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Week in Review, July 31st

Jul 31

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.
  • Review statistics on Texas roadways and transportation networks. (TRIP, July 2014)
  • Map where unaccompanied immigrant children have been housed. (Wall Street Journal, July 25, 2014)
  • Read about pre-baccalaureate health care occupations. (Brookings, July 25, 2014)
  • Explore historical statistics about commercial airline crashes. (CNN, July 28, 2014)
  • Consider how wastewater may help states struggling with drought. (Stateline, July 23, 2014)
  • Examine the financial outlook for Medicare. (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, July 28, 2014)

This entry was posted on July 31, 2014 at 3:15 PM and has received 583 views. Print this entry.

New to Our Website

Jul 30

posted by TexasLRL in LRL news

This monthly post highlights new content recently added to the library's website.
 
Interim Charges
The library's interim charges page is updated with all House and Senate interim charges that have been issued for the 83rd Legislature.
 
Session Laws of the 83rd Legislature:
  • Session laws and chapter numbers for legislation from the 83rd Legislature are now available within the Legislative Archive System (LAS).
Committee Minutes:
Scanned versions of committee minutes can be accessed on our website. Recent additions include:
 

This entry was posted on July 30, 2014 at 3:21 PM and has received 913 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Weeks of July 28 and August 4, 2014

Jul 28

posted by TexasLRL in 83rd Session, Interim hearings

Interim Hearings – Weeks of July 28th and August 4th

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.

July 29th Top

House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence

Charge 2: Effectiveness of deferred adjudication and orders for non-disclosure; extending use of expunction of criminal records history

 Charge 4: Association between co-occurring serious mental illness and substance use disorders and parole revocation among TDCJ inmates; dual mental health diagnosis

 Charge 5: Current pecuniary loss thresholds associated with graffiti offenses; existing Graffiti Abatement Programs

 Charge 7: Utilization of community supervision in state jail felonies and effectiveness of state jail in light of its original purpose

August 4th Top

Joint Committee on Coastal Barrier System

Topic: Feasibility and desirability of creating and maintaining a coastal barrier system

 

 

August 5th Top

Topic: Storage of ammonium nitrate and authority of first responders to inspect and respond to safety concerns

 Topic: Driver Responsibility Program

 Topic: Update regarding ongoing border operations

Topic: Potential revenue from new and existing sources

Topic: Report and testimony from the Comptroller of Public Accounts regarding the financial condition of the state

 

August 7th Top

Topic:  Study the implementation of all legislation from the 83rd Regular Session that seeks to develop a model to require state agencies regulating occupational licenses which require an apprenticeship to credit veterans' relevant military experience toward the apprenticeship requirements.

 

Topic:  Alternative certification programs that give returning military service men and women credit for skills learned and time served while on active duty.

 

This entry was posted on July 28, 2014 at 8:38 AM and has received 1762 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, July 24th

Jul 24

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 a report about jury participation in Texas. (Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, June 2014)
  • Listen to a discussion about the recent surge in numbers of unaccompanied immigrant children from Central America and Mexico. (Migration Policy Institute, June 25, 2014)
  • Review recent data on court appearances of unaccompanied immigrant children. (Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, Syracuse University, July 15, 2014)
  • Consider two court rulings that will impact subsidies for buying health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. (Kaiser Health News, July 22, 2014)

This entry was posted on July 24, 2014 at 3:15 PM and has received 692 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, July 17th

Jul 17

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.
  • See how much each state taxes a gallon of gasoline. (The Washington Post, July 9, 2014)
  • Track air pollution in the United States over the past decade. (NASA, June 26, 2014)
  • Explore how drought is affecting California and other western states. (National Geographic, July 15, 2014)
  • Consider how drought can affect public health over time. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 14, 2014)
  • Examine the safety of vaccines used to immunize children in the United States. (Pediatrics, July 1, 2014)
  • Find out where Texas ranks among the states for food and drink. (Thrillist, July 6, 2014)

This entry was posted on July 17, 2014 at 3:15 PM and has received 666 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Weeks of July 14 and 21, 2014

Jul 15

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.

July 16th Top

House Committee on House Administration

Topics: Personnel matters, committee budgets, and administrative oversight of technology changes for the House of Representatives

 

House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations

 

July 22nd Top

Senate Committee on Higher Education

Charge: Improvements in teacher preparation and certification programs

 

Charges: Impact of technology on education instruction

 

July 23rd Top

House Select Committee on Economic Development Incentives

Topic: Overall examination of the use of incentives as an economic development tool

 

House Select Committee on Child Protection

 

Topic: Child welfare system: regulatory policy and contract oversight

Topic: Foster and kinship families

 

Topic:  Child welfare system: reporting maltreatment

 

Joint Committee on Human Trafficking

Topics: Ways to further combat human trafficking along the Texas border and region, Services available to victims

 

This entry was posted on July 15, 2014 at 9:33 AM and has received 1558 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, July 10th

Jul 10

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 unaccompanied immigrant children and the recent surge in their numbers at the border with Mexico. (Congressional Research Service, June 23, 2014)
  • See why blood pressure monitoring kiosks aren't always accurate. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, June 24, 2014)
  • Track the status of the legality of gay marriage in the states. (The Washington Post, June 25, 2014)
  • Examine programs that prepare teachers for the classroom. (National Council on Teacher Quality, 2014)

This entry was posted on July 10, 2014 at 3:15 PM and has received 374 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, July 3rd

Jul 3

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 the connection between school discipline and the dropout rate. (Council of State Governemnts Knowledge Center, June 5, 2014)
  • Consider the criminal enforcement of federal immigration laws. (Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, Syracuse University, June 26, 2014)
  • Find out the water quality of your favorite beach. (National Resources Defense Council, Summer 2014)
  • Explore whether student debt is leading to an economic crisis. (Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings, June 2014)
  • Check out a new healthy eating and lifestyle resource center. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, June 23, 2014)

This entry was posted on July 3, 2014 at 3:15 PM and has received 448 views. Print this entry.