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.
March 29 Top
House Select Committee on Federal Environmental Regulation
Topic: Organizational hearing on the effects that existing and proposed federal environmental regulations will have on the Texas economy
- States' Reactions to EPA Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards (final rule for future and existing power plants, regulatory authority, legal challenges, state action), National Conference of State Legislatures, March 7, 2016
- EPA Regulations: Too Much, Too Little, or On Track? (includes tables of major EPA rules and modifications expected to be proposed or finalized in 2016, and major rules and modifications under development at EPA, as well as appendix of major or controversial EPA rules promulgated since 2009), Congressional Research Service, February 9, 2016
- EPA and the Army Corps' Rule to Define "Waters of the United States," Congressional Research Service, January 4, 2016
- ERCOT Analysis of the Impacts of the Clean Power Plan: Final Rule Update, Electric Reliability Council of Texas, October 16, 2015
- Well Within Reach: How Texas Can Comply With and Benefit From the Clean Power Plan, Environmental Defense Fund, October 2015
- Analysis of the Impacts of the Clean Power Plan, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Energy Information Administration, May 2015
- Impacts of Environmental Regulations in the ERCOT Region, Electric Reliability Council of Texas, December 16, 2014
- How EPA's Clean Power Plan Impacts Texas, Bipartisan Policy Group, December 1, 2014
- Interim Report to the 84th Legislature (Charge 4 - Review of EPA's Clean Power Plan), House Committee on Environmental Regulation, December 2014
House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety
Charge: Texas Division of Emergency Management and the state's natural disaster preparedness planning efforts
- Texas Emergency Management Executive Guide. Fiscal Year 2015 Edition. Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Division of Emergency Management. Revised January 4, 2016.
- Emergency Management Planner's Guide: The Planner's Toolkit. (Draft). Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Division of Emergency Management. February 2015.
- Interim Report to the 84th Legislature (Charge 1 -Emergency Preparedness), House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety, January 2015.
- Interim Report to the 84th Legislature (Charge 2 ), Senate Committee on Agriculture, Rural Affairs and Homeland Security, December 2014.
- State Emergency Management Director Handbook (Comprehensive guide for state emergency managers including overview of each state’s programs.), National Emergency Management Association, 2011
Charge: Implementation of the "two steps, one sticker" program
- "More Confusion Possible as '1-Sticker' System Enters 2nd Year," Houston Chronicle, March 4, 2016
- Chairman's Report to the Governor on State of Affairs of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. (Annual Report 2015.) Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, February 3, 2016
- Vehicle Safety Inspections: Improved DOT Communication Could Better Inform State Programs. (Publication No. GAO-15-705), U.S. Government Accountability Office, August 2015
- "New Car Registration System 'Poorly Launched,' Local Official Says," Houston Chronicle, March 10, 2015.
Charge: Implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 84th Legislature
House Committee on Investments & Financial Services
Charge 3: Elder financial abuse
- Financial Crimes Against the Elderly, 2015 Legislation, National Conference of State Legislatures, November 20, 2015
- "Lies, Secrets, and Scams: How to Prevent Elder Abuse," Consumer Reports, November 3, 2015
- "Why Elder Financial Abuse Is Such A Slippery Crime," Forbes, February 13, 2015
- Cumulative 2015 Elder Financial Abuse Legislation, American Bankers Association, updated as of January 26, 2015
- The True Link Report on Elder Financial Abuse 2015, True Link Financial, January 2015
- "Protecting the Elderly: Should Montana Provide Civil Cause of Action for Elder Abuse?," 40 Montana Lawyer 15, November 2014
- Georgia Akers, Associate Judge, Harris County Probate Court No. 3, "Elder Abuse, Exploitation and Consumer Scams: Ethical Duties," 2014 CPE by the Sea, Houston TSCPA Foundation and TSCPA CPE Foundation, Inc., Galveston, Texas, June 11-13, 2014
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Recommendations and Report for Financial Institutions on Preventing and Responding to Elder Financial Exploitation and Advisory for Financial Institutions on Preventing and Responding to Elder Financial Exploitation, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, March 23, 2016
Charge 6: Legislative oversight and monitoring of agencies
House Committee on Urban Affairs CANCELLED
Charge: Cities' cybersecurity policies
- Interim Hearings - Week of February 22, 2016, House Committee on Urban Affairs, Charge 2 - Cities' cybersecurity policy, Legislative Reference Library, February 23, 2016
Senate Committees on Education and Higher Education (Joint Hearing)
Charge: Implementation of HB 5, 83rd R.S., and current projections for preparation of Texas high school students for postsecondary education and workforce training
- House Bill 5 Evaluation, American Institutes for Research, October 2015, Revised December 2015
- Using Dual Enrollment to Improve the Educational Outcomes of High School Students, ACT, December 2015
- 60x30TX: 60 Percent of "Generation Texas" Will Have a Postsecondary Credential or Degree by 2030, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, July 17, 2015.
- Interim Report to the 84th Legislature (Charge 1 - HB 5, 83R), House Committee on Public Education, December 2014
- Dual Credit Report, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, March 2012
- Improving Access to Postsecondary Education Through Early College High Schools, Council of State Governments, August 2009
- House Bill 5: Foundation High School Program (Overview, FAQs, resources), Texas Education Agency
Charge: Teacher shortage and retention, educator preparation programs
- "Schools Look to Puerto Rico in Search of Bilingual Teachers," Stateline (Pew Charitable Trusts), October 13, 2015
- 2014 Teacher Prep Review: A Review of the Nation's Teacher Preparation Programs, National Council on Teacher Quality, Revised February 2015
- Interim Report to the 84th Legislature (Charge 4 - Teacher preparation, Charge 5 - Dual Credit), Senate Committee on Higher Education, December 2014
- Teacher Shortage Areas Nationwide Listing 1990-1991 through 2014-2015, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, March 2014
- English Language Learners in America's Great City Schools: Demographics, Achievement, and Staffing, Council of the Great City Schools, 2013
- Resources, National Coalition on Personnel Shortages in Special Education and Related Services
- Tackling the STEM Crisis: Five Steps Your State Can Take to Improve the Quality and Quantity of Its K-12 Math and Science Teachers, National Council on Teacher Quality
Senate Committee on State Affairs
Charge: Compensation to private property owners for property taken by eminent domain authority
- Understanding the Condemnation Process in Texas, Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, July 2015
- 2015 Educational Series: Eminent Domain, Texas Department of Transportation, December 2014
- Protecting Property Rights: Just Compensation or Just Take It?, Texas Public Policy Foundation, December 2014
- Eminent Domain and Fair Market Value in a Depressed Real Estate Market, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, October 2014
- "In Pursuit of Just Compensation in Texas: Assessing Damages in Takings Cases Using the Property’s Tax-Appraised Value," 46 St. Mary’s Law Journal 105, 2014
- "'Fairness and Equity,' or Judicial Bait-And-Switch? It’s Time to Reform the Law of 'Just' Compensation," 4 Albany Government Law Review 38, April 2011
- Interim Report to the 80th Legislature (Determination of adequate compensation), Joint Interim Committee to Study the Power of Eminent Domain, December 2006
- Protecting Private Property Rights: Reforming Eminent Domain in Texas, Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute’s Property Rights and Land Use Task Force, November 2006
Senate Committee on Transportation
Charge: State Highway Fund grants and loans to Regional Mobility Authorities (RMA)
- Regional Mobility Authorities in Texas: History and Current Status: Final Report, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, February 2016
Charge: Oversize and overweight vehicles
- Interim Report to the 83rd Legislature (Charge 2 - Oversize and overweight vehicles), Senate Committee on Transportation, February 2013
- Accommodating Oversize and Overweight Loads: Technical Report, Texas Transportation Institute, July 2012
Senate Select Committee on Transportation Planning
Topic: Transportation planning, financing, and performance
- "It's Time for States to Invest in Infrastructure," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, February 23, 2016
- "Falling Oil Prices Leading to Drop in Texas Road Funding" and Comptroller Glenn Hegar's testimony to House Select Committee on Transportation Planning, Texas Tribune, January 20, 2016
- Annual Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015, Texas Department of Transportation, December 16, 2015
- 84th Texas Legislature, Interim, House Subcommittee on Long-Term Infrastructure Planning, Testimony on future funding needs, alternative funding options, major revenue enhancement strategies enacted by other states (2008 to 2015), response to questions asked, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, September 10 and October 14, 2015
- HB 20 - Initial Report: Revenue Projections, Funding Categories & Allocations, Performance-Based Decision Making, Texas Department of Transportation, September 1, 2015
- Texas Transportation Plan 2040, Texas Department of Transportation, Adopted February 26, 2015
- Transportation Funding Options: Legislative Policy Report, Legislative Budget Board, February 2015
- 84th Legislature 2015: Mapping for the Future: Summary of Enacted Legislation, Texas Department of Transportation, 2015
- State Transportation Statistics, 2015, U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2015
- Transportation Funding: Understanding Funding in Texas, Texas Department of Transportation, 2014-2015 Edition
- Funding Needs and Potential Sources, Texas Department of Transportation
- Transportation Policy Research Center: Finance, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
March 30 Top
House Committee on Insurance
Charge 3: Texas prompt payment law and penalty calculations
- Prompt Pay FAQs ,Texas Department of Insurance, Updated March 8, 2016
- An Interstate Comparison of Healthcare Prompt-Pay Laws, Texans for Lawsuit Reform Foundation, January 31, 2016
- Fourth Quarter 2015 Dissolution Progress Report, Texas Health Insurance Pool, December 2015
- 2014 Annual and Retrospective Report, Texas Health Insurance Pool, 2015
- 28 Texas Administrative Code §21.2815, Failure to Meet the Statutory Claims Payment Period, Texas Department of Insurance
- "Tort Reform Foes Team Up To Force Insurance Companies to Pay Promptly," Austin American Statesman, January 27, 2013
Charge 7: Implementation of HB 2929, 83rd R.S.
- 28 Texas Administrative Code §§21.3101-21.3107, Coverage for Acquired Brain Injury, Texas Department of Insurance
- 40 Texas Register 3179-3183, Preamble to Adopted Rules - Coverage for Acquired Brain Injury, Texas Department of Insurance, May 29, 2015
- Recommendations for Improving the Lives of Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury, Texas Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Council, 2014
- Texas Mandated Benefit Cost and Utilization Summary Report October 2013 - September 2014 Reporting Period, Texas Department of Insurance, 2014
- Texas Mandated Benefit Cost and Utilization Summary Report October 2012 - September 2013 Reporting Period, Texas Department of Insurance, 2013
- State Health Care Spending, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, April 2011 (Appendices)
Charge 8: Prosecution of workers' compensation insurance fraud
- "Prosecutors, Texas Mutual Change Controversial Funding Deal," Texas Tribune and Austin American-Statesman, December 18, 2015
- "Paid to Prosecute: Private Insurer Pays Government Lawyers to Pursue Fraud Charges," Texas Tribune and Austin American-Statesman, September 9, 2015
- Fraud in the Texas Workers' Compensation System: Executive Summary, Texas Department of Insurance, Last Updated September 6, 2014
- Fighting Fraud, Texas Mutual Workers Compensation Insurance
- Texas Insurance Code §2054.455, Funding Agreements for Criminal Prosecutions, Texas Mutual Insurance Company
House Committee on Pensions
Topic: Organizational meeting, current issues and concerns facing pension systems
- 84th Regular Legislative Session: Pension Legislation Passed, Pension Review Board, June 25, 2015
- Guide to Public Retirement Systems in Texas, Pension Review Board, February 2015
- Study of the Financial Health of Texas Public Retirement Systems, Pension Review Board, December 2014
- Texas Transparency: Public Pension Search Tool, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
House Committee on Transportation
Topic: Update on HB 2612, 84th R.S. - debt service on bonds issued for each toll project in this state, plan to eliminate all toll roads
- Texas Toll Road Primer: Final Report, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, February 2014
- Investor Relations, Texas Department of Transportation
House Select Committee on Transportation Planning
Topics: Update from TxDOT working group on project selection criteria, rules and policies for project prioritization and selection, and funding categories (TxDOT); latest revenue projections related to state and federal funds; outstanding debt and repayment schedule
- "It's Time for States to Invest in Infrastructure," Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, February 23, 2016
- "Falling Oil Prices Leading to Drop in Texas Road Funding" and Comptroller Glenn Hegar's testimony to House Select Committee on Transportation Planning, Texas Tribune, January 20, 2016
- Annual Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015, Texas Department of Transportation, December 16, 2015
- 84th Texas Legislature, Interim, House Subcommittee on Long-Term Infrastructure Planning, Testimony on future funding needs, alternative funding options, major revenue enhancement strategies enacted by other states (2008 to 2015), response to questions asked, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, September 10 and October 14, 2015
- State Transportation Statistics, 2015, U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2015
- Funding Needs and Potential Sources, Texas Department of Transportation
- Transportation Policy Research Center: Finance, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Senate Committee on Business & Commerce
Charge: State cybersecurity and protection of financial and personal information
- "Privacy and Cybersecurity Get Political Legs," TechTank, Brookings Institution, February 25, 2015
- Internet of Things: Privacy & Security in a Connected World, FTC Staff Report, Federal Trade Commission, January 2015
- "States Ascend Into the Cloud," Stateline (Pew Charitable Trusts), October 14, 2014
- "The Importance of Cybersecurity in the Age of the Cloud and Internet of Things," Government Technology, October 2, 2014
- Big Data: Big Opportunities, Big Risks…and Big Realities, National Conference of State Legislatures Legislative Summit, August 21, 2014
- Big Data: Seizing Opportunities, Preserving Values, Executive Office of the President, May 2014
- Cloud Computing: Constitutional and Statutory Privacy Protections, Congressional Research Service, March 22, 2013
Charge: Implementation of legislation, specifically federal electronic verification of employment authorization program and consent policy for state disclosure of personal data
- "A New Chapter for E-Verify Policy in Texas," Texas Tribune, August 27, 2015
- State E-Verify Action, National Conference of State Legislatures, August 19, 2015
- Interim Report to the 84th Legislature (Charge 4 - Consumer informed consent), Senate Committee on State Affairs, January 2015
- E-Verify: The Impact of Its Mandatory Use on Texas Workers and Business, National Immigration Law Center, February 2013
- USCIS E-Verify, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
Topic: Updates from Public Utility Commission of Texas and Electric Reliability Council of Texas
Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
Charge 2: County and municipal jails, mental health in corrections
- Correctional Managed Health Care Policy Manual (See sections on decision making, classification, programs, and treatment tracks for mentally ill offenders), Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Updated 2016
- Mortality in Local Jails and State Prisons, 2000-2013 - Statistical Tables, U.S. Department of Justice, August 2015
- 2014 Annual Jail Report, Texas Commission on Jail Standards, Updated February 12, 2015
- Callous and Cruel: Use of Force Against Inmates with Mental Disabilities in US Jails and Prisons, Human Rights Watch, May 2015
- Statewide Law Enforcement/Mental Health Efforts, Council of State Governments, Justice Center, December 2012
Senate Committee on Finance
Charge: Franchise tax, Property Tax Relief Fund
- Failure of Texas' Business Margin Tax, Texas Public Policy Foundation, December 2015
- The 2016-17 Certification Revenue Estimate (Franchise tax) and (Funding sources of the Property Tax Relief Fund), Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, October 2015
- Tax Exemptions & Tax Incidence: A Report to the Governor and the 84th Legislature (Franchise tax), Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, March 2015
- Biennial Revenue Estimate (2016-2017) (Franchise tax) and (Funding sources of the Property Tax Relief Fund), Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, January 2015
- Interim Report to the 82nd Texas Legislature (Charge 1 - Revised franchise tax), House Committee on Ways & Means, January 2011
- Tax Fairness: Property Tax Relief for Texans, Texas Tax Reform Commission, March 29, 2006
Charge: Sales tax holiday
- Sales Tax Holidays: Politically Expedient but Poor Tax Policy 2015, Tax Foundation, August 17, 2015
- Sales Tax Holidays: An Ineffective Alternative to Real Sales Tax Reform, Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy, July 22, 2015
- "States Expand Sales Tax Holidays Beyond Back-to-School Items," Stateline (Pew Research Center), July 10, 2013
- An Analysis of the Costs and Benefits of a Sales Tax Holiday in the State of Georgia, Washington Economics Group, Inc., January 5, 2012
- Sales Tax Holiday: FAQs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- 2016 State Sales Tax Holidays, Federation of Tax Administrators
Charge: Budget formats of other states; reduction of state liabilities; incentivize state agencies
- Budget Processes in the States, National Association of State Budget Officers, Spring 2015
- "State Budgeting With an Eye on Results," Stateline (Pew Research Center), August 28, 2014
- NCSL Fiscal Brief: Zero-Base Budgeting in the States, National Conference of State Legislatures, January 2012
- Public Employee Pension System Data: FY 2014 vs. FY 2013, Governing
- State Budget Procedures and Performance Based Budgeting: Fact Sheet, National Conference of State Legislatures
- Pensions, State Budget Solutions
- Texas Transparency: Pension Obligations, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Joint Committee on TRS Health Benefit Plans
Topic: Health benefit plans administered by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas; TRS-Care
- 2015 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Teacher Retirement System of Texas, November 18, 2015
- Teacher Retirement System of Texas, Actuarial Valuation Report For the Year Ending August 31, 2015, Gabriel, Roeder, Smith & Company, November 11, 2015
- TRS-Care Retiree Health Care Plan, Teacher Retirement System of Texas, Actuarial Valuation Report For the Year Ending August 31, 2015, Gabriel, Roeder, Smith & Company, November 11, 2015
- Guide to Public Retirement Systems in Texas, State Pension Review Board, February 12, 2015
- TRS-Care Sustainability and TRS-ActiveCare Affordability Study, Texas Retirement System of Texas, November 18, 2014
- Strategic Plan FY 2015 - FY 2019, Texas Retirement System of Texas, July 7, 2014
March 31 Top
House Committees on Agriculture & Livestock and International Trade & Intergovernmental Affairs (Joint Hearing)
Charge: Promotion of domestic agriculture products, and strengthening international ties for exporting Texas food and fiber
- Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade, U.S. Department of Agriculture, February 2016
- "Going Global: Agricultural Exports are Booming - and States are Taking Notice," Capitol Ideas, Council of State Governments, May/June 2015
- Texas State Resources, Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, Iowa State University
- Marketing Programs, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
- Go Texan, Texas Department of Agriculture
- Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- National Agricultural Statistics Service - Texas Field Office (Texas agricultural statistics, county estimates, Census of Agriculture for Texas, crop and livestock reports), U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Global Agricultural Trade System (Data Source: U.S. States), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service
Topic: Impact of an open U.S.-Cuba trading relationship on Texas
- "Texas Sees Business Potential in Trade with Cuba," Dallas Morning News, November 29, 2015
- The Potential for Texas Agricultural Exports to Cuba, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Center for North American Studies, November 2015
- U.S. Agricultural Trade with Cuba: Current Limitations and Future Prospects, Congressional Research Service, October 1, 2015
- Cuba (Data & Analysis), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service
Joint Legislative Committee on Health & Human Services Transition, Oversight
Invited and public testimony
- Health and Human Services Commission - Overview of Transition Plan
- Transition Plan: Health and Human Services System, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, March 2016
- HHS Transformation and HHS Transformation - Presentations, Texas Health and Human Services Commission
- Workforce Commission - Overview of Vocational Rehabilitation Services Transfer
- Plan for the Transfer of Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Other Services Program, Amended February 29, 2016
- Department of Assistive & Rehabilitative Services Program Transition, Texas Workforce Commission
- Department of Family and Protective Services - Update of Child Abuse Prevention Services Consolidation
- Progress Report to the Sunset Advisory Commission: Child Protective Services Transformation, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, October 2015
- Transition Plan: Health and Human Services System (Department of Family and Protective Services), Texas Health and Human Services Commission, March 2016
- Transformation, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
April 1 Top
Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development
Charge 3: Economic development
- Tax Incentive Evaluation Law: Texas (Fact sheet), Pew Charitable Trusts, June 22, 2015
- Investing in Texas: Economic Incentives and Programs and Part 2: How to Measure the Benefits of Economic Incentives (and How Not To), TTARA Research Foundation, February 2015
- Interim Report to the 84th Legislature, House Select Committee on Economic Development Incentives, January 2015
- Interim Report to the 84th Legislature (Incentives), House Committee on Economic and Small Business Development, December 2014
- An Analysis of Texas Economic Development Incentives 2010, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, March 2011
- Economic Development & Tourism - Incentive Programs, Office of the Governor
Charge 4: Expedited permitting
- Implementation of the Expedited Permitting Program, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Revised August 2015
- The 84th Legislative Session Adjourns on a Successful Note for the TCEQ (Key bills passed include drought planning, water needs and expedited permitting), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Charge 7: Implementation of legislation, specifically:
1) Legislation relating to Texas aerospace incentives;
2) Expedited permitting; and
3) Electric utility rate adjustments
