Subject search results
11 Document(s) [ Subject: Open government ]
| 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 Government Transparency and Operation | |
| Title: | Interim Report | |
| Subjects: | Emergency management | Hurricane Harvey | Natural disasters | Open government | Public Information Act, Texas | State agencies | State government contracts | State purchasing | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.85 G747t | |
| Session: | 85th R.S. (2017) | |
| Online version: | View report [86 pages] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Examine the role of technology in disaster preparedness and the response to Hurricane Harvey and future natural disasters. Review and make recommendations to drive innovation and efficiency and evaluate whether there are any regulatory impediments to collaboration between the public and private sectors. | |
| 2. | Evaluate whether qualifying state agencies are appropriately utilizing available state disaster recovery services, including the statewide technology centers. Consider the costs and benefits of allowing other states to participate in Texas' statewide technology centers under Subchapter L, Chapter 2054, Texas Government Code for disaster recovery purposes. | |
| 3. | Review Texas’ open meeting laws and related government decision-making policies. Determine if the formal processes prevented the efficient delivery of assistance during Hurricane Harvey. Make recommendations on maintaining the current standards of accountability without limiting government-provided aid during disaster events. | |
| 4. | Evaluate whether, in light of recent Texas Supreme Court rulings, the provisions of the Public Information Act are adequate to support transparency and accountability in government, particularly as it relates to government contracting and procurement. | |
| 5. | Study how state agencies can share knowledge and practices, reduce duplicative data gathering, and conduct business in a more efficient manner through interagency data sharing. Review best practices to provide the public with more transparency and access to government information. | |
| 6. | Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 85th Legislature. In conducting this oversight, the committee will also specifically monitor the implementation of H.B. 8 (85R). | |
| Supporting documents | ||
| Committee: | House Government Transparency and Operation | |
| Title: | Committee meeting handouts and testimony, March 27, 2018 (Public Information Act, cybersecurity, data sharing, disaster recovery) | |
| Library Call Number: | ||
| Session: | 85th R.S. (2017) | |
| Online version: | View document [95 pages File size: 7,933 kb] | |
| Committee: | House Special Purpose Districts | |
| Title: | Interim Report | |
| Subjects: | Eminent domain | Municipal utility districts | Open government | Public improvement districts | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.84 Sp31 | |
| Session: | 84th R.S. (2015) | |
| Online version: | View report [43 pages] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Study best practices in the creation, management, and expansion of Municipal Management Districts (MMD) and/or Improvement Districts in the state. Consider the economic impact of the taxation or assessment of local property owners through bonds issued by MMDs. The committee should specifically examine the mechanisms by which MMDs expand or limit their powers, MMD consistency in the use of eminent domain powers, transparency in MMD reporting requirements, and the mechanisms for voter approval of the creation and dissolution of MMDs. Develop and recommend standards for future district creation. | |
| 2. | Conduct legislative oversight and monitoring of all special purpose districts under the committee’s jurisdiction and the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 84th Legislature. In conducting this oversight, the committee should: a. consider any reforms to special district laws to make them more responsive to Texas taxpayers and citizens; b. identify issues regarding special purpose districts that may be appropriate to investigate, improve, remedy, or eliminate; c. determine whether special purpose districts are operating in a transparent and efficient manner; and d. identify opportunities to streamline the purpose of multiple districts created within the same area, while maintaining the mission of special purpose districts. | |
| Committee: | House Government Efficiency and Reform | |
| Title: | Interim Report | |
| Subjects: | Attorney General Open Records Division | Cellular telephones | e-government | Health and Human Services Commission, Texas | Information Resources, Texas Department of | Library & Archives Commission, Texas State | Open government | Public information | Public Information Act, Texas | State agencies | State purchasing | Transportation planning | Transportation, Texas Department of | Water planning | Workforce Commission, Texas | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.83 G747r | |
| Session: | 83rd R.S. (2013) | |
| Online version: | View report [36 pages] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Examine current restrictions on state and local governmental entities relating to the construction of critical infrastructure, including transportation and water projects, and make recommendations for expediting and creating more cost-effective and efficient methods for the construction of such projects. | |
| 2. | Study the current laws, rules, and processes in place for the Department of Information Resources's Cooperative Contracts and recommend improvements to the 84th Legislature. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Technology) | |
| 3. | Review the application of the Public Information Act to requests for large amounts of electronic data. Examine whether the procedures and deadlines imposed by the Act give governmental bodies enough time to identify and protect confidential information in such requests. | |
| 4. | Examine the public's accessibility to government services and agencies through the use of mobile applications and online services. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Technology) | |
| 5. | Study the benefits of utilizing a Chief Innovation Officer for Texas and its agencies. | |
| 6. | Study the feasibility of having all state agencies use the Texas Workforce Commission's "Work in Texas" website for a more standardized applications process. Determine the interest of municipal, county, and other jurisdictions in boosting their utilization of the website. | |
| 7. | 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. | |
| Committee: | House County Affairs | |
| Title: | Interim Report | |
| Library Catalog Title: | House Committee on County Affairs, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 2010 : a report to the House of Representatives, 82nd Texas Legislature | |
| Subjects: | Agriculture | Bail | Counties | County government | Economy | Indigent health care | Land use regulations | Open government | Rural economic development | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.81 C832 | |
| Session: | 81st R.S. (2009) | |
| Online version: | View report [99 pages File size: 2,515 kb] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Study the current practices and tools available to counties to manage growth and development. Consider incompatible land uses and county rulemaking authority, including rulemaking authority bracketed to counties of a certain population. | |
| 2. | Study county- level health care delivery models for indigent health care that emphasize community-based care to improve the continuity and quality of care. Compare urban and rural health care delivery models and make necessary legislative recommendations. | |
| 3. | Study county oversight related to pretrial release on bond in criminal cases. | |
| 4. | Examine how local governments can better inform the public about local government debts. | |
| 5. | Survey rural economic development programs. Analyze the economic relationship between rural communities and the agriculture industry and their combined impact on the state's economy. Joint Interim Charge with House Committee on Agriculture and Livestock | |
| 6. | Monitor the agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction. | |
| Committee: | Senate Government Organization | |
| Title: | Interim Report | |
| Library Catalog Title: | Interim report to the 82nd Legislature / Senate Committee on Government Organization. | |
| Subjects: | e-government | Information Resources, Texas Department of | Open government | State government | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.81 G747o | |
| Session: | 81st R.S. (2009) | |
| Online version: | View report [49 pages File size: 512 kb] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Review all committees, councils and task forces with overlapping charges in an effort to streamline and eliminate overlapping workgroups across state government agencies and programs. | |
| 2. | Study the online services provided by the state and compare those services to the services provided by other states. In coordination with the Department of Information Resources, determine how online services provided by the state can be improved. | |
| 3. | Review opportunities for increasing the transparency of government operations and make recommendations for enhancing public access to government. | |
| 4. | Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Government Organization, 81 st Legislature, Regular and Called Sessions, and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation. | |
| Committee: | Senate Intergovernmental Relations | |
| Title: | Interim Report | |
| Library Catalog Title: | Interim report to the 82nd Texas Legislature / Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations. | |
| Subjects: | Comptroller of Public Accounts campaigns and elections | County government | Emergency services districts | Extraterritorial jurisdiction | Homeowners' associations | Hospitals | Housing and Community Affairs, Texas Department of | Land use regulations | Local government consolidation | Municipal annexation | Municipal government | Municipal utility districts | Open government | Physician shortages | Physicians | Property rights | Public improvement districts | Real property | Zoning | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.81 L786 | |
| Session: | 81st R.S. (2009) | |
| Online version: | View report [437 pages File size: 17,266 kb] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Study current law governing homeowners associations with respect to ensuring that homeowners are given adequate protections against unfair foreclosures and are given proper channels for redress in case of foreclosure. | |
| 2. | Monitor the proliferation of municipal utility districts (MUDs) outside the corporate limits or extraterritorial jurisdiction of municipalities and whether increased oversight of these districts by other political subdivisions is needed. Review the process for the creation of municipal utility districts (MUDs) through the template developed during the 81 st Legislative Session, including any changes needed to increase the efficiency and oversight over the creation of proposed districts. Review the process for creating special districts, including whether the creation of a template, similar to the one created for municipal utility districts (MUDs), is feasible and would enable the legislature to more effectively evaluate other proposed special districts during future Sessions. | |
| 3. | Review the process and costs for local governments to make government information available online. Consider ways to encourage local governments to provide more transparency, including the Comptroller's experience with transparency and her offer to assist local governments, and consider penalties for entities that fail to comply with the online requirement. | |
| 4. | Assess ways to facilitate property ownership registration to better enable individuals to participate in federal programs and make recommendations to improve processing times to provide improved access to funds. | |
| 5. | Study the reasons for and the impacts of hospitals directly hiring physicians. Examine practices in other states. Make recommendations, if needed, to permit hospitals to directly hire physicians. | |
| 6. | Review state and local policies related to development and growth in rural and unincorporated regions of the state with regard to annexation and zoning authority. Focus on impacts to private property rights. Determine the appropriateness of existing extraterritorial jurisdiction authority. Make recommendations regarding possible changes to this authority. | |
| 7. | Review the types of support state government can provide to assist local government consolidations with county governments. Evaluate budget implications for city and county government consolidations. Research the appropriateness and cost savings of eliminating duplicity between city and county governments in different regions of the state. | |
| 8. | Review the statutory authority granted to municipal management districts (MMDs) and to emergency service districts (ESDs), the authority of municipalities and counties to create public improvement districts (PIDs). Determine whether the authority granted for each entity is adequate to accomplish the goals of local governments. Assess whether the consolidation of ESDs under one statute would improve uniformity and provision of fire and emergency services through these districts. | |
| 9. | Monitor the implementation oflegislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations, 81st Legislature, Regular and Called Sessions, and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation.
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| Committee: | Senate State Affairs | |
| Title: | Interim Report | |
| Library Catalog Title: | Interim report to the 82nd Legislature | |
| Subjects: | Employees Retirement System of Texas | Financial investments | Fraud | Health care | Health care costs | Health insurance | Hospitals | Insurance agents | Insurance rates | Medically uninsured | Military personnel | Open government | Open Meetings Act, Texas | Public Information Act, Texas | Senior citizens | Teacher Retirement System of Texas | Voter registration | Voters | Voting by mail | Voting systems | Workers' compensation | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.81 ST29a | |
| Session: | 81st R.S. (2009) | |
| Online version: | View report [248 pages File size: 24,817 kb] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Upon passage of federal legislation relating to reform of the health care industry and health insurance industry, study the implications of such legislation on Texas, the health care industry, and public and private insurance. Study and monitor the implementation of the insurance regulatory changes, changes to high risk pool, and any other insurance mandates. Study the health care policy changes and the impact to the Medicaid and CHIP programs and the state budget. Assess the impact to all state uninsured and uncompensated care programs and county programs for the uninsured, including county property tax programs to pay for the uninsured. Make recommendations for the efficient implementation of programs. (Joint charge with Senate Health and Human Services Committee) | |
| 2. | Monitor the actuarial and financial conditions of the pension and health care programs administered by the Teacher Retirement System and the Employees Retirement System. Assess the effectiveness of pilot programs designed to encourage the use of clinical integration, payments for good outcomes, use of best practices, focus on wellness and prevention, and bundling of costs for episodes of care, and other health care savings initiatives. Make recommendations for expanding the pilot programs for use across all private and state sponsored health care, including the Medicaid program, as a means to improve Texans' health and provide more effective care that allows for assistance for the uninsured. (SB 7, SB 8 and SB 10, 81st Legislature) | |
| 3. | Study the implementation of the Healthy Texas program enacted by the 81st Legislature and the ongoing implementation of SB 1731, 80th Legislature, to determine if this program is effectively lowering health insurance costs and increasing access to health insurance for small business. Study and make recommendations about using this program to increase access to health insurance for sole proprietors. Review other states efforts to lower health care costs to small business owners and sole proprietors and incentivize small business owners and sole proprietors to purchase insurance. | |
| 4. | Examine best practices for increasing the affordability and availability of health insurance in the individual and small group market, including medical underwriting practices, rescission of coverage, cancellation of coverage, rate regulation, and reporting of medical loss ratios. | |
| 5. | Study how increased out-of-pocket costs for medications and treatment impact consumers' compliance with health care recommendations and how that response impacts overall health care costs. Review available research into value design programs. | |
| 6. | Study ways to improve the efficiency and accuracy of voter registration rolls, including the feasibility and security of online registration and automatic registration and the accuracy of verification and purging of voters. Recommend ways to ensure that deceased or otherwise ineligible voters are not included on rolls while also ensuring that all eligible applicants are efficiently registered. | |
| 7. | Study the transparency of organizational structures, policies and coverage associated with health insurance underwriters/agents and the relationship between underwriters/agents and policyholders. | |
| 8. | Study the sale of annuities in Texas, particularly to seniors. Evaluate the requirements relating to rescission of an annuity contract, payment of surrender fees, return of money, contract forms, including a standard contract form, buyer's guide, agent's commission and disclosure of an agent's commission. Make recommendations for legislation, if needed, and consider whether the insurance commissioner by rule may limit an agent's commission. | |
| 9. | Study the effect Texas hospital billing and collection practices have on the uninsured's and under-insured's access to hospital health care services, on the uninsured's and underinsured's economic circumstances, and on medical debt recorded as bad debt on hospital books and records. Assess whether hospital billing disparities involving pricing discounts between the uninsured and insured exist and make recommendations for any changes necessary. | |
| 10. | Study the adequacy of workers' compensation benefits in the following categories: lifetime income benefits, wage benefits for the high wage earner, and workers whose wage benefits stop before Social Security benefits begin. In order to determine the impact of increased benefits in one or more of these categories, work with the Texas Department of Insurance to develop a publicly accessible model to predict the costs related to those enhanced benefits, the effect of those costs on workers' compensation premiums, and whether enrollment in the workers' compensation system will be adversely impacted by increasing the benefits in one or more of the stated categories. | |
| 11. | Study whether subrogation claims by writers of workers' compensation policies should be limited or prohibited. Study the effect on workers' compensation premiums, if any, if subrogation claims by writers of workers' compensation policies are limited or prohibited. Consider the feasibility of developing a publicly accessible model to predict the impact on workers' compensation premiums, if any, if subrogation claims by writers of workers' compensation policies are limited or prohibited, while protecting confidentiality as required by law and study whether the impact on workers' compensation premiums, if any, would adversely impact enrollment in the workers' compensation system. | |
| 12. | Study and make recommendations regarding access to voting by members of the military serving in the United States and abroad, including the feasibility of electronic delivery of ballots. | |
| 13. | Study the Public Information Act and the Open Meetings Act to ensure that government continues to operate in a way that is open and transparent. The study should consider how advances in technology and the emergence of various forms of social media (e.g. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter) have affected communications by and within governmental bodies. | |
| 14. | Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on State Affairs, 81 st Legislature, Regular and Called Sessions, and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation. | |
| Committee: | Senate Public Information, Interim | |
| Title: | Interim report | |
| Library Catalog Title: | Interim report to the 76th Legislature. | |
| Subjects: | Open government | Open records requests and decisions | Privacy | Public Information Act, Texas | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.75 p96 | |
| Session: | 75th R.S. (1997) | |
| Online version: | View report [215 pages File size: 10,203 kb] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Identify areas of concern associated with the Public Information Act, (formerly known as the Open Records Act), including harassment, commercial enterprise, circumvention of the Act's requirements, delays in production of information, access and availability of information, costs and expenditure of public resources. If necessary, make recommendations for legislative action. | |
| 2. | Study the impact of the Public Information Act on privacy interests of Texans and monitor the implementation of SB 1069, 75th R.S., passed by the Legislature during the 1997 regular session, and developments in federal law regarding these issues. | |
| 3. | Review the role of technology as it applies to the Public Information Act, such as the Internet, and study pertinent issues in the public information process, including but not limited to whether HB 1718, 74th R.S., passed by the Legislature during the 1995 regular session, adequately responds to technological advances. | |
| Committee: | House State Affairs | |
| Title: | Interim report | |
| Library Catalog Title: | Committee on State Affairs, Texas House of Representatives interim report, 1994 : a report to the House of Representatives, 74th Texas Legislature. | |
| Subjects: | Consumer credit and debt | Consumer protection | Databases | Internet | Open government | Open records requests and decisions | Public information | Public Information Act, Texas | Public Utility Commission of Texas | Public Utility Regulatory Act | Rental companies | Sale-leaseback agreements | State agency mandated reports | Websites | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.73 st29 | |
| Session: | 73rd R.S. (1993) | |
| Online version: | View report [103 pages File size: 3,584 kb] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Conduct active oversight of agencies under the committee's jurisdiction, including a study of mandated reports to the legislature and legislative agencies. The study should consist of a review of the legislative reporting requirements of all agencies to identify areas where reporting obligations could be streamlined and agency accountability improved. The committee shall make specific recommendations about the continuation, modification or elimination of required legislative reports. | |
| 2. | Consider revisions to the Open Records Act to clarify its meaning and utility in light of the number of information files now maintained on computers. | |
| 3. | Study the feasibility of a consolidated Texas state government database to improve electronic access to legislative information, information maintained by state agencies, the Texas Register and other information of public interest and importance. | |
| 4. | Examine the laws related to consumer finance and installment purchases to determine whether changes in the laws, their interpretation or enforcement are necessary to protect the public interest. | |
| 5. | Evaluate the public benefits of requiring the Public Utilities Commission to grant incentive rates of return to electric and telecommunications utilities that exceed certain efficiency thresholds, and to levy a rate of return penalty on utilities that fail to achieve established efficiency standards. | |
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