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.
April 26, 2022
House Committee on Environmental Regulation
Charge: 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
- Proposed Rule, 30 Texas Administrative Code § 114.622, Incentive Program Requirements (Texas Emissions Reduction Plan), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Register, January 28, 2022
- SB 900, which updates performance and safety standards for chemical storage vessels.
- TCEQ Sunset Self-Evaluation Report (Texas Emissions Reduction Plan Program, On-Site Sewage Facility Program), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, September 2021
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 (Appendix 2, TERP Funding Allocation), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, December 2020
- Interim Report (Charge 4 – Texas Emissions Reduction Plan), Senate Committee on Finance, November 2018
- An Audit Report on the Commission on Environmental Quality's Administration of the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan Grants, Texas State Auditor's Office, October 2018
- Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
House Committee on Public Education
Charge #2: Examine the impact, including any financial impact, to the Texas public school system of an increase in the number of children crossing the Texas-Mexico border. Review the history, any applicable precedents, and the legal landscape regarding the education of migrant children in Texas's public schools.
- Educating Newcomers: K–12 Public Schooling for Undocumented and Asylum-Seeking Children in the United States, RAND Corporation, 2021
- "Districts See Drop in Funds for Migrant Education Programs," Laredo Morning Times Online, June 3, 2019
- Legal Protections for K-12 English Learner and Immigrant-Background Students, Migration Policy Institute, June 2019
- Student Immigration Issues in Texas Public Schools, Texas Association of School Boards, Updated December 2018
- Title I, Part C - Education of Migratory Children, Texas Education Agency
- Migrant Education Program, U.S. Department of Education
Charge #11: Review the impact of investments of the Permanent School Fund by the State Board of Education in businesses and funds owned or controlled by the Russian government or Russian nationals, and determine the need for investment restrictions. Consider the impact of any proposed investment restrictions on fund performance.
- Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar's Statement on Potential Russia Divestments, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, March 2, 2022
- "The Impact of Russia Sanctions on US States," State Legislatures News, National Conference of State Legislatures, February 28, 2022
- Texas Permanent School Fund Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ending August 31, 2021, Texas Education Agency, December 20, 2021
- 19 Texas Administrative Code §§ 33.1-33.1001, Statement of Investment Objectives, Policies, and Guidelines of the Texas Permanent School Fund, Texas Education Agency
House Committee on State Affairs
Charge: 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 5, relating to the expansion of broadband services to rural areas
- Broadband Mapping & Analysis, Connected Nation Texas, updated January 31, 2022
- Texas Broadband Development Office, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- HB 1505, relating to attachments for broadband service on utility poles owned by an electric cooperative and establishing and funding a pole replacement program for deployment of certain broadband facilities
- State Broadband Spending in 2021, NCSL Fiscal Briefs, National Conference of State Legislatures, August 2021
Charge: Study the status and adequacy of cyber security preparedness among state agencies and contractors. Make recommendations that enhance cyber security measures considering evolving threats to Texas' information technology infrastructure.
- "With Attacks on the Rise, Lawmakers Harden Cybersecurity," State Legislatures News, National Conference of State Legislatures, March 15, 2022
- "Cybersecurity and Texas," Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, January 2022
- 2020 Cybersecurity Report, Texas Department of Information Resources, November 15, 2020
- Interim Report, Senate Select Committee on Cybersecurity, October 2018
- Interim Report to the 85th Texas Legislature (Charge 1 – Cybersecurity), House Committee on Government Transparency & Operation, January 2017
- Security Policy and Planning (Cybersecurity rules for Texas state agencies, Texas cybersecurity framework, and related resources), Texas Department of Information Resources
Charge: Review the impact of state government procurement of goods and services from businesses and other commercial entities owned or controlled by the Russian government or Russian nationals, and determine the need for restrictions on state government procurement. Consider the impact of any proposed procurement restrictions on state government efficiency and effectiveness and the state’s access to scientific and technological advances.
- Over 600 Companies Have Withdrawn from Russia—But Some Remain, Yale School of Management Chief Executive Leadership Institute, April 20, 2022
- Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar's Statement on Potential Russia Divestments, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, March 2, 2022
- "The Impact of Russia Sanctions on US States," State Legislatures News, National Conference of State Legislatures, February 28, 2022
- Purchasing: Procurement Publications and Downloadable Data, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
House Committee on Transportation
Charge: 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 2219, relating to the issuance of Texas Mobility Fund obligations;
- Texas Mobility Fund: Annual Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2021 (With Independent Auditor's Report), Texas Department of Transportation, December 17, 2021
- HB 3514, relating to the functions of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV); and
- TxDMV Board Meeting (Agenda Item 7, Chapter 215, Motor Vehicle Distribution, Amendments, § 215.207), Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, April 14, 2022
- Agenda, Board Meeting (Agenda Item 5, Consider authorizing MVCPA Director to develop recommendations to update and revise Title 43 of the Texas Administrative Code, Part 3, Chapter 57 rules), Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, June 30, 2021
- HB 3927, relating to temporary motor vehicle tags.
- Information About Temporary Tags in Texas, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, March 1, 2022
- 43 Texas Administrative Code §§ 215.150-215.155, Temporary Tags, and 43 Texas Administrative Code § 215.505, Denial of Dealer or Converter Access to Temporary Tag System, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
- Proposal of Chapter 215 Motor Vehicle Distribution, Subchapter E. General Distinguishing Numbers, 43 TAC §§ 215.150, 215.151, 215.153, 215.154, and 215.155 and Subchapter J. Administrative Sanctions, 43 TAC § 215.505 (Includes introduction and explanation of proposed TAC changes), Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, October 29, 2021
- "How Texas Paper Tags Became a $200M Criminal Enterprise: NBC 5 Investigates," NBC 5 DFW, November 8, 2021
Charge: Study current and future transportation needs and consider improvements to ensure that Texas is adequately planning for the state's population growth forecasts. Evaluate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on transportation projects and investment decisions.
- 2050 Statewide Transportation Report, Texas Department of Transportation, January 2022
- Transportation Solutions for Congested "Boomtown" Cities, Manhattan Institute, May 2021
- "Public Transit in Texas: Vital Systems Under Pressure," Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, April 2021
- Texas Transportation Plan 2050, Texas Department of Transportation, June 25, 2020
Charge: Study the impact of the increasing sale and use of electric and alternatively fueled vehicles on revenue predictions for the state highway fund. Recommend a road use revenue equalization methodology to create fairness and parity between gasoline, electric and alternatively fueled vehicles.
- Study on Imposing Fees on Alternatively Fueled Vehicles (Section 1: Impact of Alternatively Fueled Vehicles on the State Highway System), Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, December 1, 2020
- Rising Trend of Punitive Fees on Electric Vehicles Won't Dent Highway Funding Shortfalls but Will Hurt Customers, Consumer Reports, September 2019
- Texas Electric Vehicle Planning, Texas Department of Transportation
- Texas Transportation Data for Alternative Fuels and Vehicles, Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. Department of Energy
Topic: Review the state's work in transportation safety.
- Traffic Safety Division, Texas Department of Transportation
April 27, 2022
House Committee on Business & Industry
Charge: Review operational changes and strategies employed by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to improve outcomes related to Unemployment Benefit Services, including application and payment processes, customer services, and fraud deterrence.
- An Audit Report on Contracting at the Texas Workforce Commission, Texas State Auditor's Office, October 2021
- Texas Workforce Commission Annual Report 2020, Texas Workforce Commission, December 2019
- Texas Workforce Commission Customer Service Report 2019-2020, Texas Workforce Commission, December 2019
- Texas Workforce Consolidated 2021-2025 Strategic Plan, Texas Workforce Commission, December 2019
- Reporting Fraud, Unemployment Benefits - Program Overview, Texas Workforce Commission
Charge: Study the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on unemployment trends, hurdles to workforce reentry, and industry-specific disruptions.
- COVID-19: Implications for Business, COVID-19: Briefing Note series, McKinsey & Company, last updated April 13, 2022
- Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Employment and Unemployment Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, last modified January 7, 2022
- "U.S. Labor Market Inches Back from the COVID-19 Shock, but Recovery is Far from Complete," Pew Research Center, April 14, 2021
- "COVID-19 Slammed into Texas, Leaving Long-Lasting Impacts," Southwest Economy, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, First Quarter 2021
- "Weathering the Pandemic: Texas Industries and COVID-19," Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, January 2021
- How COVID-19 Sent Women's Workforce Progress Backward, Center for American Progress, October 2020
House Committees on Defense & Veterans' Affairs and Homeland Security & Public Safety (Joint Hearing)
Charge: Monitor the activities of the Texas State Guard and the Texas National Guard participating in Operation Lone Star. Consider any legal or logistical support that can be provided to these organizations to increase operational efficiencies in conjunction with the Department of Public Safety. Review and assess the inventory of these agencies. Make appropriate recommendations.
- Texas Border Security Reporting (Appropriations Compared to Agency-reported Expenditures), Legislative Budget Board, March 31, 2022
- Border Security Appropriations (Presented to Senate Committee on Border Security), Legislative Budget Board, March 8, 2022
- "Governor Abbott, DPS, Texas National Guard Mark One Year Anniversary of Operation Lone Star" (Press Release), Office of the Texas Governor, March 4, 2022
- "Setting the Record Straight on Operation Lone Star" (Press Release), Texas Military Department, January 21, 2022
- Operation Lone Star Border Support Mission, Texas Military Department
- Operation Lone Star, Texas Tribune
