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.
For recent posts on Interim Hearings, see Interim Hearing Resources on the LRL homepage. The "Recent Entries" list on the left provides quick access to interim hearings posts from previous weeks.
Senate Committee on State Affairs
Charge: Structure of court fees; oversight of fee collection
- "Fine and Fee Collection," Texas County Progress, May 8, 2018
- "Why Texas Courts Will Stop 'Nickel-and-Diming' the Poor," The Atlantic, July 24, 2017
- Texas Judiciary Legislative Update: 85th Legislature (Costs, fees, fines, and collections), Texas Judicial Council, July 2017
- Pay or Stay: The High Cost of Jailing Texans for Fines & Fees, Texas Appleseed, Texas Fair Defense Project, February 2017
- Study of the Necessity of Certain Court Costs and Fees in Texas, As Directed by SB 1908, 83rd Legislature, Texas Office of Court Administration, September 1, 2014
- Courts Are Not Revenue Centers: 2011-2012 Policy Paper, Conference of State Court Administrators, 2012
- Collection Improvement Program, Texas Judicial Council
- Texas Government Code Chapter 101, Filing Fees and Other Fees and Costs in Civil Proceedings (Criminal proceedings, Additional fees)
Charge: Attorney General's efforts related to price-gouging
- "AG Paxton: 48 Texas Gas Stations Agree to Refund Consumers for Hurricane Harvey Price Gouging" (Press Release), Attorney General of Texas, July 5, 2018
- A Proclamation Relating to Price Gouging Violations During the Disaster Created by Hurricane Harvey, Governor Greg Abbott, September 1, 2017
- "The Problem with Price Gouging Laws: Is Optimal Pricing During an Emergency Unethical?," Regulation (Cato Institute), Spring 2011
- "Planning Disaster: Price Gouging Statutes and the Shortages They Create," 72 Brooklyn Law Review 1101 (2007)
- Texas Business & Commerce Code § 17.46(b)(27), Deceptive Trade Practices Unlawful
Charge: Looting crimes during a disaster
- Understanding Crime in Communities After Disaster: A Research Brief, Journalist's Resource, Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School, February 25, 2016
- "The Suspension Theory: Hurricane Katrina Looting, Property Rights, and Personhood," 70 Louisiana Law Review 1303 (Summer 2010)
- Report to the Congress: Amendments to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines in Response to the Emergency Disaster Assistance Fraud Penalty Enhancement Act of 2007 (18 U.S. Code § 1040), United States Sentencing Commission, September 2008
- Individual Disaster Assistance Programs: Framework for Fraud Prevention, Detection, and Prosecution (Testimony, Subcommittee on Management, Integration, and Oversight, Committee on Homeland Security), U.S. Government Accountability Office, July 12, 2006
- Texas Penal Code § 12.50, Penalty if Offense Committed in Disaster Area or Evacuated Area
Senate Committee on Finance
Charge: Implementation of funding initiative, Health Care Costs Across State Agencies - coordination efforts among state agencies to improve health care and reduce costs pursuant to General Appropriations Act, Article IX, Section 10.06 and Section 10.07
Charge: Hurricane Harvey relief and recovery funds
- In-Depth Infographics Detail One Year of Harvey Recovery, Governor's Commission to Rebuild Texas, August 21, 2018
- Rethinking Disaster Recovery and Mitigation Funding in the Wake of Hurricane Harvey, Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research and Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, July 2018
- State of Texas Plan for Disaster Recovery: Hurricane Harvey – Round 1 and State Action Plan Summary, Community Development & Revitalization Program, Texas General Land Office, June 25, 2018
- "FEMA to Play Long-Term Role in Recovery from Harvey," Southwest Economy, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Second Quarter 2018
- Committee Hearing Materials on Hurricane Harvey, Legislative Budget Board
- Hurricane Harvey: Fiscal Analyses and Resources, Legislative Budget Board
Charge: Long-term impact of Hurricane Harvey on the Texas economy and the gulf coast region
- The Texas Gulf Coast: Overview and Outlook (Presentation), Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, June 2018
- "Harvey in Perspective: The Houston Economy and Hurricanes Past and Present," Institute for Regional Forecasting, C.T. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston, February 6, 2018
- "A Storm to Remember: Hurricane Harvey and the Texas Economy," Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, February 2018
Senate Committee on Criminal Justice
Charge: Identify successful re-entry programs
- Reentry Resource Guide, Texas Department of Criminal Justice Reentry and Integration Division, Revised November 22, 2017
- Criminal Background Checks: Impact on Employment and Recidivism, Urban Institute, Updated November 2017
- Critical Connections: Getting People Leaving Prison and Jail The Mental Health Care and Substance Use Treatment They Need, The Council of State Governments Justice Center, The National Reentry Resource Center, U.S. Department of Justice, January 2017
- Texas Government Code Chapter 501.103 Reentry and Parole Referral Report, Texas Department of Criminal Justice Reentry and Integration Division / Parole Division, December 2016
- A Record of Progress and a Roadmap for the Future, The Federal Interagency Reentry Council, August 2016
- County Resources, Texas Criminal Justice Coalition
- Reentry and Integration Division (Reentry resource guide, reentry articles and reports), Texas Department of Criminal Justice
- Resources for Former Inmates, Federal Bureau of Prisons
Charge: State jail review to improve outcomes
- Inmate Occupational Training Directory, U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons, March 31, 2017
- Annual Performance Report: School Year 2016 – 2017, Windham School District, 2017
- Interim Report to the 85th Texas Legislature (Charge 2 – Recidivism), House Committee on Corrections, December 2016
- Rehabilitation Programs Division, Peer Recovery Support Services, Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Charge: Telemedicine in correctional facilities
- State Prisons and the Delivery of Hospital Care, Pew Charitable Trusts, July 2018
- "Telehealth: Increasing Access to High Quality Care by Expanding the Role of Technology in Correctional Medicine,” Journal of Clinical Medicine, February 2017
- "State Prisons Turn to Telemedicine to Improve Health and Save Money," Pew Charitable Trusts, January 21, 2016
Charge: Human trafficking awareness and prevention
- Human Trafficking Near Texas Public Schools, Children at Risk, April 10, 2018
- Jurist in Residence Letter Detailing Texas' Response and Efforts Related to Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention, Children's Commission, January 22, 2018
- Pretesting a Human Trafficking Screening Tool in the Child Welfare and Runaway and Homeless Youth Systems, Urban Institute, April 2017
- Texas Spotlight: 2017 National Human Trafficking Hotline Statistics, National Human Trafficking Hotline, 2017
- Human Trafficking by the Numbers: The Initial Benchmark of Prevalence and Economic Impact for Texas (Final Report), Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, The University of Texas at Austin, December 2016
- Human Trafficking of School-aged Children, Texas Education Agency
- Recognizing the Signs of Human Trafficking in Schools: A Guide for Texas Educators, Texas State School Safety Center
Charge: Monitoring
- SB 12, 85th Legislature, R.S., Relating to the creation of a grant program to assist law enforcement agencies with the purchase of bulletproof vests and body armor;
- SB 30, 85th Legislature, R.S., Relating to the inclusion of instruction regarding interaction with peace officers in the required curriculum for certain public school students and in driver education courses and to civilian interaction training for peace officers; and
- SB 1326, 85th Legislature, R.S., Relating to procedures regarding criminal defendants who are or may be persons with a mental illness or an intellectual disability and to certain duties of the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System related to persons with mental illness
Charge: Dual credit
- Dual-Credit Education Programs in Texas: Phase II (Discusses HB 505, 84th Legislature, R.S.), American Institutes for Research, July 26, 2018
- Dual Credit and Success in College: Dual Credit Study, University of Texas System, 2018
- What Happens to Students Who Take Community College "Dual Enrollment" Courses in High School?, Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University, September 2017
- "Dual Enrollment's Expansion: Cause for Concern," NEA Higher Education Journal (National Education Association), Summer 2017
- Interim Report to the 85th Legislature (Charge 1 – Implementation of HB 5, 83rd Legislature, R.S., dual credit), Senate Higher Education Committee, November 2016
- 50-State Comparison: Dual/Concurrent Enrollment Policies, Education Commission of the States, March 25, 2016
- Dual-Credit/Dual-Enrollment Coursework and Long-Term College Success in Texas, ACT Inc., October 2014
- Dual Credit Report In Satisfaction of Rider 33 of the Appropriations Act, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, March 2012
- An Audit Report on Dual Credit Programs at Selected Public School Districts and Higher Education Institutions, Texas State Auditor's Office, September 2010
- Texas Education Code § 28.009, College Credit Program
- 19 Texas Administrative Code §§ 4.81-4.85, Dual Credit Partnerships Between Secondary Schools and Texas Public Colleges
Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
Charge: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, 85th Legislature and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation, including but not limited to:
- Initiatives to increase capacity and reduce waitlists in the mental health system, including the construction of state hospitals and new community grant programs;
- Initiatives to better understand the causes of maternal mortality and morbidity, including the impact of legislation passed during the first special session of the 85th Legislature. Recommend ways to improve health outcomes for pregnant women and methods to better collect data related to maternal mortality and morbidity;
- Initiatives intended to improve child safety, Child Protective Services workforce retention, and development of additional capacity in the foster care system. Make additional recommendations to ensure children with high levels of medical or mental health needs receive timely access to services in the least restrictive setting;
- Efforts to transfer case management of foster children and families to Single Source Continuum Contractors (SSCCs). Monitor the progress of this transition and make recommendations to ensure the process provides continuity of services for children and families and ongoing community engagement;
- Initiatives to strengthen oversight of long-term care facilities to ensure safety and improve quality for residents and clients of these entities; and
- Abortion complications and other reporting legislation that was passed by the 85th Legislature.
Topic: Rural hospitals
Joint Legislative Committee on Health & Human Services Transition
- Progress Report on Transformation of the Health and Human Services System, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, July 2018
- Presentation to the Transition Legislative Oversight Committee (Transformation Update), Texas Health and Human Services Commission, May 24, 2018
- Health and Human Services System Transition Plan: Report to the Transition Legislative Oversight Committee: October 2017 Addendum and August 2016 Plan, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, October 7, 2017
- Health and Human Services Transformation (Transition plan, timeline, Sunset process, and presentations), Texas Health and Human Services Commission
Charge: Housing instability, homelessness, and mental illness
- Housing for People with Serious Mental Illness (Policy Brief), Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, December 2012
- Pathways Home: A Framework for Coordinating State Administered Programs with Continuum of Care Planning to Address Homelessness in Texas and Addendum: Pathways Home, Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless, August 2012
- Adult Mental Health Housing, Texas Health and Human Services Commission
- Homelessness and Housing, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
House Committee on Natural Resources (Del Rio)
Specific issue related to Charge 3: Status of groundwater policy in Texas, g. emerging issues in groundwater and surface water interaction, in particular in areas of increasing competition for scarce resources
- Interim Hearings – Week of May 21, 2018, House Committee on Natural Resources, May 23, Legislative Reference Library, May 14, 2018
- Phantom Capital: How Regulation Weakens Texas Groundwater Resources, Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy, Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University, 2016
- Groundwater Depletion in the United States (1900-2008), U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 2013
- Texas Water Code § 36.002, Ownership of Groundwater
Charge 8: Hazards presented by abandoned and deteriorated groundwater wells
- "In West Texas, Abandoned Well Sinks Land, Sucks Tax Dollars," Texas Tribune, January 22, 2017
- Interim Report to the 77th Texas Legislature (Abandoned water wells), House Committee on Natural Resources, October 2000
- Abandoned Water Well Resources, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- Abandoned Water Wells, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- Water Wells (Abandoned wells, well contamination), Texas Groundwater Protection Committee
- Texas Water Code § 28.012, Certain Wells to be Plugged or Cased
House Committee on Public Health
Charge: Women's health services, Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force, pre-term and low birth weight births and use of alcohol and tobacco
- Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force and Department of State Health Services Joint Biennial Report, As Required by Chapter 34, Texas Health and Safety Code, Section 34.015, Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force, Texas Department of State Health Services, September 2018
- Texas Women's Health Programs Report Fiscal Year 2017, As Required by Senate Bill 1, 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017 (Article II, Health and Human Services Commission, Rider 97), Texas Health and Human Services Commission, May 2018
- Legislative Brief: Investigating Maternal Mortality in Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, November 2017 – Revised
- The Health of the States: Spotlight on Birth Outcomes, Center on Society and Heath, Virginia Commonwealth University, Urban Institute, March 3, 2017
- Interim Report to the 85th Texas Legislature (Charge 4 – Birth outcomes/substance abuse, House Committee on Public Health, December 2016
- Center for Health Statistics, Texas Department of State Health Services
- DSHS Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Presentations and Publications, Texas Department of State Health Services
Charge: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 85th Legislature, specifically, implementation of HB 10, HB 13, and SB 292, 85th Legislature, R.S.
Topic: Implementation update regarding HB 337, 85th Legislature, R.S.
