Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. The following may be helpful resources for upcoming hearings.
August 22nd
House Committee on Defense & Veterans' Affairs
Charge: Federal military installations and civilian encroachment
- "Selma Subdivision Plan Draws Objection from Military," San Antonio Express News, April 17, 2012
- "Texas Military Bases Battle Encroachment of Cities," Texas Tribune, November 28, 2011
- State Policy Options: A Report of the National Conference of State Legislatures Task Force on Military and Veterans Affairs, National Conference of State Legislatures, July 2011
- Military Installation Sustainability, National Conference of State Legislatures, updated June 18, 2010
- Report and Recommendation to the 81st Legislature (Interim Charge No. 4), Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs & Military Installations, December 2008
Charge: Texas military installations and recent reductions in federal defense spending
- "Federal Budget Cuts May Slice 160,000 Jobs in Texas Economy," San Antonio Express-News, July 24, 2012 and The Economic Impact of the Budget Control Act of 2011 on DOD and Non-DOD Agencies, Aerospace Industries Association, July 17, 2012
- "Study: Across-the-Board Defense Cuts Could Cost 1 Million Jobs," Washington Post, June 21, 2012 and Defense Spending Cuts: The Impact on Economic Activity and Jobs, National Association of Manufacturers, June 21, 2012
- "Federal Budget Cuts Will Likely Hit Texas Military Bases," Houston Chronicle, updated February 19, 2012
Charge: Texas Military Preparedness Commission, HB 2546 (81R), and military preparedness
- Annual Report 2009-2010: Texas Military Preparedness Commission, Office of the Governor, September 2010
- Military Preparedness Commission: Sunset Final Report, Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, July 2009
August 24th
House Committees on Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V and Homeland Security & Public Safety (Joint Hearing, 10:00 AM)
Charge: Driver's license improvement plan, feasibility of privatization to minimize wait times
- "More States Outsource Driving Tests," USA Today, August 6, 2012
- "DPS Hopes to Speed Driver's License Process With Megacenters," Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 14, 2012
- Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Outsourcing and Privatization Options of Driver Licensing Services, Florida Legislature, Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, December 7, 2007
House Committee on Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V - on adjournment of 10:00 AM hearing
Charge: Correctional health care system
- Audit Reports on Correctional Managed Health Care at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, State Auditor's Office, February 2011
- The Cost of Correctional Health Care: A Correctional Institution Inspection Committee Summary of Ohio’s Prison Health Care System (includes comparison of 2009 prison health care spending in California, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas), Ohio Correctional Institution Inspection Committee, December 15, 2010
- Texas Correctional Managed Health Care Committee
House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety - on adjournment of 10:00 AM hearing
Charge: Digital emergency public service messaging network on evacuation routes
- "Digital Billboards to Alert Texas Counties in Emergencies," Government Technology, May 16, 2012
- "New Tool for Emergency Messaging: Digital Billboards," Emergency Management, June 20, 2011
- "Highway Funds at Risk?," San Antonio Express-News, April 20, 2011 and House Bill 1765, 82nd Legislature, 2011, Relating to an emergency public service messaging network, (Last Action: 04/29/2011 H Committee report sent to Calendars)
Charge: Law enforcement personnel at school district and post-secondary campuses
- "Pasadena ISD Officer Shooting of Teen Under Investigation," Houston Chronicle, May 1, 2012 and Use of Force in Texas Public Schools: The Case for Transparency, Accountability, and Decriminalization, American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, March 2011
- Education Under Arrest: The Case Against Police in Schools, Justice Policy Institute, November 2011
- "On Campus, a Law Enforcement System to Itself," New York Times, November 11, 2011
- Texas School Safety Center, Texas State University – San Marcos
Senate Committee on Education
Charge: Charter schools
- "Education: Charting a Better Course: Charter Schools Raise Educational Standards For Vulnerable Children," The Economist, July 7, 2012
- "Open-Enrollment Charter Schools vs. Traditional School Districts: A Comparison of TEA Data," Texas Lone Star, Texas Association of School Boards, July 2012
- Charter-School Management Organizations: Diverse Strategies and Diverse Student Impacts, National Charter School Research Project, Inside Charter Schools Initiative, January 2012
- Measuring Up to the Model: A Ranking of State Charter School Laws, 2012, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, January 2012
Charge: School choice, education tax credits
- "Education Tax Credits Aren’t New and Aren’t Just a Work-Around for Voucher Failure," CATO @ Liberty, CATO Institute, May 29, 2012
- "Public Money Finds Back Door to Private Schools," New York Times, May 21, 2012, and related report, A Failed Experiment: Georgia's Tax Credit Scholarship for Private Schools, Southern Education Foundation, 2011
- The Fiscal Effects of School Choice Programs on Public School Districts, Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, March 2012
- The Fiscal Impact of a Large-Scale Education Tax Credit Program, CATO Institute, July 1, 2008
- Choice of Schools (what other states are doing, pros and cons, selected research), Education Commission of the States
August 27th
House Committee on Business & Industry
Charge: Existing lien laws
Charge: Impact of property tax liens on title and Texas real estate market
- Texas Property Tax System, Real Estate Center, Texas A&M University, July 2011
August 28th
Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs & Military Installations
Charge: Texas veterans employment
- "Texas in Line for $750,000 Grant to Help Army Veterans Find Work," Houston Chronicle, July 24, 2012
- "Texas Program Links Veterans to Jobs," USA Today, May 11, 2012
- Employment Situation of Veterans - 2011, U.S. Department of Labor, March 20, 2012
Charge: Veterans in higher education
- "Veterans Find a Home at Texas A&M University," TAMU Times, August 14, 2012
- From Soldier to Student II: Assessing Campus Programs for Veterans and Service Members, American Council on Education, July 2012
- Report on Student Financial Aid in Texas Higher Education for Fiscal Year 2011, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, July 2012
- "Colleges Pay for Growth in Texas Veterans Tuition Program," Houston Chronicle, March 19, 2012
- "Texas Colleges Work to Improve Veterans' Experience," Texas Tribune, September 11, 2011
Charge: Monitor implementation of legislation
- "College Credit for Heroes Successfully Helping Veterans Launch Civilian Careers," Texas Workforce Commission, May 18, 2012
- Texas Coordinating Council for Veterans Services (contains meeting agendas and minutes)
August 29th
Senate Committee on Finance
Charge: State spending limits
- TABOR Calculator, Tax Foundation (allows users to generate charts showing how restricting state budget growth would affect expenditures over time)
- Trends in Texas Government: Local Government Spending, Texas Public Policy Foundation, April 2012
Charge: Funding for law enforcement training and retention
- "Bonds Would Help Fund Fort Worth Public Safety Center," Fort Worth Business Press, July 11, 2012
- "Texas Forensic Science Academy Receives $425,000 Grant to Train Crime Scene Investigators," Texas Engineering Extension Service, June 12, 2012
- "Texas Communities Struggle to Fund Public Safety," Texas Tribune, July 14, 2011
Charge: Monitor implementation of legislation, especially regarding state tax equity and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces
- "House Committee Approves Stronger Penalties for Sex Offenses Against Minors," Youth Today, July 11, 2012
- Location Matters: A Comparative Analysis of State Tax Costs on Business, Tax Foundation, March 2012
- 2012 State Business Tax Climate Index, Tax Foundation, January 2012
August 30th
Senate Committee on State Affairs
Charge: Allowing purchase of health insurance across state lines
- Allowing the Purchase of Health Insurance from Out-of-State Insurers, National Conference of State Legislatures, Updated June 2012
- "Will Buying Health Insurance Across State Lines Reduce Costs?" (including Georgia's interstate experience), Forbes, May 12, 2012
- "No Out-of-State Insurers Offer Plans in Georgia," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, April 30, 2012
- The Perils of Health Insurance Sold Across State Lines, Families USA, July 2011
- Expanding Health Care Options: Allowing Americans to Purchase Affordable Coverage Across State Lines (Background Memo, Witness Testimony), U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, May 25, 2011
Charge: Statute of limitations on a cause of action relating to consumer debt
- Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code, Section 16.004, Four-Year Limitations Period
- Consumer Protection: Debt Collection, Attorney General of Texas
Charge: Liability protection for private companies and individuals when commissioned by the Texas Forest Service to assist in fighting a fire; volunteer firefighter termination by employer
- "Drought-Killed Trees Could Become Liability Issues For Landowners," Texas Forest Service, July 5, 2012
- House Bill 1205, 80th Legislature, 2007, Relating to the prohibition of certain employment discrimination regarding an employee who is a volunteer emergency responder (Vetoed by the Governor)
