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 Land & Resource Management
Topic: Testimony from the General Land Office regarding programs offered by the Veterans Land Board and the GLO's coastal management programs
- Coastal Management Program Biennial Report 2015-2016, Texas General Land Office, December 1, 2016
Charge 2: Additional issues related to Hurricane Harvey and flooding issues in general:
- Development of the initial State Flood Plan by the Texas Water Development Board, and how the plan might be enhanced or focused in light of Harvey
- Development of the State Flood Assessment Report (Memorandum to Board Members), Texas Water Development Board, Surface Water Division, February 26, 2018
- Development of a State Flood Plan for Texas (Memorandum to Board Members), Texas Water Development Board, Surface Water Division, August 3, 2017
- Flood Mitigation Planning, Texas Water Development Board
- State Flood Assessment (Project overview and timeline, online survey), Texas Water Development Board
- Science and data availability and needs related to flood risk and to responding to flood events
- Living with Houston Flooding, James A. Baker Institute for Public Policy of Rice University, December 2017
- Report Card for Texas' Infrastructure 2017 (Flood Control), Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, September 20, 2017
- TWDB Flood Viewer - TexasFlood.org (Interactive map - flood gauges, lake conditions, weather alerts, and weather radar), Texas Water Development Board and Texas Natural Resources Information System
- Best methods of providing state financial assistance for flood infrastructure needs
- Flood Protection Grant Programs, Texas Water Development Board
- Opportunities for improved collection and storage of flood flows for future supply needs
- Interim Report to the 85th Texas Legislature (Charge 3 – Conservation), House Committee on Natural Resources, December 2016
- "Can Texas Learn How to Store Flood Water for the Future?", Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 23, 2015
- Interim Report to the 84th Texas Legislature (Charge 4 – Aquifer storage and recovery), House Committee on Natural Resources, January 2015
- The role of voluntary land conservation efforts, including conservation easements, in preventing and mitigating flooding
- "How Houston Could Reduce Storm Flooding," Conservation Finance Network, February 21, 2018
- Bradbury: Open Space Best Protection Against Catastrophic Flooding (Testimony to House Committee on Natural Resources, October 2017), Texas Agricultural Land Trust
- Protecting Open Space & Ourselves: Reducing Flood Risk in the Gulf of Mexico Through Strategic Land Conservation, The Nature Conservancy, December 2016
- Interim Report to the 84th Texas Legislature (Charge 3 – Land stewardship in support of the state's water supply and to protect environmental flows), House Committee on Natural Resources, January 2015
Continuation of Charge 1: Prevalence and impact of substance use, substance use disorders, opioids, and synthetic drugs in Texas
- Committee Meeting Handouts, House Select Committee on Opioids & Substance Abuse, March 27, 2018
- Interim Hearings – Week of March 26, 2018, House Select Committee on Opioids & Substance Abuse, Legislative Reference Library, March 19, 2018
- Texas Opioid Summary, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Revised February 2018
- Texas Health Data: Opioids (Data visualizations on opioid-related deaths, inpatient emergency department visits, and poison center calls), Texas Department of State Health Services
Charge 2: Prevalence and impact of substance use and substance use disorders in pregnant women, veterans, homeless individuals, and people with co-occurring mental illness, and impact of opioids; programs in other states to reduce substance abuse
- Opioids, Kaiser Family Foundation, 2015-2018
- Prescribing Policies: States Confront Opioid Overdose Epidemic (Background, state action, table of legislation), National Conference of State Legislatures, April 5, 2018
- All for One and One for All: Developing Coordinated State Opioid Strategies, Milbank Memorial Fund, Center for Evidence-Based Policy, February 2018
- Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant and Parenting Women With Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants (Background, epidemiology), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2018 (released February 7, 2018)
- Pregnant Women and Substance Use: Overview of Research & Policy in the United States, Bridging the Divide: A Project of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health, Jacobs Institute of Women's Health, The George Washington University, February 2017
- Interim Report to the 85th Texas Legislature (Charge 1 – Behavioral health system, including substance abuse treatment; Charge 6 – Substance abuse, homelessness, and veterans), House Select Committee on Mental Health, December 2016
- Interim Report to the 85th Texas Legislature (Charge 4 – Improving birth outcomes, drug and tobacco use in pregnancy), House Committee on Public Health, December 2016
- Co-occurring Disorders (Criminal justice system, homelessness, primary care, veterans and the military community), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Charge 3: Policies and guidelines used by state agencies to monitor for and prevent abuse of prescription drugs in state-funded or state-administered programs, including Texas Medicaid Program, the Division of Workers' Compensation of the Texas Department of Insurance, the Teacher Retirement System, and the Employee Retirement System
- Opioids Plan-Based Audit (Draft), Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation, April 2, 2018
- Statewide Substance Abuse Services: Overview and Funding (Presentation to House Select Committee on Opioids and Substance Abuse), Legislative Budget Board, March 2018
- Strategies for Promoting the Safe Use and Appropriate Prescribing of Prescription Opioids: Landscape Analysis, Margolis Center for Health Policy, Duke University, February 15, 2018
- Opioid Drug Utilization Inspection: Texas Medicaid Efforts to Reduce Prescription Opioid Abuse and Overutilization, Office of Inspector General, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, May 30, 2017
- Examples of Community-Level Logic Models for Reducing the Non-Medical Use of Opioid Prescription Drugs, Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, May 23, 2017
- Guide for Policymakers: Prevention, Early Intervention and Treatment of Risky Substance Use and Addiction, National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, December 2015
10:00 AM
Charge: Ability of Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to deliver highway construction projects that reduce congestion and improve mobility
- 2018 Unified Transportation Program (UTP), Texas Department of Transportation, August 31, 2017
- "Texas Road Finance, Part II: Economic Impacts," Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, June-July 2016
- "Texas Road Finance, Part I: Paying for Highways and Byways," Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, May 2016
- Texas Clear Lanes: Congestion Relief Initiative, Texas Department of Transportation, March 1, 2016
- 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, INRIX, August 2015
- Texas Transportation Plan 2040 (Plan 2040 Materials), Texas Department of Transportation, February 2015
- Congestion Projects, Texas Clear Lanes, Texas Department of Transportation
1:00 PM
Charge: Impact of energy exploration and production on state and county roads
- Environmental and Community Impacts of Shale Development in Texas, Transportation Impacts, TAMEST Shale Task Force, 2017 (released June 13, 2017)
- Impacts to Transportation Infrastructure and Critical Needs (Presentation to TAMEST Shale Task Force), Texas A&M Transportation Institute, April 2017
- Interim Report to the 84th Legislature (SB 1747 and shale affected roads), House Committee on Energy Resources, January 2015
Charge: Economic Stabilization Fund (ESF); current methodology used to set ESF cap
- Strengthening Texas’ Rainy Day Fund: Testimony before the Senate Finance Committee on the Economic Stabilization Fund, Texas Public Policy Foundation, March 20, 2018
- Interim Hearings – Week of March 19, 2018, Senate Committee on Finance, Legislative Reference Library, March 12, 2018
- State Rainy Day Funds Grow Even as Total Balances Lag, The Pew Charitable Trusts, January 25, 2018
Charge: One-time funding and deferral measures
- Texas Budget Challenges Are Not Over, Texas Taxpayers and Research Associates, August 2017
Charge: Implementation of SB 20, 84th Legislature, R.S.; SB 533 and SB 255, 85th Legislature, R.S. (State agency contracting)
- Interim Report to the 85th Legislature (Charge 2 – Purchasing practices), House Committee on Government Transparency & Operation, January 2017
- Senate Bill 20: Centralized State Purchasing Study, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, December 2016
- 84(R) Senate Bill 20: Frequently Asked Questions, Texas Department of Information Resources, Last update: August 11, 2016
- LBB Contracts Database, Legislative Budget Board
- Purchasing, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Charge: Implementation of Article IX, Sec. 9.13 of the General Appropriations Act (Cybersecurity, information technology, cloud computing)
- Texas Cybersecurity Strategic Plan: Fiscal Years 2018-2023, Office of the Chief Information Security Officer, Texas Department of Information Resources, January 25, 2018
- Interim Report to the 85th Legislature (Charge 1 – Cybersecurity; Charge 4 – Cloud computing), House Committee on Government Transparency & Operation, January 2017
- Technology Legislation, Texas Department of Information Resources
Charge: Effectiveness of funds appropriated for border security operations
- State Funding for Border Security (Presented to the House Appropriations Committee), Legislative Budget Board, February 2017
- Texas State Government Effectiveness and Efficiency Report: Selected Issues and Recommendations (Overview of Texas Border Security Funding and Activities), Legislative Budget Board, January 2015
Charge 8: Funding for adult probation departments and juvenile justice system
- Adult and Juvenile Correctional Populations: Monthly Report, Legislative Budget Board, March 2018
- Juvenile Justice System and Adult Community Supervision Funding (Presented to Senate Finance Committee), Legislative Budget Board, December 2017
Charge 9: State crime lab operational structure
- Crime Laboratory Accreditation Program, Accredited Forensic Labs as of 3/20/2018 (in Texas), Accredited Forensic Labs as of 3/20/2018 (outside Texas), Texas Forensic Science Commission, March 20, 2018
- Letter to Colonel Steven C. McCraw, Director, Texas Department of Public Safety, regarding crime lab fees, Governor Greg Abbott, July 28, 2017
- Letter to Texas law enforcement executive regarding fees for forensic analysis services, Steven C. McCraw, Director, Texas Department of Public Safety, July 20, 2017
- Interim Report to the 82nd Legislature (Charge 6 – Forensic testing in Texas criminal laboratories), Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, December 2010
Charge 18: Monitor agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and implementation of legislation, specifically: Department of Public Safety efforts to eliminate sexual assault kit backlog
- Analysis of Sexual Assault Evidence Initiative (SB 1636) (SB 1636, 82nd Legislature, R.S.), Texas Department of Public Safety
- Sexual Assault Evidence Tracking Program (HB 281, 85th Legislature, R.S.), Texas Department of Public Safety
Charge: Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) response to Hurricane Harvey; protection of the public, natural resources, environment, infrastructure, and industrial facilities in natural disasters; fuel reserves for first responders
- "Abbott Lifts Post-Harvey Suspension of Environmental Regulations," Houston Chronicle, April 6, 2018
- "Silent Spills, Part 1: In Houston and Beyond, Harvey's Spills Leave a Toxic Legacy," "Silent Spills, Part 2: For Crosby Residents, a 'Bitter Taste' about Arkema, and Little Help from Government," Houston Chronicle, March 22, 2018
- "What Harvey Taught Us: Lessons From the Energy Industry," Forbes, November 22, 2017
- Fact Sheet: Environmental And Health Concerns about Oil and Gas Spills after Hurricane Harvey, Texas Public Interest Research Group (TexPIRG), September 12, 2017
- "Texas: Harvey and the Future of Energy," E&E News, Environment & Energy Publishing LLC, September 5, 2017
- "RRC Grants Waivers, Takes Actions to Speed Hurricane Harvey Recovery" (Press Release), Railroad Commission of Texas, September 1, 2017
- From Katrina to Harvey: Storm Resilience in the Age of Shale, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, August 29, 2017
- Before and After the Storm: A Compilation of Recent Studies, Programs, and Policies Related to Storm Hardening and Resiliency: Update, Edison Electric Institute, March 2014
- Texas Energy Assurance Plan, Public Utility Commission of Texas, November 2012
- Hurricane Response (TCEQ Executive Director's regulatory guidance, suspension of TCEQ rules, TCEQ resources for Texas residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, disaster relief funding, current conditions of drinking water and air quality), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Charge: Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program
- Staff Report with Final Results: Railroad Commission of Texas (Issue 2), Sunset Advisory Commission, June 2017
- "Paying More: The Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program," Texas Coalition for Affordable Power, January 30, 2017
- Natural Gas Consumers & the Texas Railroad Commission: Pocketbook & Policy Issues (Hiking Rates without Review: The Failed Gas Reliability Infrastructure Program), Atmos Cities Steering Committee, December 2010
- Texas Utilities Code § 104.301, Interim Adjustment for Changes in Investment
- 16 Texas Administrative Code § 7.7101, Interim Rate Adjustments, Railroad Commission of Texas, Gas Services Division
Charge: Frac sand mining in the Permian Basin
- "Changes to Frac Sand Will Lead to Huge Well Savings," Oil & Gas Technology, March 13, 2018
- "Frac Facts: Permian Driving Frac Sand Supply Shift," American Oil & Gas Reporter, December 2017
- Frac Sand in the United States: A Geological and Industry Overview, U.S. Geological Service, 2015
Charge: Decommissioning of commercial wind energy facilities
- Decommissioning US Power Plants: Decisions, Costs, and Key Issues (4.3 Onshore Wind; 4.4 Offshore Wind), Resources for the Future, October 2017
- "Retiring Worn-Out Wind Turbines Could Cost Billions that Nobody Has," Valley Morning Star, February 18, 2017
- "Be Aggressive with Wind Energy: Blow Away the Decommissioning Fears," 2 Oil and Gas, Natural Resources and Energy Journal 621 (2017)
- "Sustainable Decommissioning of an Offshore Wind Farm," 102 Renewable Energy (2017)
- "Wind Energy’s Dirty Word: Decommissioning," 95 Texas Law Review 123 (2016)
Charge: Investment in public infrastructure and workforce development in the Permian Basin region
- Permian Basin Economic Indicators, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, March 22, 2018
- Impacts to Transportation Infrastructure and Critical Needs (Presentation to TAMEST Shale Task Force), Texas A&M Transportation Institute, April 2017
- Permian Basin Workforce Development Board Local Plan: Program Years 2017–2020, Permian Basin Workforce Development Board
- PBRPC Regional Reports, Permian Basin Regional Planning Commission
Charge: Monitor agencies and programs under Committee's jurisdiction and implementation of legislation passed by 85th Legislature, specifically:
- Long-term funding solutions for a stable regulatory structure
- Adequacy of well-plugging processes and funds
- State Managed Plugging; Cost Calculation: Plugging Cost Estimates; and Oil & Gas Regulation and Cleanup (OGRC) Fund, Railroad Commission of Texas
- Cleanup and removal of abandoned equipment
- Seismic research needs for the University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology and any response to research findings by the RRC
- TexNet and the Center for Integrated Seismicity Research, Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin
Charge: Monitor implementation of legislation, specifically: HB 21, 85th Legislature, 1st C.S.; HB 22 and SB 179, 85th Legislature, R.S.
- House Bill 22 2018 Accountability Decisions Framework (To the Administrator Addressed Correspondence), Texas Education Agency, April 10, 2018
- 2017–2018 Preliminary Summary of Finances (SOF) (To the Administrator Addressed Correspondence), Texas Education Agency, September 18, 2017
- House Bill 22 Overview and Expected Timeline for Implementation, (To the Administrator Addressed Correspondence), Texas Education Agency, August 9, 2017
- 2018 Accountability Development Materials, Texas Education Agency
- Coordinated School Health - Bullying and Cyber-bullying, Texas Education Agency
- Finance and Grants, Texas Education Agency
- Legislative Briefing Book (85th Texas Legislature), Texas Education Agency
Topic: Update from the Texas Education Agency regarding issues related to Hurricane Harvey
- Hurricane Harvey Resources, Texas Education Agency
Charge: Efficacy of existing transportation finance mechanisms from state, regional, and local perspectives
- "How Two States Tackled Transportation Funding" (including Texas, toll roads, public-private partnerships, and an interview with State Rep. Larry Phillips), Capitol Ideas, Council of State Governments, May/June 2017
- Interim Report to the 85th Legislature (Charge 5 – Local transportation funding), House Committee on Transportation, January 2017
- Interim Report to the 85th Legislature, House Select Committee on Transportation Planning, January 2017
- Transportation Funding in Texas, Texas Department of Transportation, 2016-2017 Edition
- Transportation Governance and Finance: A 50-State Review of State Legislatures and Departments of Transportation, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), November 2016
- "Texas Road Finance, Part II: Economic Impacts," Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, June-July 2016
- "Texas Road Finance, Part I: Paying for Highways and Byways," Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, May 2016
- Transportation Funding Options: Legislative Policy Report, Legislative Budget Board, February 2015
- Interim Report to the 84th Legislature, Senate Select Committee on Transportation Funding, Expenditures, and Finance, January 2015
- Interim Report to the 84th Legislature, House Select Committee on Transportation Funding, Expenditures, and Finance, December 2014
- Deep Dive: Transportation, Transportation Funding and Finance State Bill Tracking Database, National Conference of State Legislatures
- Transportation Policy Research Center: Finance, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Charge: Texas' various toll authorities and transparency and stakeholder responsiveness
- Toll Roads & Toll Bridges in Texas (Map of toll roads operated by statewide toll authorities, regional mobility authorities, regional toll authorities, county toll authorities, metropolitan rapid transit authorities, etc.), Texas Department of Transportation, March 2018
- Report on the Elimination of Toll Roads: HB 2612, 84th Texas Legislature, Texas Department of Transportation, September 1, 2016
- Texas Toll Road Primer, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, November 2014 (through 83rd Legislature)
Charge: Treatment of traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's, and dementia, and opportunities for advancing treatment and cures
- Clinical Best Practices for Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Pharmaceutical and Non-Pharmaceutical Treatment of Persons With Alzheimer’s Disease, Texas Department of State Health Services, March 22, 2018
- 2018 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, Alzheimer's Association, 2018
- Preventing Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Way Forward, Committee on Preventing Dementia and Cognitive Impairment, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, June 22, 2017
- National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes: Antipsychotic Medication Use Data Report, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, January 12, 2017
- Deaths from Alzheimer’s Disease — United States, 1999–2014, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), May 26, 2017
- "UT Southwestern and UIL Launch Concussion Tracking Program" (Press Release), University Interscholastic League, December 12, 2016
- Texas Brain Injury Advisory Council Report, Health and Human Services Commission, December 2016
- Audit of a Clinical Research Study to Treat Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans: Brain Synergy Institute Contractor Performance and Billing, and HHSC Contract Procurement and Monitoring, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, November 22, 2016
- Texas Council on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Biennial Report 2016, Health and Human Services Commission, September 2016
Charge: Organ and bone marrow donations
- "Bill Would Require Texans to Opt Out of Organ Donation" (HB 1938, 85th Legislature, R.S.), Houston Chronicle, February 28, 2017
- Donation Process, Donate Life Texas, Updated June 2016
- "Why Don't More People Want to Donate Their Organs?," The Atlantic, November 10, 2014
- Interim Report to the 81st Texas Legislature (Charge 4 – Anatomical Gift Act), House Committee on Public Health, December 2008
- Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 692A, Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act
