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.
June 10, 2024
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 88th Legislature. The Committee will be hearing invited testimony only regarding the following agencies: Electric Reliability Counsel of Texas, Office of Public Utility Counsel, Public Utility Commission of Texas, Texas Department of Information Resources, and Texas Sunset Advisory Commission.
June 11, 2024
House Committee on Insurance
Subject: Examine the appraisal process within property and casualty insurance policies.
- Texas Supreme Court Rules to Cut Out Attorney’s Fees in First-Party Appraisals, Insurance Journal, February 12, 2024
- Commissioner’s Bulletin # B-0012-23, Re: Insurance Legislation Enacted During the 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, Texas Department of Insurance, last updated October 6, 2023
- Insurance Appraisal in Texas and Its Place in Coverage Litigation, St. Mary’s Law Journal, Vol. 50, No. 1, 2019
Subject: Review current funding mechanism for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA). Examine the role of reinsurance in relation to TWIA. Examine catastrophe funding in relation to TWIA.
- Annual Report June 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, June 1, 2024
- Biennial Report to the 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, August 16, 2022
- Alamo Re Ltd. (Series 2024-1) (TWIA catastrophe bond), Artemis Catastrophe Bond and Insurance-linked Securities Deal Directory, Artemis
- Funding 101, Texas Windstorm Insurance Association
Subject: Study how Artificial Intelligence(AI)has impacted the insurance industry. Examine what functions AI serves in enhancing efficiency and risk assessment, and examine potential concerns.
- Artificial Intelligence, Center for Insurance Policy and Research, National Association of Insurance Commissioners, last updated January 31, 2024
- The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Insurance Industry: Harnessing Generative AI to Transform Insurance, KPMG, 2024
- Interim Report to the 87th Texas Legislature (Charge 2 – Insurtech Products), House Committee on Insurance, December 2020
Subject: Examine the growth of the Texas surplus lines market.
- 2023 Annual Report (Surplus lines registrations and surplus lines carriers, fiscal years 2019-2023, pp. 39-40), Texas Department of Insurance, December 2023
- Market Data Reports, Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas
Subject: Study current factors affecting the property and casualty insurance market in Texas. Compare the Texas insurance market to other states with respect to affordability in homeowners' insurance.
- Home Insurance in Crisis, Milken Institute Review, January 23, 2024
- Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Charge 2 – Insurance Marketplace), House Committee on Insurance, December 2022
- Property and Casualty Reports, Texas Department of Insurance
Senate Committee on Border Security
Charge: Securing the Texas-Mexico Border: Review state and local agencies' participation in border security.
- Enforcing Texas' New Immigration Law May Be Challenging, Even for Authorities That Support It, Texas Tribune, March 21, 2024
- Standoff at Eagle Pass: A High-Stakes U.S. Border Enforcement Showdown Comes to a Small Texas Park, Migration Policy Institute, February 28, 2024
- Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature, Senate Committee on Border Security, January 4, 2023
- Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Charge 2 – Border County Operations), House Committee on County Affairs, November 2022
- Texas Border Security Panorama, Texas Public Policy Foundation, September 2022
- Unique Needs and Challenges of Border Law Enforcement and Promising Practices for Establishing a Criminal Interdiction Unit, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice, 2020
June 12, 2024
House Committee on Elections
Charge: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 88th 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:
- SB 1070, relating to the interstate voter registration crosscheck program; and
- SB 1750, relating to abolishing the county elections administrator position in certain counties.
The Committee will also be hearing invited testimony only regarding Texas election law relating to ballot secrecy and those tasked with administering and monitoring this process.
Senate Committee on Business & Commerce
Charge: Electricity Market Design: Assess state efforts to provide incentives for new thermal generation. Review and report on the state of the electricity market in Texas and issues impacting the reliability and resiliency of the Texas electric grid. Consider rulemaking related to wholesale market design, including the impact of these changes on grid reliability, market revenues, costs to consumers, and the efficiency of operations. Examine and report on the direct and indirect impacts that variable resources, such as wind and solar, have on grid resiliency, consumer prices, and market uncertainty. Monitor the implementation of House Bill 1500, 88th Legislature.
- 88th Legislative Session – ERCOT Status (Including House Bill 1500 Status), Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), May 2024
- ERCOT and the Future of Electric Reliability in Texas, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, 2024
- Energy Efficiency and Demand-Response: Tools to Address Texas’ Reliability Challenges, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, August 2023
- 2022 State of the Market Report for the ERCOT Electricity Markets, Potomac Economics, Independent Market Monitor for ERCOT, May 2023
- Interim Report to the 88th Legislature (Charge 4 – Electricity), Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, January 9, 2023
- Filings for 52373: Review of Wholesale Electric Market Design, Filings for 53298: Wholesale Electric Market Design Implementation, and Filings for 54584: Reliability Standard for the ERCOT Market, PUC Interchange Filer, Public Utility Commission of Texas
- Electricity Market Design, Public Utility Commission of Texas
Charge: Transmitting Texas Power: Identify the future electric transmission and distribution system needs of the state and recommend ways to reduce barriers to constructing the necessary electric infrastructure to support the growing demand and changes in technology. Review and make any necessary recommendations to enhance legislation passed during the 88th legislative session, including the status of projects to improve the safety and resiliency of the transmission system, as well as the effect of current and future projects on consumer costs.
- Item 5: CEO Board Update (Transmission System), Board of Directors Meeting, Electric Reliability Council of Texas, April 23, 2024
- ERCOT and the Future of Electric Reliability in Texas, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, 2024
- Approaching a Tipping Point for the Electric Grid, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, November 20, 2023
- A Pricing Mechanism to Jointly Mitigate Market Power and Environmental Externalities in Electricity Markets, Energy Economics, May 2023
- Interim Report to the 88th Legislature (Charge 4 – Electricity), Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, January 9, 2023
- Interim Report to the 88th Legislature (Charge 1 – Monitoring Charges SB 2 and SB 3, Charge 2 – Weatherization of Power Generation Facilities, Charge 3 – The Reduction of Transmission Congestion), House Committee on State Affairs, November 14, 2022
Charge: Impact of Bitcoin Mining on the Texas Electric Grid: Study the impact of energy-intensive cryptocurrency mining facilities on the Texas electric grid. Report on whether any changes should be made to ERCOT demand response programs and large flexible load registration requirements to limit the impact of these facilities on system reliability and consumer costs.
- Tracking Electricity Consumption From U.S. Cryptocurrency Mining Operations, U.S. Energy Information Administration, February 1, 2024
- 2023 Long-Term Reliability Assessment (Cryptocurrency Impacts on Load and Resources and Texas RE-ERCOT), North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), December 2023
- Interim Report to the 88th Legislature (Charge 3 – Blockchain and Virtual Currencies), Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, January 9, 2023
- Report on Existing and Potential Electric System Constraints and Needs, Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), December 2022
- Cryptocurrency in Texas: Opportunities and Challenges in Mining Digital Coins, Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, August 2022
- Bitcoin, Blockchain, and the Energy Sector, Congressional Research Service, August 9, 2019
- Annual Report on ERCOT Demand Response, Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)
June 13, 2024
Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development
Charge: Preserving Texas History: Review the historical site district designation and how such designations contribute to cultural preservation, tourism, and community identity. Report on what impact this historical designation would have on property values, site preservation, and educational opportunities within certain districts including, but not limited to, the San Jacinto Battlefield, the Alamo complex, Washington-on-the-Brazos, and Goliad.
- Designate Historic Properties, Texas Historical Commission
- Texas State Historic Sites, Texas Historical Commission
Charge: Overcoming Federal Incompetence: Consider the impact to the Texas economy from federal interference including, but not limited to, restricting liquified natural gas exports, supply chain limitations, a net-zero carbon agenda, and other air emission provisions. Report on what impact these federal interferences will have on the Texas economy and workforce, and make recommendations to minimize the damage to Texas.
- Interim Report to the 89th Texas Legislature, House Select Committee on Protecting Texas LNG Exports, May 2024
- Greenhouse Gas Standards and Guidelines for Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants, Environmental Protection Agency, April 25, 2024
- Louisiana v. Biden (No. 2:24-cv-00406, Liquefied Natural Gas Exports), U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana, Court Listener, last updated April 18, 2024
- FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Temporary Pause on Pending Approvals of Liquefied Natural Gas Exports and Statement from President Joe Biden on Decision to Pause Pending Approvals of Liquefied Natural Gas Exports, The White House, January 26, 2024
- The Oil and Gas Industry in Net Zero Transitions, International Energy Agency, November 2023
- Issue Brief: Supply Chain Resilience, The White House, November 30, 2023
- Net Zero Roadmap: A Global Pathway to Keep the 1.5 °C Goal in Reach, 2023 Update, International Energy Agency, September 26, 2023
- Interim Report to the 88th Legislature (Charge 2 – Supply Chains), Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, January 9, 2023
Charge: Protecting Local Taxpayers: Examine current use and imposition of local option hotel occupancy taxes. Make recommendations to enhance accountability and increase transparency in the use of these funds.
- Interim Report 2022: A Report to the Texas Senate, 88th Texas Legislature (Charge 2 – Hotel Occupancy Taxes), Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development, January 4, 2023
- Paying for Texas Convention Centers: If You Build It, Will They Come?, Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, August 2018
- The Hotel Tax "Two-Step," Texas Town & City, Texas Municipal League, March 2018
- The Hotel Occupancy Tax: A Short History of a Complex Levy, Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, June 2016
- Hotel Occupancy Tax, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- Local Hotel Occupancy Tax Overview, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
