and assess (1) the different types of retirement plans; (2) the actuarial assumptions used by retirement systems to value their liabilities and the consequences of amending those assumptions; (3) retirement systems' investment practices and performance; and (4) the adequacy of financial disclosures including asset returns and fees. Make recommendations to ensure public pension system retirees' benefits are preserved and protected. | |
| 7. | Attorney General Jurisdiction: Examine the Attorney General's jurisdiction on issues of alleged violations of state laws regarding abortion and multi -jurisdictional human trafficking cases. Make recommendations to ensure uniform enforcement across the state. | |
| 8. | Court Fees: Examine the structure of court fees and make recommendations to ensure statutory filing fees and court costs are appropriate and justified. Provide reeommendations for proper agency oversight of fee collection. | |
| 9. | Campus Free Speech: Ascertain any restrictions on Freedom of Speech rights that Texas students face in expressing their views on campus along with freedoms of the press, religion, and assembly. Recommend policy changes that protect First Amendment rights and enhance the free speech environment on campus. | |
| 10. | Religious Liberty: Monitor the implementation of legislation that protects citizens' religious freedoms, including Senate Bill 24 (sermon safeguard) and House Bill 555 (religious liberty of county clerks), and make recommendations for any legislation needed to ensure that citizens' religious freedoms are not eroded by local ordinances or state or federal law. | |
| 11. | Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on State Affairs, 85th R.S., and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/ or complete implementation. Specifically, monitor the following: Implementation of Senate Bill 2190, relating to the public retirement systems of certain municipalities; • Implementation of House Bill 3158, relating to the retirement systems for and the provision of other benefits to police and firefighters in certain municipalities; • Implementation of House Bill 3976, relating to the administration of and benefits payable under the Texas Public School Retired Employees Group Benefits Act; and • Implementation of Senate Bill 16, relating to decreasing the fee for the issuance of a license to carry a handgun. | |
| Committee: | Senate State Affairs | |
| Title: | Interim Report | |
| Subjects: | Campus carry | Eminent domain | Employees Retirement System of Texas | Ethics Commission, Texas | Ethics complaints | Freedom of religion | Government ethics | Guardianship | Guns | Judge salaries | Judicial selection | Military personnel | Open carry | Organized labor | Police chiefs | Public Integrity Unit | Public retirement systems | Religious conservatives (Politics) | Religious discrimination | Straight ticket voting | Teacher Retirement System of Texas | Texas Rangers (Law enforcement) | Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act | Voting systems | Weapons | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.84 St29a | |
| Session: | 84th R.S. (2015) | |
| Online version: | View report [70 pages] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Religious Liberty: Examine measures to affirm 1st Amendment religious liberty protections in Texas, along with the relationship between local ordinances and state and federal law. Make recommendations to ensure that the government does not force individuals, organizations or businesses to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs. | |
| 2. | Union Dues: Examine the practice of using public funds and employees for the payment processing of union dues. Make recommendations on whether Texas should end this practice. | |
| 3. | Chief Law Enforcement Officers: Examine whether there are chief law enforcement officers within the state who deny NFA applications without any cause. Examine the application and certification process and recommend ways to eliminate no-cause denials. | |
| 4. | Judicial Matters: Examine the need to adjust Texas judicial salaries to attract, maintain, and support a qualified judiciary capable of meeting the current and future needs of Texas and its citizens. Study and recommend whether Texas should delink legislators' standard service retirement annuities from district judge salaries. Examine the effect of eliminating straight-party voting for candidates for judicial office and make recommendations to ensure candidates are given individual consideration by voters. | |
| 5. | Eminent Domain: Gather and review data on the compensation provided to private property owners for property purchased or taken by entities with eminent domain authority. Examine the variance, if any, between the offers and the fair market values of properties taken through eminent domain. Make recommendations to ensure property owners are fairly compensated. | |
| 6. | Ethics: Review current ethics laws governing public officials and employees and recommend changes necessary to inspire the public’s confidence in a transparent and ethically principled government. Review public officials’ reporting requirements to the Texas Ethics Commission. Examine the categorization of ethics reporting violations and make recommendations to encourage accurate reporting and timely correction to inadvertent clerical errors. | |
| 7. | Monitoring Charge: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on State Affairs during the 84th R.S. and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation. Specifically, monitor the following: 1) Implementation of open and campus carry legislation and determine if the current laws regulating the places that handguns can be carried are easily understood or if clarification is needed to ensure the average citizen understands when, where, and under what circumstances it is lawful to carry a weapon, versus when it is a criminal offense for which there may be a defense; 2) Requirements for guardianships; 3) The electronic voting program for certain military members serving overseas; 4) Changes made to the Employment Retirement System regarding member contributions and proposed reforms to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas; and 5) The establishment of a public integrity unit under the authority of Texas Rangers. | |
| Committee: | Senate State Affairs | |
| Title: | Charge 9 RFRA and electronic filing | |
| Library Catalog Title: | Senate Committee on State Affairs report to the 77th Legislature : charge 9, monitoring implementation of Texas RFRA and electronic filing. | |
| Subjects: | Campaign contributors | Campaign funds | Freedom of religion | Religion | Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.76 st29a 9 | |
| Session: | 76th R.S. (1999) | |
| Online version: | View report [55 pages File size: 1,720 kb] | |
| Charge: | This report should address the charge below. | |
| 1. | Monitor the implementation of the following bills enacted during the 76th R.S.: SB 138, 76th R.S., relating to government restrictions on the exercise of religion; and HB 2611, 76th R.S., relating to electronic reporting of certain political contributions and political expenditures. | |
| Committee: | House Health Services | |
| Title: | Interim Report | |
| Library Catalog Title: | To the speaker and members of the Texas House of Representatives, 67th Legislature : interim report of the / Committee on Health Services, Texas House of Representatives, 66th Legislature. | |
| Subjects: | Alcohol laws and regulations | Alcoholism | Child care | Freedom of religion | Health, Texas Department of | Medical assistants | Nursing shortages | Rabies | Rural health care | State agencies | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.66 h349r | |
| Session: | 66th R.S. (1979) | |
| Online version: | View report [236 pages File size: 10,319 kb] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Determine what standards, operational changes, funding, and other matters are needed to improve outpatient health facilities and rural health clinics. | |
| 2. | Study the implementation of HB 1323, 66th R.S., and determine if additional authority is needed for the Board of Health to effectively deal with the statewide control and eradication of rabies. | |
| 3. | Recommend means of eliminating the shortage of nursing home care in Texas with emphasis on needed statutory changes, funding needs, and alternative care. | |
| 4. | Review the Child Care Licensing Act of 1975 exploring the constitutional aspects of State involvement in such licensure. | |
| 5. | Review the effects of the Uniform Alcoholism and Intoxication Treatment Act on those states which have implemented it; determine the cost of enforcing the state laws dealing with public intoxication, and make recommendations regarding the feasibility of decriminalizing public intoxication. | |
| 6. | Study the operations of health systems agencies (HSA) in Texas as to their responsiveness to local needs, adherence to the State Health Plan, and overall productivity and effectiveness. | |
| 7. | Study the Texas Department of Health (TDH) to monitor its growth and determine its role and scope and future needs. | |
| 8. | Study the implications of Texas Attorney General Opinion H-1295 and other legal restraints on the use of protocols and standing orders in the provision of health services. | |
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