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Week in Review, May 29th

May 29

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • Consider the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., three of which are in the Austin area. (U.S. Census Bureau, May 22, 2014)
  • See how Arkansas is using Medicaid premium assistance to expand coverage to more individuals. (Capitol Ideas, May/June 2014)
  • Read about some states that provide Medicaid coverage to qualifying college students by covering the cost of the undergraduate student health plan premium. (Kaiser Health News, May 27, 2014)
  • Find burial locations of veterans and their family members. (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, accessed May 2014)

This entry was posted on May 29, 2014 at 3:15 PM and has received 596 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings - Week of June 2, 2014

May 23

posted by TexasLRL in 83rd Session, Interim hearings

 

Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. Below are resources related to upcoming Interim Hearings.

 

Topic: Organizational meeting in accordance with Section 15.438 of the Texas Water Code

 

Charge: Implementation of SB 393 and SB 1114, 83rd Legislature, R.S., and determine school districts that have implemented graduated sanctions in SB 393

 

Charge: Implementation of statewide electronic filing as mandated by the Texas Supreme Court, and determine those jurisdictions that have imposed the local transaction fee, as created by HB 2302, 83rd Legislature, R.S.

 

Topic: Allegations requiring the forfeiture of future rights to nondisclosure as a condition of plea agreements in certain counties

 

Charge: Crisis resources for individuals with co-occurring mental illness and intellectual/developmental disabilities

 

Charge: STAR+PLUS managed care expansion/transition

  • STAR+PLUS Expansion, Texas Health and Human Services Commission
  • STAR+PLUS (Overview, Handbook, External Quality Review Organization Reports), Texas Health and Human Services Commission

 

This entry was posted on May 23, 2014 at 10:43 AM and has received 1251 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, May 22nd

May 22

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.

This entry was posted on May 22, 2014 at 3:15 PM and has received 711 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of May 26, 2014

May 19

posted by TexasLRL in 83rd Session, Interim hearings

Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. Below are resources related to upcoming Interim Hearings.

House Committee on Business & Industry

Charge: Existing lien laws, specifically: enforcement of contract liens affecting real property; imposition of mechanics' liens on automobiles; and ad valorem tax lien lending after implementation of SB 247, 83rd Legislature, R.S.

Charge: Wage theft

 

House Committee on Business & Industry CANCELLED

The Committee will only meet if all testimony was not completed in Business & Industry's May 27th hearing. If all testimony was heard, this hearing for May 28th will be cancelled. 

 

House Committee on Ways & Means

Charge: Review state event trust fund accounts, including Major Events Trust Fund, Special Events Trust Fund, Events Trust Fund, and Motor Sports Racing Trust Fund

 

House Committees on Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V  and Corrections (Joint Hearing)

Charge: Correctional Managed Health Care system and forecasts for short and long-term criminal justice populations and health care cost trends

 

Charge: Information technology (IT) infrastructure, data center consolidation, and the Department of Information Resources' Cooperative Contracts Program

 

House Committee on Corrections

Charge: Correctional facilities and processes review, with emphasis on efficiencies, effectiveness, and recidivism

 

This entry was posted on May 19, 2014 at 8:18 AM and has received 1332 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, May 15th

May 15

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • Read about fraudulent charter school operators. (Integrity in Education, ©2014)
  • Consider how oyster walls can buffer the damaging effects of hurricanes. (The Atlantic, May 5, 2014)
  • Examine household food security in the U.S. (U.S. Department of Agriculture, April 30, 2014)
  • Review a report and webcast on the administration of capital punishment in America. (The Constitution Project, May 7, 2014)
  • Check out an interactive graph of college majors over the last four decades. (NPR, May 9, 2014)
  • Explore Your Art with a mobile app. (National Gallery of Art, accessed May 14, 2014)

This entry was posted on May 15, 2014 at 3:15 PM and has received 587 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings - Week of May 19, 2014

May 12

posted by TexasLRL in 83rd Session, Interim hearings

Interim Hearings - Week of May 19th

Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. Below are resources related to upcoming Interim Hearings.

May 19th  Top

Charge: Ammonium nitrate regulation and insurance

 

Charge: Role of state and local governments in disaster recovery

Charge: 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill funds

 

Charge: Progress on reducing the reliance on dedicated accounts for budget certification

 

House Committees on Government Efficiency & Reform and Technology (Joint Hearing)

Charge: Department of Information Resources' Cooperative Contracts

 

Charge: Public's accessibility to government services and agencies through the use of mobile applications and online services

 

Charge: State agencies using the Texas Workforce Commission's "Work in Texas" website for a more standardized applications process

 

Charge: Texas home equity laws

 

Charge: Intrastate equity crowd funding system in Texas

 

Charge: Legislative oversight and monitoring of agencies

 

House Committee on Technology

Charge: Feasibility of an integrated identity management program (IIMP) for state agencies

House Committee on Elections

Charge: Online voter registration systems

 

Charge: Secretary of State study required by HB 3103, 83rd Legislature, R.S., regarding moving the date of the Texas presidential primary election

 

Charge: Legislative oversight and monitoring of agencies

 

House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations

 

House Committee on Investments & Financial Services CANCELLED

 

House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations CANCELLED

 

 

 

This entry was posted on May 12, 2014 at 9:19 AM and has received 1323 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, May 8th

May 8

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • Examine distracted driving in Texas. (Texas A&M Transportation Institute, April 21, 2014)
  • Review agricultural activity by state. (U.S. Department of Agriculture, May 2, 2014)
  • Read about Americans living on incomes that place them just above official poverty thresholds. (U.S. Census Bureau, May 2014)
  • Explore the National Climate Assessment and how climate change is affecting the U.S. (U.S. Global Change Research Program, ©2014)

This entry was posted on May 8, 2014 at 3:15 PM and has received 714 views. Print this entry.

New to Our Website

May 8

posted by TexasLRL in LRL news

This monthly post highlights new content recently added to the library's website.
 
The following House and Senate Journals have been added to our online collection:
  • 71st Regular and Called Sessions (1989-90) – House and Senate Journals
  • 73rd Regular Session (1993) – House and Senate Journals
Our interim charges page is updated with all House and Senate interim charges that have been issued for the 83rd Legislature.
 
The Library’s new Water Resources Research Guide offers a comprehensive bibliography of resources related to water, including water-related agencies, organizations, databases, and research aids, as well as citations to articles and reports published between 2008 and 2014.
 
Bill Files:
Our Legislative Archive System now contains historical bill files for the 36th Regular and Called Sessions (1919-20).
 
Recent additions from the 65th Legislature (1977) include minutes and documentation from the Joint Interim Committee on Special Education. This committee was established pursuant to SCR 111, 65th R.S., and held hearings all across the state in 1978.
 

This entry was posted on May 8, 2014 at 8:06 AM and has received 712 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Weeks of May 5-May 12, 2014

May 2

posted by TexasLRL in 83rd Session, Interim hearings

Interim Hearings – Weeks of May 5th-May 12th

Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. Below are resources related to upcoming Interim Hearings.

House Committee on County Affairs

Charge 2: Oversight of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, jail issues including mental health

 

Charge 3: Health advisory panel from HB 3793, 83rd Legislature, R.S.

Charge 4: Cite-and-summons policy and effect on overcrowding in county jails

Charge 6: Legislative oversight and monitoring of agencies

 

House Committee on Energy Resources

Charge: Increased seismic activity in the Barnett Shale and other areas of the State

House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations

 

Charge: Higher education funding formulas

 

Charge: Research funds

 

House Committee on Environmental Regulation

Charge: Environmental permitting processes at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), specifically the contested-case hearing process at the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), timelines, and economic impact

House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations CANCELLED

 

House Committee on Public Education

Charge: Student achievement

Charge: Teacher evaluation

Charge: Teacher preparation and recruitment

House Committees on County Affairs and Defense & Veterans' Affairs (Joint Hearing, 10:00 a.m.)

Charge: Veterans courts and implementation of SB 462, 83rd Legislature, R.S.

House Committee on Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Charge: Peer-to-Peer Mental Health Program, veterans' mental health and PTSD, and implementation of HB 2392, 83rd Legislature, R.S.

House Committee on County Affairs

Charge: Legislative oversight and monitoring of agencies, Texas Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program 1115 Waiver

Joint Legislative Committee on Human Trafficking

Topics: Implementation of anti-human trafficking legislation passed by the 83rd Legislature; agency updates on anti-human trafficking efforts; and updates from the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force

 

Charge: Litigation related to environmental contamination brought by local governments

Charge: Alligator gar and largemouth bass populations in Falcon Lake

 
Joint Legislative Committee on Aging

Topic: Initiatives to address various needs among Texas' aging population

 

This entry was posted on May 2, 2014 at 3:24 PM and has received 2168 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, May 1st

May 1

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • Read about postsecondary degree attainment rates and whether the U.S. is keeping pace with other countries. (Lumina Foundation, April 22, 2014)
  • See how U.S. dollars are spent on global health funding. (JAMA, April 23/30, 2014)
  • Review a survey of the economic and demographic trends in the Houston metropolitan region. (Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, ©2013)
  • Consider the nation's high school graduation rate. (America's Promise Alliance, April 2014)
  • Examine a study of accessibility of information for consumers on the federal and states' health insurance exchange websites. (Avalere Health, April 25, 2014)

This entry was posted on May 1, 2014 at 3:15 PM and has received 845 views. Print this entry.