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.
September 15th Top
Senate Committee on State Affairs
Charge: Patent Assertion Entities (PAEs)
- The Effect of Patent Litigation and Patent Assertion Entities on Entrepreneurial Activity, Catherine E. Tucker, MIT Sloan School of Management, May 15, 2014
- "Unpacking Patent Assertion Entities (PAEs)," Minnesota Law Review, forthcoming (2014), Christopher Anthony Cotropia, University of Richmond School of Law, et al., Revised February 15, 2014
- "As Patent Suits Increase, Firms Fight Back," Texas Tribune, January 24, 2014
- The Impact of Patent Assertion Entities on Innovation and the Economy, Hearing Testimony, U.S. House of Representatives, Energy & Commerce Committee, November 14, 2013
- Patent Assertion and U.S. Innovation, Executive Office of the President, June 2013
- "Patent Assertion Entities and Antitrust: Operating Company Patent Transfers," The Antitrust Source, Mark S. Popofsky and Michael D. Laufert , American Bar Association, April 2013
- "The Troll Toll: How 'Patent Assertion Entities' Stifle Innovation. (It's Even Worse Than You Think.)" Slate, April 9, 2012
Charge: Emerging negative impacts of Affordable Care Act, including navigators, rising health insurance premiums, lack of access to healthcare, etc.
- "How Will Obamacare Succeed or Fail? Only 10 States Matter," Governing, Kaiser Health News, March 19, 2014
- Adopted Rules, 28 Texas Administrative Code §§19.4001-19.4017, Regulation of Navigators for Health Benefit Exchanges, Texas Department of Insurance, January 21, 2014
Charge: Medical price transparency, including impact of SB 1731, 80th Legislature, R.S.
- "Price Transparency Efforts Target Physicians," Texas Medicine, July 2014
- Transparency and Disclosure of Health Costs and Provider Payments: State Actions, National Conference of State Legislatures, Updated June 2014
- Health Price Transparency: Improvements for Texas Consumers, Texas Department of Insurance, April 15, 2014
- Report Card on State Price Transparency Laws, Catalyst for Payment Reform and Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute, March 25, 2014
- Price Transparency in Health Care: Report from the HFMA Price Transparency Task Force, Healthcare Financial Management Association, 2014
- Interim Report to the 81st Legislature (Charge 14: Legislative oversight, including implementation of SB 1731, relating to transparency of health information), Senate Committee on State Affairs, December 2008
Charge: Texas Mutual Insurance Company and residual market for workers' compensation insurance
- "Texas Mutual Refunding Millions to Bexar County Workers Comp Customers," San Antonio Business Journal, August 20, 2014
- 2013 Annual Report, Texas Mutual Insurance Company, 2014
- "Texas Mutual Quietly Helps Drive State's Workers' Comp System," Austin American-Statesman, August 4, 2011
Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Edwards Aquifer
Topic: Update on the Edwards Aquifer Authority
- "The Source: Stage 5 Drought Restrictions Around The Corner, EAA Pays Farmers Not To Pump," Texas Public Radio, September 3, 2014
- "A Tale of 2 Water Districts: 1 Aquifer, 2 Strategies," Texas Tribune, September 3, 2014
- "Edwards Aquifer Users Consider How to Pump Less," San Antonio Express-News, August 11, 2014
- "The Edwards Aquifer Water Wars: The Final Chapter?" Texas Water Journal, February 2013
- Report on the Effectiveness of the Edwards Aquifer Authority, South Central Texas Water Advisory Committee, November 2010
September 16th Top
House Select Committee on Health Care Education & Training
Topic: Mental health care workforce in Texas
- Draft, The Mental Health Workforce Shortage in Texas, As Required By House Bill 1023, 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, Texas Department of State Health Services, September 2014 (Draft August 18, 2014)
- The Mental Health Workforce: A Primer, Congressional Research Service, January 7, 2014
- Report to Congress on the Nation’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Workforce Issues, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, January 24, 2013
- A Guide to Understanding Mental Health Systems and Services in Texas, Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, The University of Texas at Austin, November 2012
- Crisis Point: Mental Health Workforce Shortages in Texas, Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, The University of Texas at Austin, March 2011
Senate Committee on State Affairs
Charge: Personal privacy of Texas residents from governmental and commercial surveillance
- "Think the Supreme Court Protected Your Cellphone from Warrantless Searches? Think Again.," The Washington Post, July 30, 2014
- "NSA Surveillance Rules Will Keep Ban on Commercial Spying," Bloomberg.com, January 24, 2014
- "Texas A&M Prof Explains Why Obama Left NSA Surveillance Mostly Intact And Why It’s Legal," Texas A&M University, January 21, 2014
- "Texas Republicans Say Government Surveillance Destroys the American People’s Trust," Texas on the Potomac, The Houston Chronicle, June 7, 2013
- "Texas Surveillance Bill Would Curb Warrantless Cellphone Tracking," Slate, March 5, 2013
- Surveillance, The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, last updated August 12, 2010
- Video Surveillance, Electronic Privacy Information Center
- Warrantless Searches, Surveillance Self-Defense, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Charge: Personal data collected by governmental and commercial entities
- DNA collection and databases
- CODIS—NDIS Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- NCSL Forensic Science Laws Page, National Conference of State Legislatures
- Statewide CODIS DNA Database Program Overview, Texas Department of Public Safety
- Gun owner privacy
- Gun Owners' Privacy, Electronic Privacy Information Center
- Protection of private health care information
- Health Information Privacy, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- Protecting the Privacy and Security of Your Health Information, HealthIT.gov
- "The Case for Informed Consent," Patient Privacy Rights Foundation, August 2010
- Anonymous data handling
- Data Disposal Laws, National Conference of State Legislatures, last updated December 26, 2013
Charge: Citizens' ability to know what data is being collected, including analysis of consumer informed consent
- "How Informed Consent Has Failed," TechCrunch, July 26, 2014
- 2014 Security Breach Legislation, National Conference of State Legislatures, June 5, 2014
- State Laws Related to Internet Privacy, National Conference of State Legislatures, January 23, 2014
- The Surveillance Self-Defense Project, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Charge: Online legislative resources from Texas Senate Committee websites
- Legislation Related to the Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act (UELMA), National Conference of State Legislatures, July 25, 2014
Senate Select Committee on Transportation Funding, Expenditures & Finance
Topic: Future reliability of all current state transportation funding sources
- Legislative Appropriations Request for Fiscal Years 2016 and 2017, Texas Department of Transportation, August 25, 2014
- Overview of Selected Transportation Taxes and Fees, State Highway Fund Appropriations, and Federal Highway Funds (presentation), Legislative Budget Board, June 24, 2014
- Funding Needs and Potential Sources, Texas Department of Transportation
- State Highway Fund No. 006 - All Articles, Legislative Budget Board, March 10, 2014
Topic: Alternatives that may increase available state funding for transportation
- "End of the Road for Diversions? Transportation Commission Makes that a 2015 Priority," Dallas Business Journal, August 29, 2014
- "TxDOT Takes First Step in Ending Highway Fund ‘Diversions’," The Dallas Morning News, August 28, 2014
- Analysis of Proposed Constitutional Amendment, November 4, 2014 Election (Revised), Texas Legislative Council, June 2014
- "Big Learning Curve on State Transportation Funding," The Highwayman, The Houston Chronicle, May 6, 2014
Topic: Alternative transportation funding options used nationally and internationally
- Transportation Funding and Finance Legislation Database, National Conference of State Legislatures, last updated August 26, 2014
- On the Move: State Strategies for 21st Century Transportation Solutions, National Conference of State Legislatures, July 2012
- Taxation of Alternative Fuels, National Conference of State Legislatures, August 2012
- How States and Territories Fund Transportation: An Overview of Traditional and Nontraditional Strategies, National Governors Association, July 23, 2009
- Innovative State Transportation Funding and Financing: Policy Options for States, National Governors Association, January 6, 2009
Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs & Military Installations
Charge: Access to services provided by non-profit organizations to veterans, their families, and survivors, including 2-1-1 system
- Veterans Assistance in Texas, 211 Texas, Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Charge: Veterans' mental health
- Military Veteran Peer Network
- Mental Health Program for Veterans, Texas Department of State Health Services, Fiscal Year 2013
- Mental Health Program for Veterans, Fiscal Year 2013 Annual Report, As Required by HB 2392 and Rider 86, 83rd Legislature 2013, Department of State Health Services, December 2013
House Committee on Ways & Means
Charge: Implementation of recent amendments to the franchise tax
- E-Fairness and the Texas Franchise Tax, Laffer Associates, July 8, 2014 (addendum to Pro-Growth Tax Reform and E-Fairness, Laffer Associates, July 2013)
- Benefits to the Poor of Texas Franchise Tax Repeal, National Center for Policy Analysis, June 2014
- 2014 State Business Tax Climate Index, Tax Foundation, October 2013
- Tax Policy News, 2013 Legislative Update, Franchise Tax, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, September 2013
- Tax Wrap-Up for the 83rd, II. Franchise Tax, Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, July 2013
- Phasing Out the Texas Business Franchise Tax: The Impact on Private Sector Employment, National Federation of Independent Business, March 8, 2013
- Interim Report to the 82nd Texas Legislature, Charge 1: Revised Franchise Tax, House Committee on Ways & Means, January 2011
- Texas Franchise Tax, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Topic: Texas Economic Outlook
- The Long-Term Forecast for the Texas Economy, Dr. M. Ray Perryman, The Perryman Group, September 4, 2014
- Texas Economic Indicators, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, September 2014
- "Texas to Remain a Top State for Job Growth in 2014," Southwest Economy, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, First Quarter 2014
- The Texas Economy, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Topic: Dynamic Scoring and Analysis use in tax policy
- "Count the Cost," State Legislatures, National Conference of State Legislatures, July-August 2014
- Dynamic Scoring for Tax Legislation: A Review of Models, Congressional Research Service, January 24, 2014
September 17th Top
Senate Committee on Transportation
Charge: Impact of increased oil and gas production on roadways and bridges
- "Damaged by Oil," San Antonio Express-News, July 25, 2014
- "Crumbling Roads in Oil Fields Slow U.S. Energy Boom," Bloomberg, July 11,2014
- The Impact of Natural Gas Extraction and Fracking on State and Local Roadways, Journalist's Resource (Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center and the Carnegie-Knight), March 21, 2014
Charge: Implementation of SB 1792, 83rd Legislature, R.S., toll nonpayment
- "North Texas Tollway Authority Begins Banning ‘Habitual Toll Violators’ from Area Tollroads," Dallas Morning News, May 5, 2014
- "TXDOT to Start Impounding Scofflaws’ Cars on Toll Roads," Austin American Statesman, March 21, 2014
- TxDOT to Take Next Steps to Collect From Habitual Toll Violators, Texas Department of Transportation
- New Toll Enforcement Law in Effect for Habitual Violators, North Texas Tollway Authority
Charge: Uninsured motorists
- "Dallas County’s Uninsured Driver Rate Speeds Up," Dallas Morning News, August 16, 2014
- Uninsured Motorists (statistics), Insurance Information Institute
September 19th Top
Senate Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Studying Impacts of Mexico's Energy Reforms on Texas
Charge: Impact on Texas' economy and businesses of the recent expansion of oil and gas production in Northern Mexico, Mexico's efforts to recover shale gas from Eagle Ford Shale
- "Texas A&M International Lending Educational Expertise to Mexico’s Evolving Energy Market," San Antonio Business Journal, August 29,2014
- "Mexican Energy Reform Means These New Jobs in Houston," Houston Business Journal, August 18, 2014
- "Why the U.S. Could be the Big Winner of Mexico’s Energy Reforms," Washington Examiner, August 8, 2014
- Mexico's Energy Reform to Bring Significant Benefits, Challenges, Rigzone, May 1, 2014
- "Houston Companies Predicted to be the Big Winners under Mexico's Energy Reform," Houston Business Journal, January 28, 2014
- Mexico’s Oil and Gas Sector: Background, Reform Efforts, and Implications for the United States, Congressional Research, January 6, 2014
