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Bills Effective on January 1, 2018

Dec 28

posted by TexasLRL in Legislation

On January 1, 2018, 26 bills that passed during the regular session of the 85th Legislature will take effect. Eight additional bills have sections that will go into effect on January 1. 

 

Additionally, one bill that passed during the 84th Legislature will take effect on January 1.

 

To keep up with new laws throughout the year, check the Library's list of bill effective dates.

This entry was posted on December 28, 2017 at 9:00 AM and has received 11024 views. Print this entry.

Research Minute: Finding Interim Charges

Dec 19

posted by TexasLRL in Search tips, Research minute

We’ve been sharing regular posts about upcoming interim hearings…but are you wondering where you can find information about all of the committees and the 350 charges? Currently, we have a link to the interim charges list on our homepage to make them easy to find. However, you also can use the Committees section of the LRL website to refine your research. 

  • Using Committees by session, you can see a list of all of the committees, and click on the committee’s name to view its interim charges. (Note that not all of the committees have received charges.) You also can select past sessions to view charges, committee members, etc., from past Legislatures. 
  • If you are looking for a particular committee, you can use Committee search to navigate directly to its page.
  • On our Legislative reports page, you can search committee charges in the second section of the page. Here, if you want to find every committee that has been assigned a topic that could potentially fall in the purview of multiple committees, you can use the “subject” or “charge text” box to search for that term. (See subject search results for "prescription drugs" below.)

When committees start submitting their reports in the months just before the next legislative session, you also can search on the legislative reports page to find those items.

 

This entry was posted on December 19, 2017 at 10:16 AM and has received 1512 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of December 18, 2017

Dec 18

posted by TexasLRL in 85th 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.

 

December 20

House Committee on Land & Resource Management (Corpus Christi)

Charge: General Land Office (GLO) role and efforts during the recovery period following Hurricane Harvey, disaster readiness and protocols, assessment of public lands

This entry was posted on December 18, 2017 at 11:02 AM and has received 916 views. Print this entry.

Current Articles and Research Resources, December 14

Dec 14

posted by TexasLRL in Current Articles, Week in review, Research Resources

In this weekly post, we feature helpful research tools and recent articles of interest to the legislative community.

  • Review statistics related to the country's southern border. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection, December 5, 2017)
  • Read about the costs of the Trump Administration's goals for the military. (Congressional Budget Office, December 4, 2017)
  • Consider the legal aspects of shared parenting. (The Washington Post, December 11, 2017)
  • Explore the stunning images from the 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year submissions. (National Geographic, ©2017)

Members of the Texas legislative community may request the articles below here or by calling 512-463-1252.

  • "The state of manufacturing." By Evan Hoopfer. Dallas Business Journal, November 24, 2017, pp. 4-6.
    Discusses the growth in manufacturing jobs and tracks how North Texas compares to its national and state counterparts.
  • "Disaster relief: defrauding the do-gooders." Economist, November 25th-December 1st, 2017, pp. 55-56.
    Reports countries are becoming more active in seeking to uncover and punish fraud related to humanitarian aid and natural and man-made disasters.
  • "Mental health: me, myself and iPhone." Economist, November 25th-December 1st, 2017, pp. 26, 28.
    Considers whether the current increase in the suicide rate among 15-to-19-year-olds coincides with the rise of social media and the time spent staring at phone screens.
  • "Why the Republican tax plans do nothing to help genuine small businesses." By Hunter Blair. EPI Issue Brief, November 29, 2017, pp. 1-8.
    Rebuts claims that Republican tax plans will help small businesses by lowering top tax rates on "pass-through" income. Explains the relationship between pass-through businesses and small businesses.
    See: http://www.epi.org/files/pdf/138390.pdf
  • "Making a case for sanctuary hospitals." By Altaf Saadi, Sameer Ahmed, and Mitchell H. Katz. JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), December 5, 2017, pp. 2079-2080.
    Argues that hospitals should develop clear sanctuary policies so community members can seek medical care regardless of their immigration status. Highlights several Texas anecdotes in which patients were targeted by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] agents.
  • "The success of state newborn screening policies for critical congenital heart disease." By Alex R. Kemper, Wendy K.K. Lam, and Joseph A. Bocchini Jr. JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), December 5, 2017, pp. 2087-2088.
    Reports that statewide implementation of mandatory newborn screening policies for critical congenital heart disease was associated with a significant decrease in infant cardiac deaths between 2007 and 2013.
  • "Electricity or natural gas: which holds the real price advantage?" By Mark Beyer. Public Utilities Fortnightly, December 2017, pp. 48-49.
    Compares the price advantages of electricity and natural gas.
  • "How does innovation impact customers?: no two are alike." By Sheri Givens. Public Utilities Fortnightly, November 2017, pp. 16-18.
    Considers how innovations impact residential utility customers. Suggests ways for utilities to accommodate innovations based on different customer preferences.
  • "For foster care kids, college degrees are elusive." By Teresa Wiltz. Stateline (Pew Charitable Trusts), December 7, 2017, pp. 1-4.
    Reports on state programs that help foster care youth get into and through college or vocational school.
    See: http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2017/12/07/for-foster-care-kids-college-degrees-are-elusive
  • "More protection for property owners: how TAB influenced policy to protect homeowners during the 85th First Called Special Session." By Eddie Martin. Texas Builder, November/December 2017, pp. 23-24.
    Discusses efforts of the Texas Association of Builders relating to the home building industry and property rights in the 85th Legislature, 1st C.S., specifically relating to HB7 (tree credits for mitigation fees) and SB6 (annexation).
    See: http://www.texasbuilders.org/site/publisher/files/TXBuilder_NovDec17_FINAL.pdf#page=23
  • "Overcoming the storm." By Lorraine Urey. Texas Builder, November/December 2017, pp. 12-16.
    Surveys Hurricane Harvey's damage to Texas homes and describes the main obstacle facing the rebuilding effort: a skilled construction labor shortage. Mentions recent education reform in HB5, 83rd Legislature, R.S., allowing students to earn construction industry or trade certifications.
    See: http://www.texasbuilders.org/site/publisher/files/TXBuilder_NovDec17_FINAL.pdf#page=12
  • "A slap at employment law?" By W. Gary Fowler. Texas Lawyer, December 2017, pp. 24-25.
    Comments on recent court decisions concerning the impact of the Texas Citizens Participation Act on employment law issues such as defamation and trade secrets. Notes the law was enacted by HB2973, 82nd Legislature, R.S., as a way to prevent lawsuits that deter free speech.
  • "Giving up the gavel: after five terms as House speaker, Joe Straus calls it quits." By R.G. Ratcliffe. Texas Monthly, December 2017, pp. 54, 56.
    Offers Speaker Joe Straus' thoughts on why he decided not to run for reelection, what it takes to achieve success as Speaker, and whether he might be open to running for statewide office.
  • "An 87-year-old nun said she was raped in her nursing home. here’s why she couldn't sue." By Haley Sweetland Edwards. Time, November 27, 2017, pp. 54-59.
    Reports an increasing number of nursing homes are requiring incoming residents to sign arbitration agreements as a condition of admission. Notes residents are often unaware they have relinquished their legal rights to have claims of negligence and criminal conduct heard in court. Addresses an arbitration case involving rape.
    See: http://time.com/5027063/87-year-old-nun-said-she-was-raped-in-her-nursing-home/

The Legislative Reference Library compiles this weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. Professional librarians review and select articles from more than 300 periodicals, including public policy journals, specialized industry periodicals, news magazines, and state agency publications. Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles using our online form.

This entry was posted on December 14, 2017 at 3:15 PM and has received 1074 views. Print this entry.

New & Noteworthy List for December 2017

Dec 13

posted by TexasLRL in New & Noteworthy

The Library is continually adding new books to its collection. Below are the eight titles from our December 2017 New & Noteworthy list. 

Check out and delivery of New & Noteworthy titles is available to legislative staff in Capitol and District offices. To arrange check out and delivery of any of these items, you can submit an online request through the New & Noteworthy page on our website, contact the library at 512-463-1252, or use our PDF request form.

 

1. Divided We Stand: The Battle Over Women's Rights and Family Values That Polarized American Politics
By Marjorie Julian Spruill
Details the feminist National Women’s Conference and the conservative Pro-Life, Pro-Family Rally held simultaneously in Houston in November 1977. Describes the political figures and policy decisions that led to these conflicting events. Argues that the push and pull of these opposing women’s movements have played a key role in shaping our current political environment.
Bloomsbury, 2017. 436 pages.
305.4 SP88D 2017


 

 

2. Seeds of Empire: Cotton, Slavery, and the Transformation of the Texas Borderlands, 1800-1850
By Andrew J. Torget
Chronicles how Mexicans, Indians, Anglo-Americans, Europeans, and African Americans competed for space and power in the Texas borderlands, with the Atlantic cotton economy—and its reliance on slavery—being a driving force. Argues that the Republic of Texas was not simply a rebellion from Mexico but was also a “dress rehearsal” for the Confederacy and an attempt to build a cotton empire along the Gulf Coast of North America.
University of North Carolina Press, 2015. 353 pages.
338.1 T632S 2015


 

 

3. The Struggle to Reform Our Colleges
By Derek Curtis Bok
Examines the shortcomings of U.S. colleges, from disparities in the quality of education to racial/socioeconomic stratification to high costs, and the slow progress in addressing these challenges. Identifies initiatives and strategies that the author, a former president of Harvard University, believes would improve accountability, innovation, and the pace of reform.
Princeton University Press, 2017. 228 pages.
378.73 B637S 2017


 

 

4. A Texan Plan for the Texas Coast
By Jim Blackburn
Presents a Texas coastal protection solution that conserves natural resources and the long-term health and beauty of the coast, while encouraging economic growth and entrepreneurship, supporting the oil and gas industry, and valuing the traditions of the agricultural and ranching communities on the coast. Describes the assets of the Texas coast as "green" (natural ecological systems), "gray" (industrial and development infrastructure), and water. Includes recommendations on hurricane preparedness, surge flood prevention, and levee systems.
Texas A & M University Press, 2017. 305 pages.
976.4 B562T 2017


 

 

5. The Dukes of Duval County: The Parr Family and Texas Politics
By Anthony Carrozza
Examines the Parr family dynasty that swayed local and state elections primarily in Duval County but also across South Texas for over half a century. Documents how the Parrs, including former Texas Senator Archie Parr, rose to prominence from wealthy land owners to county and state officials who influenced Texas politics, including the election of Lyndon B. Johnson to the U.S. Senate. Explores how the Parr family was able to use its power and influence to avoid jail terms and justice until its regime ended in the 1970s.
University of Oklahoma Press, 2017. 427 pages.
976.4 C237D 2017


 

 

6. Tejano Leadership in Mexican and Revolutionary Texas
By Jesus F. de la Teja, ed.
Presents a collection of essays on the lives and careers of prominent as well as lesser-known but historically significant Tejano leaders and their role in the formation of Texas. Features José Antonio Navarro, Juan Seguín, and Plácido Benavides along with their little-known counterparts, including Father Refugio de la Garza, Juan Martín Veramendi, José Antonio Saucedo, Raphael Manchola, and Carlos de la Garza.
Texas A&M University Press, 2010. 252 pages.
976.4 T235T 2010


 

 

7. Tainted Breeze: The Great Hanging at Gainesville, Texas, 1862
By Richard B. McCaslin
Recounts the hanging of more than 42 alleged Unionist prisoners by the Citizens Court in Gainesville and the lynching of more prisoners in surrounding communities during the Civil War. Attributes a tradition of violence and vigilantism in North Texas, along with economic conditions and family relationships, as contributing factors to this dramatic event. Explores why those responsible for the Great Hanging were never prosecuted and why violence against families accused of Unionism continued long after the war ended.
Louisiana State University Press, 1994. 234 pages.
976.4 M128T 1994


 

 

8. New, Renamed, and Abolished State Government Entities: 85th Legislature
By Texas Legislative Council
Reports on state government agencies, interagency panels, advisory committees, and other state governmental entities created, restructured, or eliminated by legislation enacted in the 85th Legislature. Provides information about each entity, including the bill number and specific bill sections that contain provisions pertaining to the entity, effective dates, powers and duties of the entity or whether certain functions were transferred to another entity, membership information, and Sunset or expiration dates.
Texas Legislative Council, 2017. 41 pages.
Online at: http://www.tlc.state.tx.us/docs/sessions/85GovEntities.pdf
L1400.8 N42 2017

This entry was posted on December 13, 2017 at 3:15 PM and has received 1006 views. Print this entry.

Session for the Holidays

Dec 12

posted by TexasLRL in Texas history, Christmas

Usually, the Texas Legislature is not in session around Christmas time. Since the 16th Legislature (1879), the regular session has begun in January and adjourned in May, generally avoiding winter holidays. (See Article 3141 of the 1879 Revised Statutes of Texas that established this schedule.) However, there were a few instances when sessions started in December and/or continued through the holidays.

 

In 1847, the 2nd Legislature began work on December 13, 1847, and concluded on March 20, 1848. The representatives and senators worked on Christmas Eve, which fell on a Friday that year. They did take a long weekend and reconvened on Tuesday, December 28. 

 

The 3rd Legislature not only convened on Christmas Eve in 1849 and returned to work on the day after Christmas, they also had a called session in 1850 that ran into the first few days of December. 

 

From the 3rd Legislature through the 8th Legislature, the senators and representatives convened in November and adjourned in February. Typically they met on Christmas Eve, then adjourned until December 26, but they sometimes took a longer break, particularly when the holiday fell on a weekend.

 

During the Civil War and Reconstruction years, the legislature’s regular sessions were less consistent. The 9th and 10th Legislatures convened in November, but adjourned in January and December, respectively. The 11th Legislature didn’t convene until August 1866, and the 12th Legislature didn’t begin its regular session till January 1871. During these years, if session fell around Christmas, the legislators generally only took Christmas Day off before returning to work.

 

After an act was passed by the 16th Legislature setting the day and time for session to begin biennially (now Government Code § 301.001), the possibility of session running into the winter holidays was mostly history. However, there are those special sessions! The 71st Legislature had six called sessions, with the second adjourning on December 12; the 72nd Legislature’s fourth called session adjourned on December 3.

 

These days, Government Code § 662.003 designates December 24-26 as a holiday, but in the days before Texas’ regular session had an officially mandated start time, anything was possible for the legislature! The LRL hopes you enjoy a wonderful holiday season. 

 

Images: top right, House Christmas tree; bottom left: Senate Christmas tree; cover image: detail of House tree.

This entry was posted on December 12, 2017 at 8:30 AM and has received 1927 views. Print this entry.

Current Articles and Research Resources, December 7

Dec 7

posted by TexasLRL in Current Articles, Week in review, Research Resources

In this weekly post, we feature helpful research tools and recent articles of interest to the legislative community.

  • Consider new flexibility granted to the states for operating food stamp programs. (Politico, December 5, 2017)
  • Read about amicus briefs filed for Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. (Heritage Foundation, December 5, 2017)
  • Explore how new technologies can help manage diabetes. (National Institutes of Health, December 2017)
  • Find resources related to vaccinating against and tracking the flu in Texas. (Texas Department of State Health Services, last updated October 9, 2017)

Members of the Texas legislative community may request the articles below here or by calling 512-463-1252.

  • "Guardian of the vote." By Jill Leovy. Atlantic Monthly, December 2017, pp. 16, 18, 20.
    Reports on Barbara Simons and her work with the nonprofit, Verified Voting, and their goal of getting paper ballots in every state to combat the vulnerability of electronic systems.
    (See: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/12/guardian-of-the-vote/544155/)
  • "Unnatural disaster." By Shannon Sims. Bloomberg Businessweek, November 20, 2017, pp. 52-59.
    Examines the legal aspects of flood control measures implemented in west Houston during Hurricane Harvey. Quotes Senator Joan Huffman.
  • "The scholars behind the quest for reparations." By Marc Parry. Chronicle of Higher Education, November 17, 2017, pp. A14-A16.
    Highlights the work of Hilary Beckles and other historians as they seek reparations for slavery. Explains new scholarship focuses on the role slavery played in the development of American capitalism.
  • "Emergency management." By Andrew Siddons. CQ Weekly, November 13, 2017, pp. 24-28.
    Discusses the current opioid crisis in the United States. Examines how Scott Gottlieb, the new commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration [FDA], plans to address the crisis.
  • "Wages: great again." Economist, November 18th-24th, 2017, pp. 23-24.
    Discusses the surge in wages for workers in blue-collar occupations. Notes the acceleration in manufacturing employment this year in Texas and surrounding oil states.
  • "Health IT in Texas: the doctor is ... online." By Lauren Mulverhill. Fiscal Notes, November 2017, pp. 7-10.
    Examines health information technology as a promising solution for the challenges of rural health care and the physician shortage, including the expansion of telemedicine enacted by SB1107, HB1697, SB922, and SB1633, 85th Legislature, R.S.
    (See: https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/fiscal-notes/2017/november/health-it.php#article)
  • "Statewide payment and delivery reform: do states have what it takes?" By Judy Feder, et al. Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law, December 2017, pp. 1113-1125.
    Cautions federal and state policy makers that state leaders' political desire to be the stewards of health care for the state's entire population may be affected by statutory authority and purchasing power.
  • "Are sugar-sweetened beverages taxes legal? Williams v. Philadelphia." By Kevin A. Diehl. Journal of State Taxation, Winter 2017, pp. 17-22, 38.
    Highlights the legal arguments in a recent Pennsylvania soda tax case in which the appellate court found that the City of Philadelphia's beverage tax did not violate the Sterling Act's prohibition on duplicative taxes, and does not fall under the preempted sales tax category.
    (Related information at: http://www.pacourts.us/assets/opinions/Commonwealth/out/2077cd16_6-14-17.pdf)
  • "The new frontier: automobile insurance in the ride-share world." By Catherine L. Hanna. Journal of Texas Insurance Law, Fall 2017, pp. 17-20.
    Discusses how ridesharing challenges the traditional insurance dichotomy between personal and commercial activities. Explains the effect of HB1733, 84th Legislature.
    (Related information at: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=84R&Bill=HB1733)
  • "American families are broken and blended." By Robert Verbruggen. National Review, November 27, 2017, pp. 18, 20.
    Reports that about 40 percent of children in the United States are born to unmarried parents. Comments on the economic, technological, and cultural developments that have led to this situation and result in children experiencing a number of family-structure transitions.
  • "The serial-killer detector." By Alec Wilkinson. New Yorker, November 27, 2017, pp. 30-35.
    Highlights the Murder Accountability Project [MAP], which seeks to track and accurately account for unsolved homicides in the United States, including identifying potential serial killers.
    (Related information at: http://www.murderdata.org/)
    (See: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/27/the-serial-killer-detector)
  • "Gerrymandering educational opportunity." By Meredith P. Richards. Phi Delta Kappan, November 2017, pp. 65-70.
    Argues that gerrymandering school attendance zones can create educational communities that increase diversity and improve educational opportunities.
  • "Energy and politics at FERC: an independent agency?" By Robin Lunt. Public Utilities Fortnightly, November 2017, p. 65.
    Discusses United States Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry's role in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's [FERC] proposed rule that addresses rates for wholesale electricity markets.
    (Related information at: https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/09/f37/Secretary%20Rick%20Perry's%20Letter%20to%20the%20Federal%20Energy%20Regulatory%20Commission.pdf)
  • "How immigration crackdowns screw up Americans' lives." By Shikha Dalmia. Reason, December 2017, pp. 26-36.
    Explains how American citizens are harmed in overzealous immigration crackdowns, which include deporting American citizens, treating border towns as hostile territory, and driving restaurateurs out of business.
  • "FERC to issue rule on markets to preserve 'fuel-source.'" By Paul Ciampoli. Texas Public Power, October 2017, pp. 3, 6-8.
    Discusses the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee's [FERC] proposed rule addressing rates for wholesale electricity markets.
    (Related information at: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/10/10/2017-21396/grid-resiliency-pricing-rule) 

The Legislative Reference Library compiles this weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. Professional librarians review and select articles from more than 300 periodicals, including public policy journals, specialized industry periodicals, news magazines, and state agency publications. Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles using our online form.

This entry was posted on December 7, 2017 at 3:15 PM and has received 926 views. Print this entry.

Research Minute: Learning about Texas Governors

Dec 5

posted by TexasLRL in Governor, Search tips, Research minute

Although our primary focus is on Texas' legislative branch, the LRL maintains a Texas Governors database with a myriad of resources. In addition to providing biographical information on Texas governors, 1846-present, it features a searchable database of executive documents. You can search by governor, document type (executive order, message, proclamation, speech, veto, and other), date of publication, keyword, and session. 

To see the complete list of Texas governors with party affiliation, years in office, and legislatures as governor, click here. 

We also have a few popular searches saved, making it easy to find inaugural items, the governor's emergency matters and budgets, and disaster declarations (from 2001-present) (see below).

This entry was posted on December 5, 2017 at 10:06 AM and has received 1495 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of December 11, 2017

Dec 4

posted by TexasLRL in 85th 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.

 

December 12

House Committee on Energy Resources (Midland) 

Charge: Impact of energy exploration and production on state and county roads

Charge: Public infrastructure and workforce development in the Permian Basin region

Charge: Monitoring agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 85th Legislature

 

 

December 13

House Committee on Human Services  

Charge: Nursing facilities and duplication of government regulations

Charge: HHSC's implementation of Rider 219 in Article II of the General Appropriations Act on prescription drug benefit administration in Medicaid; pharmacy benefit managers in Texas Medicaid

Topic: Issues related to Child Protective Services

 

House Committee on Urban Affairs (Beaumont) 

Topic: Short- and long-term housing needs and related issues resulting from Hurricane Harvey and associated flooding

 

December 14

Senate Committee on Administration

Topic: Sexual harassment policy

This entry was posted on December 4, 2017 at 1:30 PM and has received 887 views. Print this entry.