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

• See whether you are registered to vote. (Texas Secretary of State, accessed October 26, 2022)
• Consider the level of stress Americans are experiencing. (American Psychological Association, October 2022)
• Explore how Democrats and Republicans differ over what their children should learn in school. (Pew Research Center, October 26, 2022)
• Read about how rural roads are disproportionately dangerous compared to urban roads. (Governors Highway Safety Association, September 2022)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on October 27, 2022 at 3:15 PM and has received 542 views. Print this entry.

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.

October 26, 2022
House Committee on Appropriations
Topic: Update from the Broadband Development Office

• Texas Broadband Initiative: State Grant Development Process Underway, Texas County Progress, August 2022
• Texas Broadband Plan, Texas Broadband Development Office, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, June 15, 2022
• Texas Expanding Broadband, but Focus on Sustaining Effort Is Key, The Dallas Morning News, May 30, 2022
• Funding Resources, Maps and Data Collection, and Texas Broadband Listening Tour: What We Heard, Texas Broadband Development Office, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

Topic: Update on the Unified Transportation Program

• Governor Abbott, TxDOT Announce Record $85 Billion 10-Year Transportation Plan, Office of the Texas Governor, August 30, 2022
• Unified Transportation Program (Unified Transportation Program 2023), Texas Department of Transportation

Topic: Overview of select agency Legislative Appropriations Requests

This entry was posted on October 25, 2022 at 10:10 AM and has received 702 views. Print this entry.

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

• Read about cybersecurity for the U.S. electricity grid. (U.S. Government Accountability Office, October 12, 2022)
• Explore the roles of women in corporate America. (LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Company, 2022)
• Consider how the U.S. Supreme Court may treat social media platform liability. (Brookings, October 10, 2022)
• Review your pet's emergency preparedness checklist. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed October 19, 2022)
• Examine partisan differences in America's trust of mass media. (Gallup, October 18, 2022)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on October 20, 2022 at 3:15 PM and has received 628 views. Print this entry.

The Library is continually adding new books to its collection. Below are the titles from our October 2022 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 or contact the library at 512-463-1252.

1. Hope and Hard Truth: A Life in Texas Politics
By Mary Beth Rogers
Presents the political and personal memoir of Mary Beth Rogers, campaign manager and chief of staff for Governor Ann Richards. Provides an insider's account of the political intrigue and legislative maneuvering during Richards' administration, including insurance reform and state government reorganization initiatives. Reflects on maintaining a family life while working in politics.
University of Texas Press, 2022, 230 pages
976.4 R724H 2022

 

 

2. Junk Science and the American Criminal Justice System
By M. Chris Fabricant
Argues that forensic science in the U.S. legal system is unregulated and often leads to wrongful convictions. Describes the history and use of disproven forensic techniques, including bite marks and arson investigations, in criminal cases which were later overturned or judged to have led to wrongful executions. Highlights the wrongful conviction case of Steven Chaney, which led to the Texas Forensic Science Commission recommending in a 2016 report that bitemark comparison not be admitted in criminal cases in Texas.
Akashic Books, 2022, 359 pages
364.089 F126J 2022

 

 

3. Lockdown Drills: Connecting Research and Best Practices for School Administrators, Teachers, and Parents
By Jaclyn Schildkraut and Amanda B. Nickerson
Details the role of lockdown drills as a school safety measure and provides guidance for planning and conducting them according to best practices. Presents historical precedent for using such drills and research findings on their effectiveness, as well as common arguments for and against their use. Includes 50-state survey of laws relating to annual drill requirements for lockdowns or other emergencies.
MIT Press, 2022, 213 pages
371.7 SCH334L 2022

 

 

4. Phyllis Frye and the Fight for Transgender Rights
By Michael G. Long and Shea Tuttle
Examines the life of Judge Phyllis Frye, founder of the first national organization devoted to shaping transgender law and the first openly transgender judge appointed in the U.S. Describes her early life, previous career as an engineer, dismissal from her alma mater Texas A&M University, family life, faith, and her years of LGBTQ+ activism.
Texas A&M University Press, 2022, 309 pages
306.76 L848P 2022

 

 

5. Cryptocurrencies and Cryptoassets: Regulatory and Legal Issues
By Andrew Haynes and Peter Yeoh, editors
Provides an overview of cryptocurrencies, the supporting blockchain technology, and the associated opportunities and risks with this market. Presents in-depth examination and analysis, including tables of case law and statutes, of the legal and regulatory policies regarding cryptocurrency and cryptoassets in American, Asian, and European economies. Addresses why there is resistance to regulating digital currencies and what is considered the essentials of good regulation.
Informa Law from Routledge, 2020, 277 pages
343.032 H424C 2020

 

 

6. Lone Star Suburbs: Life on Texas Metropolitan Frontier
By Paul J. P. Sandul and M. Scott Sosebee, editiors
Compiles a series of essays on the history of Texas suburbs and the influence of suburban areas on Texas culture and land use policies. Includes topics on environmental activism, increasing racial diversity, the development of urban expressways, and cities' decisions to incorporate, expand, or annex. Mentions HB 13, 58th Legislature, R.S., known as the Municipal Annexation Act of 1963.
University of Oklahoma Press, 2019, 250 pages
307.764 SA194L 2019

 

 

This entry was posted on October 17, 2022 at 3:15 PM and has received 636 views. Print this entry.

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

• Review state energy security legislation related to cybersecurity and physical infrastructure security. (National Conference of State Legislatures, October 3, 2022)
• Explore the updated Occupation Outlook Handbook. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, last modified September 8, 2022)
• Consider issues with how Texas measures continuous enrollment. (Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, September 27, 2022)
• Read about state legislation related to wildlife migration corridors. (National Conference of State Legislatures, September 15, 2022)
• Search the COVID-19 web archive. (Internet Archive, October 11, 2022)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on October 13, 2022 at 3:15 PM and has received 802 views. Print this entry.

What are the key legislative dates and deadlines for the upcoming 88th Regular Session? Most official deadlines will be set when the House and Senate adopt rules after session begins, but until then, take a look at the date and deadline provisions listed below that are already available in the Texas Constitution and Statutes, the House and Senate Rules, and the perpetual calendar in the Texas Legislative Council Drafting Manual.

Legislative Dates and Deadlines:

Tuesday, November 8, 2022: General election for federal, state, and county officers. [Texas Election Code, Section 41.001]

Monday, November 14, 2022: Bill prefiling begins. [House Rule 8, Section 7 and Senate Rule 7.04]

Tuesday, January 10, 2023: 88th Legislature convenes at noon. [Texas Constitution, Article III, Section 5; Texas Government Code, Section 301.001]

Friday, March 10, 2023: 60-day bill filing deadline. [Texas Constitution, Article III, Section 5]

Monday, May 29, 2023: Adjournment sine die. [Texas Constitution, Article III, Section 24]

Sunday, June 18, 2023: Post-session 20-day deadline for Governor to sign or veto. [Texas Constitution, Article IV, Section 14]

Effective Dates: Time of Taking Effect of Laws. [Texas Constitution, Article III, Section 39]

Table can also be viewed in the Texas Legislative Council Drafting Manual.

Important legislative dates and deadlines are also listed in the publications Dates of Interest and Deadlines for Action Under House & Senate Rules (End of Session Deadlines), which are published each session by the Texas Legislative Council (TLC). These publications are available on the Texas Legislature Online homepage in the Legislative Process section and will be updated as the 88th Regular Session progresses.




The Library provides access to these publications, including ones from previous sessions, on our Texas Legislative Session Deadlines Calendar page.

As of today, October 12, 2022, there are:

• 27 days until the general election on November 8, 2022
• 33 days until bill prefiling begins on November 14, 2022
• 90 days until the first day of the 88th Legislature on January 10, 2023

This entry was posted on October 12, 2022 at 2:45 PM and has received 5354 views. Print this entry.

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.

• October 18, 2022
  • House Committee on Environmental Regulation
  • House Committee on Natural Resources
• October 19, 2022
  • House Committee on Environmental Regulation
• October 21, 2022
  • House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence

October 18, 2022
House Committee on Environmental Regulation (Odessa)
Topic: Work session, touring air monitoring equipment

House Committee on Natural Resources
Topic: Study the feasibility of desalination as a new and/or alternative water source for the state of Texas.

• Water for Texas: 2022 State Water Plan, Texas Water Development Board, July 7, 2021
• The Future of Desalination in Texas: 2020 Biennial Report on Seawater and Brackish Groundwater Desalination in Texas, Texas Water Development Board, December 1, 2020
• Can Seawater Desalination Be a Win-Win Fix to Our Water Cycle?, Water Research, September 1, 2020
• Interim Report to the 85th Texas Legislature (Charge 4 – Desalination), House Committee on Natural Resources, December 2016
• Desalination Facts, Texas Water Development Board

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October 19, 2022
House Committee on Environmental Regulation (Odessa)
Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure the intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following:

• HB 1680, relating to the regulation of on-site sewage disposal systems on certain leased land that is owned by the federal government;
• HB 4472, relating to the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP); and
• SB 900, which updates performance and safety standards for chemical storage vessels.

Charge: Evaluate the allocation of TERP funds for effective air pollution reduction programs. Review which existing programs are over or undersubscribed and identify unrealized opportunities that would further program goals.

• Texas Emissions Reduction Plan Biennial Report (2019-2020): Report to the 87th Texas Legislature, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, December 2020
• TERP Project Summary Reports and Publications, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Charge: Review recent passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Public Law No. 117-58), specifically funds that may bolster efforts to clean up polluted sites and plug wells and how federal funds can be used to complement state efforts on well plugging and pollution clean-up.

• Interim Hearings – Week of May 23, 2022, May 25 – House Committee on Environmental Regulation, Legislative Reference Library, May 18, 2022
• Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Environmental Remediation at Superfund Sites, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, March 2, 2022
• Biden Administration Announces $1.15 Billion for States to Create Jobs Cleaning Up Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells, U.S. Department of the Interior, January 31, 2022
• Eliminating Orphan Wells and Sites in Texas: A Toolkit for Redesigning the Railroad Commission's Oil and Gas Well Plugging and Cleanup Programs, Commission Shift, January 2022
• Interior Department Releases Implementation Guidance to States on Infrastructure Law Efforts to Address Legacy Pollution, U.S. Department of the Interior, December 17, 2021
• State Managed Well Plugging and Federally Funded Well Plugging, Railroad Commission of Texas
• Well Information (Well Plugging Data Visualization), Railroad Commission of Texas

Charge: Monitor newly adopted and proposed federal regulations that could directly impact economic development, manufacturing, and industrial activities that fall within the jurisdiction of the committee, including regulations adopted or proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

• Gateway to State Resource Locators, National Center for Manufacturing Sciences
• Regulations, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Regulatory and Guidance Information by Topic, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• View State, Federal and International Rules and Regulations, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

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October 21, 2022
House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
Charge: Study Texas' reentry and integration programs and make recommendations for reducing employment barriers for certain people with a criminal record. Review the length of time certain criminal offenses remain on a defendant’s record and consider the impact of expanding the offenses that qualify for an order of non-disclosure. Evaluate the financial and administrative barriers in the petitioning process for record-clearing relief.

• Providing a Clean Slate: Removing Barriers to Employment, Texas Public Policy Foundation, April 2022
• Criminal Records and Reentry, National Conference of State Legislatures, May 5, 2020
• Interim Report to the 86th Legislature (Charge 1 – Re-entry programs), Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, December 2018
• Barriers to Work: Improving Employment in Licensed Occupations for Individuals with Criminal Records, The Council of State Governments – Justice Center and National Conference of State Legislatures, 2018
• Reentry and Integration Division, Reentry Resource Guide, Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Charge: Study the availability of victim services, including community-based trauma recovery, housing and relocation assistance, employment protections, and other services that help victims recover and stay safe following a violent crime. The study should include an evaluation of the processes for nongovernmental organizations to apply for and receive victim services grant funding. Make recommendations for streamlining the grant administration process and improving access to community-based services in neighborhoods with the highest rates of crime and for victims of violent crimes.

• Crime Victim Services: 2021 Annual Report, Attorney General of Texas, December 9, 2021
• Crime Victims Speak: Texas Victims' Experiences With Recovery and Views on Criminal Justice, Alliance for Safety and Justice, April 2019
• Active Awards in Texas, U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime
• Services for Crime Victims, Attorney General of Texas
• Victims Programs Team, Office of the Texas Governor

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This entry was posted on October 12, 2022 at 1:05 PM and has received 438 views. Print this entry.

October is American Archives Month, an effort around the nation to emphasize the importance of archives and preserving records of enduring value. In celebration of American Archives Month, the Legislative Reference Library (LRL) is proud to highlight its role in managing the records of the Texas Legislature. These include the original legislative bill files, records of House, Senate, and Joint committees, and the records of former members of the Texas Legislature.

With the passage of HB 1962, 86th Legislature, R.S. (2019), and HB 4181, 86th Legislature, R.S. (2019), the LRL became the depository for archival legislative records within the state of Texas. Since November 2019, staff at the LRL have been working hard to collect, organize, and describe legislative records, ensuring their preservation and availability for research. Below are just some of the accomplishments staff at the LRL have been able to achieve:

• The LRL has received and accessioned over 9,100 cubic feet of records. Accessioning archival records involves taking intellectual and physical custody of the materials. It also includes labeling the materials with a unique accession number so that they can be systematically tracked and located.
• Original bill files from the 1st through 62nd Legislatures (1846–1972) were also transferred to the LRL, completing our bill file collection. Staff at the LRL continue to scan the original bill files and make them available through our Legislative Archive System. The status of this project is available on our website.
• Our staff has also been inventorying records as they are accessioned and as they are reviewed for research requests. Currently, a total of 1,358 cubic feet have been inventoried.
• The LRL has worked to complete the transfer of the records of some members of the Texas Legislature to alternative depositories under Government Code, Section 324.0086. To date, the LRL has signed agreements with nine depositories, totaling 787.80 cubic feet of records.

The LRL is dedicated to safeguarding the records of the Texas Legislature and making them available for research. We will continue to provide updates and will begin publishing information related to the collections within our holdings as soon as it is available. Current information about our management of legislative records is available under the Legislative Records tab on our website. If you have any questions about the archival records within our holdings, please feel free to contact us directly.

Cover Image: American Archives Month image: http://files.archivists.org/advocacy/AAM/Graphics/InstaSocial800x800.jpg

This entry was posted on October 10, 2022 at 8:30 AM and has received 569 views. Print this entry.

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

• Read about what could happen if or when the Social Security trust funds are depleted. (Congressional Research Service, updated September 28, 2022)
• Consider how virtual private networks could protect your online data. (Wired, updated September 2022)
• Note that the U.S. Supreme Court's practice of providing a live audio feed to oral arguments will continue. (Supreme Court of the United States, September 28, 2022)
• Find a list of 5-year national electric vehicle infrastructure funding by state. (Federal Highway Administration, September 13, 2022)
• Explore the role of hydrocarbons in energy costs and energy security. (Manhattan Institute, August 30, 2022)
• Examine U.S. maps of obesity prevalence in each state by race and ethnicity. (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, September 27, 2022)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on October 6, 2022 at 3:15 PM and has received 431 views. Print this entry.

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.

• October 12, 2022
  • House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
  • House Interim Study Committee on Criminal Justice Reform
• October 13, 2022
  • House Interim Study Committee on Criminal Justice Reform

October 12, 2022
House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Charge: Evaluate the use and types of guardianships in Texas and the effect of guardianship on individual rights. Study the financial costs to families related to attaining and maintaining guardianship and compare costs to those associated with guardianship alternatives, such as supported decision-making.

• Texas Judiciary Legislative Update: 87th Legislature (Guardianship and Mental Health), Texas Judicial Council, March 2022
• Texas Guardianship Compliance: Protecting Our Most Vulnerable Citizens and Their Assets, Office of Court Administration, Fiscal Year 2021
• Turning Rights Into Reality: How Guardianship and Alternatives Impact the Autonomy of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, National Council on Disability, June 10, 2019
• Guardianship, Office of the Texas Governor
• Guardianship (A Texas Guide to Adult Guardianship), Texas Health and Human Services Commission
• Legal Guardianship for Young Adults with Disabilities, Navigate Life Texas, Texas Health and Human Services

Charge: Study state laws and procedures relating to jury service eligibility, including a review of existing jury exemptions, and make recommendations to ensure the privilege, right, and duty of jury service is protected and promoted.

• Texas Judiciary Legislative Update: 87th Legislature (Jury Service and Grand Jury Service), Texas Judicial Council, March 2022
• Jury Trials During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observations and Recommendations, Office of Court Administration, August 28, 2020
• Texas Uniform Jury Handbook, State Bar of Texas, February 2019
• American Juror, Texas Young Lawyers Association
• Jury Duty, Especially for Texas Employers, Texas Workforce Commission
• Jury Service in Texas, Texas Judicial Branch
• Jury Service Resources, State Bar of Texas

House Interim Study Committee on Criminal Justice Reform
Charge: Monitor the implementation of S.B. 6 (87th Legislature, 2nd Called Session), relating to changes in the state's bail system, to determine if additional legislation is needed to ensure Texans are protected from the most dangerous criminals while ensuring the constitutional rights of defendants.

Topic: Examine policies and penalties relating to drug offenses.

• Drug Report 2020, Texas Department of Public Safety, February 26, 2021
• Interim Report to the 85th Texas Legislature (Charge 3 – Study Incarceration Rates for Non-Violent Drug Offenses and the Cost to the State Associated with Those Offenses), House Committee on Corrections, December 2016
• Continuum of Care for Substance Abuse Treatment, Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Topic: Examine the civil asset forfeiture process.

• New Discovery Rules for Civil Asset Forfeitures, The Texas Prosecutor, Texas District & County Attorneys Association, July-August 2021
• Asset Forfeiture Policy Manual (Chapter 3: Seizures by State and Local Law Enforcement), U.S. Department of Justice, 2021
• Policing for Profit: The Abuse of Civil Asset Forfeiture (Texas), Institute for Justice, December 2020
• Lawmakers May Consider Proposed Changes to Civil Asset Forfeiture, House Research Organization, October 29, 2018
• Interim Report to the 85th Legislature (Charge Seven – Conduct a Study of Civil Asset Forfeiture Laws), Senate Committee on Criminal Justice, December 2016

Topic: Examine jury instructions and sentencing guidelines in felony cases.

• Jury Trials During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observations and Recommendations, Office of Court Administration, August 28, 2020
• Interim Report to the 86th Texas Legislature (Charge 6 – State Jail System, Joint Charge with the House Committee on Corrections), House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, January 2019
• Interim Report to the 86th Texas Legislature (Charge 5 – State Jail System, Joint Charge with the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence), House Committee on Corrections, November 2018
• Typical Felony Caseflow, Office of Court Administration, May 23, 2018
• Penal Code Offenses by Punishment Range, Including Updates from the 85th Legislative Session, Office of the Texas Attorney General, revised March 2018
• Jury Service in Texas and Jury Charges & Sentences in Capital Cases, Texas Judicial Branch

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October 13, 2022
House Interim Study Committee on Criminal Justice Reform
Topic: Examine policing, including training, use of force, arrest procedures, and alternative responses to nonviolent and noncriminal issues.

• Legislative Responses for Policing–State Bill Tracking Database, National Conference of State Legislatures, July 11, 2022
• Investing in Evidence-Based Alternatives to Policing, Vera Institute of Justice, August 2021
• A Better Path Forward for Criminal Justice: Police Reform, Brookings Institution, April 2021
• Many Cities Are Rethinking the Police, But What Are The Alternatives?, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University, July 22, 2020
• Law Enforcement, National Conference of State Legislatures, July 3, 2020
• Police Use of Force: Foresight Over Hindsight, Texas Public Policy Foundation, July 2019
• Training Requirements, Texas Commission on Law Enforcement

Topic: Examine the use of prosecutorial discretion.

• Prosecutorial Discretion, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, March 2020

Topic: Examine the use and conditions of detention and incarceration.

• Monthly Tracking of Adult and Juvenile Correctional Population Indicators, Legislative Budget Board, September 2022
• Adult and Juvenile Correctional Population Projections: Fiscal Years 2022 to 2027, Legislative Budget Board, July 2022
• Legislative Primer Series on Community Supervision: Limiting Incarceration in Response to Technical Violations, National Conference of State Legislatures, June 29, 2022
• Pretrial Release: Detention, National Conference of State Legislatures, June 20, 2022
• Texas Profile (Incarceration rates), Prison Policy Initiative

Topic: Examine the level of transparency in policing and prosecution, including the grand jury process.

• Legislative Responses for Policing–State Bill Tracking Database, National Conference of State Legislatures, July 11, 2022
• Reforming the Grand Jury Indictment Process: Recent Efforts to Improve Public Confidence in Cases Involving Police Use of Lethal Force, National Center for State Courts, 2021
• A Contract for Public Safety: A Model for the 21st Century, Texas Public Policy foundation, September 2020
• Assessing the State of Police Reform (State and local reforms to increase police transparency and accountability), Center for American Progress, last updated December 2, 2020

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This entry was posted on October 6, 2022 at 8:45 AM and has received 608 views. Print this entry.