The library has a new Pinterest board highlighting historic firsts of women in the Texas legislative community. Learn about trailblazers such as Edith Wilmans and Barbara Jordan, two women who lived in different times but made great strides for women's history. Wilmans was the first woman to serve in the Texas legislature, and Jordan was the first African-American woman to serve. The board also focuses on lesser-known individuals, such as the first woman to chair a House committee, the first woman to filibuster in the Texas Senate, and the first woman to serve as a legislative officer. We invite you to view the board at: http://www.pinterest.com/texaslrl/historic-firsts-for-texas-women/
Week in Review, June 5th
Jun 5
In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
- Examine scheduling practices and patient wait times at VA medical facilities. (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, May 28, 2014)
- Read about the EPA's Clean Power Plan proposed rule, a plan to cut carbon emissions from power plants. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, June 2, 2014)
- Consider the rise in cases of measles in the country. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 29, 2014)
- Try fostering seven habits of highly effective readers. (Book Riot, May 30, 2014)
Interim Hearings - Week of June 9th
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: Legislative oversight and monitoring, Texas Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program 1115 Waiver
- Presentation to the House County Affairs Committee on the Healthcare Transformation Waiver, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, May 15, 2014
- Medicaid Transformation Waiver including overview, timeline, and background resources, Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs & Military Installations
Charge: Impact of federal actions (including the federal government shutdown, sequestration, military force reductions, and potential base closure or realignment) on active-duty service members, the Texas Military Department, veterans, their families, defense-related contractors, small businesses, local governments, and state agencies
- Estimated Impacts of Sequestration-Level Funding, U.S. Department of Defense, April 2014
- "S.A., Texas Could Gain in Wake of Troop Cuts, BRAC," San Antonio Express-News, March 3, 2014
- Government Shutdown: Operations of the Department of Defense During a Lapse in Appropriations, Congressional Research Service, October 15, 2013
- "Playing Defense: Looming Cuts May Affect Texas Communities," Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, June 11, 2013
Charge: State Strike Force Team
- Beating the VA Backlog, Texas Veterans Commission
- "Legislators Look to Help Cut Wait Times at VA Clinics," Texas Tribune, May 22, 2014
- Report and Recommendations to the 83rd Texas Legislature, Charge 2, The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs and Military Installations, January 2013
Topic: Veterans Health Care Access
- "Sen. Casey Announces Bill Addressing VA Backlog," The Philadelphia Tribune, May 29, 2014
- Review of Patient Wait Times, Scheduling Practices, and Alleged Patient Deaths at the Phoenix Health Care System, U.S. Veterans Administration, Office of Inspector General, May 28, 2014
- "VA Inspector General Confirms Texas Probes," San Antonio Express-News, May 28, 2014
- Letter to U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki requesting answers to questions regarding alleged misconduct at VA clinics, U.S. Senator John Cornyn , May 13, 2014
- Letter to Richard J. Griffin, Acting Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, expressing concern over recent allegations that employees at the Texas VA clinics manipulated medical appointment data to conceal long wait times, U.S. Representative Lamar Smith, et al., May 13, 2014
- Claims Backlog Working Group Issues Report, The American Legion, March 6, 2014 and related report The VA Claims Backlog Working Group March 2014 Report
Week in Review, May 29th
May 29
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)
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
- Water Resources Research Guide, Legislative Reference Library, February 2014
- Texas Water Report: Going Deeper for the Solution, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, January 2014
- State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT), Texas Water Development Board
Charge: Implementation of SB 393 and SB 1114, 83rd Legislature, R.S., and determine school districts that have implemented graduated sanctions in SB 393
- Kids Doing Time for What’s Not a Crime: the Over-Incarceration of Status Offenders, Texas Public Policy Foundation, March 2014
- Discipline Data Products, Texas Education Agency, last updated January 27, 2014
- Guiding Principles: a Resource Guide for Improving School Climate and Discipline, U.S. Department of Education, January 2014
- Chart: Disciplinary Action Resulting in Classroom Removal, Travis County School Districts, Ready by 21, 2014
- Citations for Class C Misdemeanors at School, Texas Association of School Boards, August 19, 2013
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.
- "Texas Supreme Court Tweaks E-Filing Standards to Tell Filers Why They've Been Rejected," Strasburger & Price, LLP, April 22, 2014
- "E-headache," Fort Worth Weekly, January 15, 2014
- "Paperless courts: are you ready for the e-filing mandate?", Texas Bar Journal, January 2014
- Deadlines by County: Mandatory e-Filing and List of Active Courts, eFileTexas.gov, December 3, 2013
- Amended Order Requiring Electronic Filing in Certain Courts, Texas Supreme Court, June 24, 2013
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
- Including Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities and Co-Occurring Mental Illness: Challenges that Must Be Addressed in Health Care Reform (position paper), National Association of Developmental Disabilities, 2013
- Safety Net Services for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Including Individuals with Dual Diagnoses IDD/MI): The Harris County Model, MHMRA of Harris County, November 2011
- "Co-Occurring Mental Illness and Developmental Disabilities," Social Work Today, September/October 2010
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
Week in Review, May 22nd
May 22
In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
- Explore preschool programs by state. (National Institute for Early Education Research, ©2014)
- Consider the economic effects of crime and incarceration. (The Hamilton Project, May 2014)
- Read about the older population in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, May 2014)
- Check out a collection of commencement speeches. (NPR, May 19, 2014)
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.
- Recent Revisions to the Texas Mechanics' Lien Statutes, Dallas Bar Association, September 9, 2013
- "New Texas laws get strict about lien waivers," Lien & Credit Journal, May 23, 2013
Charge: Wage theft
- "Workers file first complaint under city wage theft law," Houston Chronicle, April 15, 2014, and related Houston Wage Theft Ordinance
- Preventing Wage Theft in Texas, Center for Public Policy Priorities, August 27, 2013
- Winning Wage Justice: a Summary of Criminal Prosecutions of Wage Theft in the United States, National Employment Law Project, July 2013
- Build a Better Texas: Construction Working Conditions in the Lone Star State, Workers Defense Project, January 2013
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
- "Millions from Texas trust funds help reel in Final Four and lesser gigs," Dallas Morning News, March 30, 2014
- Event Trust Funds Overview, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
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
- Monthly Tracking of Adult Correctional Population Indicators, Legislative Budget Board, Fiscal Year 2014 Cumulative through April 2014
- Final Report with Legislative Action: Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Managed Health Care Committee, Windham School District, Board of Pardons and Paroles (Issue 4), Sunset Advisory Commission, July 2013
- Correctional Managed Health Care for State Incarcerated Adult Offenders in Texas: Legislative Policy Report, Legislative Budget Board, February 2013
- Fiscal Year 2012 Statistical Report, Texas Department of Criminal Justice
- Interim Report to the 80th Legislature, Charge 8, Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, December 2006
- Interim Report 2006: A Report to the House of Representatives, 80th Legislature, Charge 3, House Committee on Corrections, November 2006
House Committee on Appropriations - S/C on Articles I, IV, & V
Charge: Information technology (IT) infrastructure, data center consolidation, and the Department of Information Resources' Cooperative Contracts Program
- 2014-2018 State Strategic Plan for Information Resource Management, Texas Department of Information Resources, November 1, 2013
- Data Center Services Program Overview and Cooperative Contracts Program Overview, Texas Department of Information Resources
House Committee on Corrections
Charge: Correctional facilities and processes review, with emphasis on efficiencies, effectiveness, and recidivism
- Monthly Tracking of Adult Correctional Population Indicators, Legislative Budget Board, Fiscal Year 2014 Cumulative through April 2014
- 83rd Legislative Session Review, Legislative Budget Board, Criminal Justice Forum, September 6, 2013
- Final Report with Legislative Action: Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Managed Health Care Committee, Windham School District, Board of Pardons and Paroles, Sunset Advisory Commission, July 2013
Week in Review, May 15th
May 15
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)
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
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Rural Affairs & Homeland Security
Charge: Ammonium nitrate regulation and insurance
- Chemical Safety Board Ongoing Investigation Emphasizes Lack of Protection for Communities at Risk from Ammonium Nitrate Storage Facilities; Finds Lack of Regulation at All Levels of Government and Statement by CSB Chairperson and Supervisory Investigator on West Fertilizer Accident, U.S. Chemical Safety Board, April 22, 2014
- "Texas Lawmaker Wants to Make Federal Chemical Reports More Useful for Firefighters In The Wake Of Deadly West Explosion, " Dallas Morning News (Investigates Blog), April 15, 2014
- "Texas Remains Wary of Regulation after West," Houston Chronicle, April 11, 2014
- Testimony before the Texas Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee, Office of the Texas State Chemist, April 14, 2014
- Ammonium Nitrate Compliance Guide, Office of the Texas State Chemist
- Ammonium Nitrate in Texas (State Fire Marshal’s Office), Texas Department of Insurance
- Regulation of Fertilizers: Ammonium Nitrate and Anhydrous Ammonia, Congressional Research Service (via Federation of American Scientists), July 31, 2013
Charge: Role of state and local governments in disaster recovery
- "What Federal, State and Local Officials did in Response to the West Disaster," Dallas Morning News, December 14, 2013
- Emergency Management: Recovery, Texas Department of Public Safety
- State & Local Emergency Organizations, Texas Department of Public Safety
House Committees on Appropriations - S/C on Articles VI, VII, & VIII and Natural Resources (Joint Hearing)
Charge: 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill funds
- "Four years after BP spill, settlement money slowly trickles in," NPR State Impact, April 9, 2014
- "BP spill restoration dollars trickling into Texas," Houston Chronicle, January 10, 2014
- Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Draft Phase III Early Restoration Plan, Draft Programmatic Early Restoration Plan and Environmental Impact Statement, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (proposal for $18.4 million in Texas early restoration projects)
- Gulf Spill Restoration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
House Committee on Appropriations - S/C on Articles VI, VII, & VIII
Charge: Progress on reducing the reliance on dedicated accounts for budget certification
- General Revenue-Dedicated Funds Budget, Fiscal Size-Up, 2014-15 Biennium, p. 4, Legislative Budget Board, February 2014
- 83rd Legislature Report on Use of General Revenue & Dedicated Funds, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Revised October 16, 2013
- Interim Report to the 70th Legislature, House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Dedicated and Local Funds, December 1986
- General Revenue-Dedicated Funds, Legislative Budget Board
House Committees on Government Efficiency & Reform and Technology (Joint Hearing)
Charge: Department of Information Resources' Cooperative Contracts
- Cooperative Contracts Program Overview, Texas Department of Information Resources
Charge: Public's accessibility to government services and agencies through the use of mobile applications and online services
- "Mobile apps enable citizen engagement and better service," StateTech Magazine, April 8, 2014
- "NASCIO [National Association of State Chief Information Officers] site puts states' mobile apps in one place," GCN.com, May 16, 2013
- Government in a Mobile World, Center for Technology in Government, October 2011
House Committee on Government Efficiency & Reform
Charge: State agencies using the Texas Workforce Commission's "Work in Texas" website for a more standardized applications process
- "WorkInTexas.com goes mobile," Texas Workforce Commission, September 30, 2013
House Committee on Investments & Financial Services
Charge: Texas home equity laws
- Did home equity restrictions help keep Texas mortgages from going underwater?, Southwest Economy, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Third Quarter 2013
- 2012 Home Equity Lending Report, Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, December 3, 2012
- Home Equity Loans in Texas: Frequently Asked Questions, Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner
Charge: Intrastate equity crowd funding system in Texas
- “New Washington crowdfunding law could aid startups,” Government Technology, March 14, 2014
- “Crowdfunding: Michigan politicians love it; business community not so sure,” Crain’s Detroit Business, March 14, 2014
- “Brief: Texas Legislature to weigh intrastate crowdfunding exemption,” CrowdFund Insider, February 8, 2014
Charge: Legislative oversight and monitoring of agencies
House Committee on Technology
Charge: Feasibility of an integrated identity management program (IIMP) for state agencies
- State Identity Credential and Access Management (SICAM) Guidance and Roadmap, National Association of State Chief Information Officers, September 2012
House Committee on Elections
Charge: Online voter registration systems
- Online Voter Registration, National Conference of State Legislatures, updated April 21, 2014 (including states with online voter registration, recent action, and NCSL webinar, Online Voter Registration: The Bipartisan Trend in Elections, November 21, 2013)
- Understanding Online Voter Registration (issue brief), Pew Center on the States, January 2014
- Online Voter Registration: Case Studies in Arizona and Washington, Pew Center on the States, March 2010
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
Week in Review, May 8th
May 8
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)


