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3 Document(s) [ Subject: Legislative Budget Board, Texas ]

Committee: Senate Finance
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: Alamo | Alternatives to incarceration | Appropriations bill riders | Business taxes | Criminal justice | Delinquent taxes | Disaster relief | Driver Responsibility Program | Economy | Emergency medical services | Federal aid | Federal funds | Fees | General Land Office, Texas | Hurricane Harvey | Interest rates | Juvenile justice system | Legislative Budget Board, Texas | Natural disasters | Personal property taxes | Probation | Rainy Day Fund | State budget certification | State budgets | Tax refunds | Texas Emissions Reduction Plan |
Library Call Number: L1836.85 F49
Session: 85th R.S. (2017)
Online version: View report [64 pages]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Monitor all funds currently being used to address Hurricane Harvey relief and recovery. Identify ways to maximize the use of federal funds and ensure the efficient use of state funds.
2. Evaluate the long-term impact of Hurricane Harvey on the Texas economy and the gulf coast region.
3. Alamo Historical Site Renovation: Monitor the expenditures of state funds appropriated to the General Land Office for the preservation, maintenance, and operation of the Alamo historical site. Ensure the funds are spent to emphasize the architectural design and the historical impact the battle had on the development of Texas as a nation and as a state.
4. Economic Stabilization Fund: Examine options to increase investment earnings of the Economic Stabilization Fund in a manner that mini mizes overall risk to the fund balance. Investment options should ensure the liquidity of a sufficient portion of the balance so that the legislature has the resources necessary to address the needs of the state, including natural disasters. Evaluate how the Economic Stabilization Fund constitutional limit is calculated; consider alternative methods to calculate the limit, and alternative uses for funds above the limit.
5. Texas Emission Reduction Plan: Review the Texas Emission Reduction Plan (TERP) and its economic benefits to the state. Examine whether the state's investment in TERP, including transfers from the Department of Transportation, are being effectively utilized to comply with federal air quality standards, reduce pollution, and protect the public health of Texans.
6. Request to Exceed Review: Review all riders requiring interim action by the Legislative Budget Board to reduce the number of times interim budget modification is necessary.
7. Fee Structure Review: Review state General Revenue - Dedicated fees and make recommendations to reduce fees and lessen reliance on General Revenue - Dedicated fee balances to certify the budget.
8. Adult and Juvenile Corrections Funding: Examine the funding patterns used to fund the juvenile justice system and adult probation departments. Develop recommendations to ensure the Texas Juvenile Justice Department budget does not dis-incentivize the use of cost-effective best practices such as diverting youth from the juvenile justice system, providing services to youth in their community, and keeping youth closer to home. In addition, review funding to adult probation departments and ensure it provides for an equitable distribution to all Texas Probation Departments.
9. Trauma Funding: Review revenue sources currently funding the state's trauma system and the impact of declining revenues and balances in General Revenue - Dedicated accounts. Evaluate the impact of statutory changes affecting trauma system funding, including efforts to eliminate the Driver Responsibility Program. Examine ways to ensure sustainability of the trauma system in Texas.
10. Property Tax on Business Personal Property: Evaluate the property tax as it applies to business personal property and the current $5oo exemption. Quantify the economic effect of taxing business personal property and determine whether the tax places Texas at a competitive disadvantage relative to other states. Evaluate the burden on taxpayers and local governments of administering the property tax on business personal property and determine whether the current $soo exemption should be increased.
11. Interest Rate Disparity: Evaluate the rate of interest charged on delinquent property taxes and delinquent state taxes, compared to the rate of interest paid on property tax refunds and state tax refunds. • Evaluate the effect of interest rate disparity on the assessment decisions of governments and the payment decisions of taxpayers. • Quantify the amount by which state and local governments profit from interest rate disparity. • Identify best practices among other states regarding interest rates charged and paid. • Recommend a plan and timeline to reduce interest rate disparity.
12. Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of the following funding initiatives: • CPS Critical Needs - Monitor the impact of salary increases and additional caseworkers allocated to Child Protective Services last interim. • Health Care Costs Across State Agencies - Monitor coordination efforts among state agencies to improve health care and reduce costs pursuant to Article IX, Section 10.06 and Section 10.07. • Behavioral Health - Monitor the state's progress in coordinating behavioral health services and expenditures across state government, pursuant to Article IX section 10.04, including the impact of new local grant funding provided by the 85th Legislatu re. • Sporting Goods Sales Tax - Identify state and local park needs and determine whether the Sporting Goods Sales Tax is meeting those needs.
Committee: Senate State Real Property Data Collection, Reporting, and Assessment, Select
Title: Interim Report
Subjects: General Land Office, Texas | Legislative Budget Board, Texas | Property insurance | Public colleges and universities | Risk Management, State Office of | State agencies | State buildings | State land | Texas State Capitol complex |
Library Call Number: L1836.84 R229
Session: 84th R.S. (2015)
Online version: View report [10 pages]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Study the potential benefits of maintaining a comprehensive database of all real property owned by the state.
2. Study the potential financial loss to the state that could result from the state owning uninsured and underinsured real property.
3. Study any efficiencies or cost savings potentially achieved by requiring the General Land Office to submit the annual report required under Section 31.157, Natural Resources Code, to the Texas Department of Transportation, the Employees Retirement System of Texas, and the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
4. Study the potential benefits or burdens, including administrative burdens, of requiring each state agency and institution of higher education to report information on the real property it possesses, at the same time and in a uniform manner, to a single entity, and how often the information should be reported.
5. Study which state agency is best suited to collect information on all real property owned by the state and the appropriate method for collecting this information.
6. Study the information that is currently reported by state agencies and institutions of higher education regarding real property of which agencies and institutions have charge and control.
7. Study the distinction between state agencies and institutions of higher education that report information on real property owned by the state as compared to state agencies and institutions of higher education that collect information for a report on real property owned by the state.
8. Study information determined by the Legislative Budget Board as necessary for the State Office of Risk Management to conduct an insurable state asset study to develop a statewide strategy that will ensure all real property owned by the state is adequately insured.
9. Study how often the State Office of Risk Management should submit an insurable state asset study to the legislature.
10. Study the results of the appraisal required by Subsection (e) of this section, and the potential loss to the state by inadequately insuring the Capitol Complex, as defined by Section 443.0071, Government Code.
11. Study other potential ways to ensure that the state is able to identify, track, and maintain a database of the location, condition, and replacement value of all real property owned by the state.
Committee: Senate Education
Title: Interim report
Library Catalog Title: Senate Education Committee final report to the 75th Legislature.
Subjects: Career and technical education | College preparedness | Elementary education | High technology | Higher education | Higher education affordability | Higher Education Coordinating Board, Texas | Job training programs | Juvenile justice alternative education programs | Juvenile justice system | Legislative Budget Board, Texas | Medical education | School districts | School finance | Secondary education | Student aid | Tuition | University administrators | University enrollment | University faculty salaries | University research | Workforce Commission, Texas |
Library Call Number: L1836.74 ed83
Session: 74th R.S. (1995)
Online version: View report [57 pages  File size: 2,198 kb]
Charges: This report should address the charges below.
1. Review the role of the Texas Legislature, Texas Higher Eduation Coordinating Board, and the university systems in making changes in the governance structure of universities and implementing academic/research programs.
2. Monitor the implementation of SB 1, 74th R.S. with emphasis on the relationship established between the education and juvenile justice communities; the change in relationship between the state and independent school districts; the implementation of home-rule districts, and campus and program charter provisions; and the LBB studies on school funding special allotments and program weights.
3. Review the affordability of higher education in Texas in light of potential cutbacks in Federal student financial assistance, increases in tuition and student services fees, and recent state-funded student assistance measures.
4. Study higher education financial issues related to the projected increases in enrollment; faculty and administrator salaries; and support for research into emerging technologies and for medical schools.
5. Review educational services and training provided to non-college bound students, and make recommendations on the appropriate educational institutions to ensure that these students acquire employment skills.
6. Study the appropriate role of and relationships between the levels of education in Texas. Such relationships include elementary/secondary education and higher education, and two year and four-year institutions.

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