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.
September 3, 2024
Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Charge: Water System Reliability: Evaluate water systems in Texas and identify opportunities to better equip those systems to serve the public. Review the coordination of relevant state agencies dealing with Texas water issues and identify opportunities for improved coordination and effectiveness.
- Texas Water Policy Primer, Legislative Study Group, June 6, 2024
- Senate Panel Addresses Water System Reliability: Our 3 Takeaways (Blog), Texas 2036, May 17, 2024
- Interim Hearings – Week of May 13, 2024 (Blog), May 15 – Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs, Legislative Reference Library, May 8, 2024
Charge: Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs passed by the 88th Legislature, as well as relevant agencies and programs under the committee’s jurisdiction. Specifically, make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, or complete implementation of the following:
- Senate Bill 28, relating to financial assistance provided and programs administered by the Texas Water Development Board;
- Senate Bill 1289, relating to the disposal of reclaimed wastewater;
- Senate Bill 1414, relating to the temporary regulation of the practice of veterinary medicine by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation; and
- Senate Bill 1648, relating to the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund.
State Water Implementation Fund for Texas Advisory Committee
The State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) will meet at 4:00 p.m. and The Texas Infrastructure Resiliency Fund Advisory Committee (TIRF) will meet following the SWIFT hearing. The advisory committees shall review the overall operation, function, and structure of the funds at least semiannually and may provide comments and recommendations to the board on any matter.
- Texas Water Development Board, State Water Implementation Fund For Texas Advisory Committee, Staff Report with Final Results: 2022-23, 88th Legislature, Sunset Advisory Commission, June 2023
- 2022 Biennial Report on the Use of the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas: Report to the 88th Texas Legislature, Texas Water Development Board, Updated March 14, 2023
- State Water Implementation Fund for Texas, Annual Financial Report (August 31, 2022 and 2021), RSM US LLP, Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Company, December 16, 2022
- State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT), Texas Water Development Board
Texas Infrastructure Resiliency Fund Advisory Committee
The Texas Infrastructure Resiliency Fund Advisory Committee (TIRF) will meet at 4:30 p.m. or upon recess/adjournment of the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas Advisory Committee (SWIFT). The advisory committee shall review the overall operation, function, and structure of the resiliency fund at least semiannually and may provide comments and recommendations to the board on any matter.
- Texas Infrastructure Resiliency Fund Transparency Reports (see end of page), Texas Water Development Board
September 4, 2024
Senate Committee on Finance
Charge: Continue Cutting Property Taxes: Identify the best combination to further increase the amount of homestead exemption and compression to continue cutting Texans' property taxes.
Additionally, establish and report on the cost of eliminating:
- School maintenance and operation property taxes;
- All school property taxes; and
- All property taxes.
- State Tax Toolkit, National Conference of State Legislatures, updated May 2, 2024
- An Introduction to School Finance in Texas (Sixth Edition) (Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Property Tax Rate Compression, Recapture of Local Property Taxes (“Robin Hood”)), Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, revised May 2024
- Texas Republicans Have Tried to Rein In Property Taxes for Five Years. Has It Worked?, Texas Tribune, April 26, 2024
- Who Benefits from the 2023 Property Tax Relief?, Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, February 2024
- Rising Appraisals = Falling Tax Rates, Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, May 2023
- Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Charge 2 – Property tax relief), House Committee on Ways and Means, January 2023
- Senate Education Committee Interim Report (Charge 3 – Homestead exemption), Senate Committee on Education, January 2023
- School District Property Values and Tax Rates, Texas Education Agency
Determine the fiscal consequences of each action, including whether revenue reallocations would be required for public education funding and local government funding, and impacts on the state's ability to respond to disasters and other urgent priorities. For example, determine the effect on other state programs if general revenue were used to fully replace school property taxes, particularly during economic downturns. Evaluate and report on how much state revenue would need to be generated to replace foregone property tax revenue, and from what source.
- The Adequacy and Fairness of State School Finance Systems (Sixth Edition), Albert Shanker Institute, January 2024
- Eliminating School District Maintenance and Operations Property Taxes, Texas Public Policy Foundation, updated January 2023
- Rethinking the Property Tax-School Funding Dilemma, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, November 2022
- Texas Public School Finance Overview, Texas Education Agency, June 2020
- Texas School Finance: Doing the Math on the State’s Biggest Expenditure, Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, January 2019
Charge: Monitor Property Tax Relief: Monitor the appropriations supporting, and implementation of, the following legislation passed during the 88th Legislature, Regular or Special Sessions, and approved by voters, amending the Texas Constitution:.
- Property Tax Relief: Senate Bill 2 and House Joint Resolution 2, 88th Legislature, Second Called Special Session.
September 5, 2024
House Committee on Insurance
Subject: Examine and evaluate the effects of current regulations on the contractual relationships between pharmacists, pharmacies, health benefit plan issuers, and pharmacy benefit managers(PBMs). Assess the effectiveness of existing laws in promoting transparency and fairness in drug pricing and out-of-pocket expenses for consumers. Study how PBM rebates function within the prescription drug market. Study programs which aim to increase transparency,improve quality of care for patients, and support public policy decisions. Analyze the effects of prohibiting certain contractual provisions that limit the ability of insurers to guide patients toward specific healthcare providers.
- Pharmacy Benefit Managers: The Powerful Middlemen Inflating Drug Costs and Squeezing Main Street Pharmacies (Interim Staff Report), Federal Trade Commission, July 2024
- 5 Things to Know about Pharmacy Benefit Managers, Center for American Progress, March 13, 2024
- Prescription Drug Pricing Transparency Law Comparison Chart, National Academy for State Health Policy, updated December 7, 2023
- Pharmacy Benefit Managers: History, Business Practices, Economics, and Policy, JAMA Health Forum, November 3, 2023
- A Brief Look at Current Debates about Pharmacy Benefit Managers, Brookings, September 7, 2023
- What Should US Policymakers Learn from International Drug Pricing Transparency Strategies?, AMA Journal of Ethics, November 2022
Subject: Examine the impact of current economic challenges on the escalating cost of health insurance premiums and options available to Texans in the small business and individual health insurance markets. Investigate solutions including the availability of a small business health options program and ways Texas can better manage and control administration of and the rising costs in our health insurance market.
- Health Care Cost and Utilization in the Texas Workers’ Compensation System, Texas Department of Insurance, December 2023
- Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature, House Select Committee on Health Care Reform, January 2023
- Employer- and Worker-Led Efforts To Lower Health Insurance Costs, Center for American Progress, July 28, 2022
- The Impact of Uninsurance on Texas’ Economy, Texas Alliance for Health Care, January 2019
Subject: Review the current practices and impacts of prior authorization in the healthcare system in Texas.
- States Target Health Insurers’ ‘Prior Authorization’ Red Tape, KFF Health News, February 12, 2024
- Shielding the Gold Card Law: TMA Fights to Guarantee Gold Card Is Implemented as Intended, Texas Medicine, Texas Medical Association, December 2023
- FAQ on Preauthorization Exemptions Under HB 3459, Texas Department of Insurance, last updated October 18, 2022
Subject: Review the impact of healthcare mandates on healthcare providers, insurers, and patients.
- Commercial Health Insurance Mandates: State and Federal Roles, National Conference of State Legislatures, updated January 25, 2024
- Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Charge 1 – Mandates), House Select Committee on Health Care Reform, January 2023
Subject: Review the current state of network adequacy in Texas, focusing on the availability and accessibility of healthcare providers within health insurance networks.
- Network Adequacy Standards Waivers, Texas Department of Insurance, last updated August 9, 2024
- FAQ: Network Adequacy Waiver Request Hearings, Texas Department of Insurance, last updated June 27, 2024
- TDI Debuts Network Adequacy Waiver Hearings, Texas Medicine, Texas Medical Association, last updated May 24, 2024
- Preferred Provider Benefit Plan (PPBP) and Exclusive Provider Benefit Plan (EPBP) Networks, Texas Department of Insurance, last updated May 15, 2024
- Health Insurance Network Adequacy Requirements, National Conference of State Legislatures, updated June 1, 2023
Subject: Review the use of current practices and policies regarding the imposition of hospital facility fees.
- Protecting Patients: New States Laws Target Surprise Facility Fees, Texas Association of Health Plans, June 13, 2024
- Moving to Site Neutrality in Commercial Insurance Payments: Health Savers Initiative, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, 2024
- Facility Fees 101: What Is All the Fuss About?, Health Affairs Forefront, August 4, 2023
- Protecting Patients from Unexpected Outpatient Facility Fees: States on the Precipice of Broader Reform, Center on Health Insurance Reforms, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, July 2023
- Regulating Outpatient Facility Fees: States Are Leading the Way to Protect Consumers, Center on Health Insurance Reforms, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy, July 2023
- Facility Fees and How They Affect Health Care Prices: Policy Explainer, Health Care Cost Institute, June 6, 2023
- Gaming the System: How Hospitals Are Driving Up Health Care Costs by Abusing Site of Service, Families USA, June 2023
- June 2023 Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System (Chapter 8: Aligning Fee-for-Service Payment Rates Across Ambulatory Settings), Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, June 2023
Subject: Review the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the healthcare and health insurance industry. Assess current applications of AI in clinical settings and for tasks such as claims processing, fraud detection, and for personalized insurance plans. Study how AI could improve existing practices relating to risk assessment, underwriting, and customer service. Study ethical and legal concerns associated with AI, including data privacy, algorithmic bias, and transparency. Review the regulatory and oversight mechanisms needed to ensure responsible use of AI in the healthcare and health insurance industry.
- Use of Responsible Artificial Intelligence to Predict Health Insurance Claims in the USA Using Machine Learning Algorithms, Exploration of Digital Health Technologies, February 28, 2024
- Current Regulatory Landscape of AI in Public Health & Health Care: A Brief Overview, Bipartisan Policy Center, November 2023
- Interim Report to the 87th Texas Legislature (Charge 2 – Insurance laws and insurtech products), House Committee on Insurance, December 2020
- Artificial Intelligence in Health Care: Benefits and Challenges of Technologies to Augment Patient Care, U.S. Government Accountability Office, November 30, 2020
- Ensuring Trustworthy Use of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Analytics in Health Insurance, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, February 25, 2020
Senate Committee on Finance
Charge: Mental Health Services and Inpatient Facilities: Monitor the implementation of Senate Bill 30, 88th Legislature, Regular Session, with regard to appropriations made for expanding mental health services and inpatient facilities across the state. Report on the progress of inpatient facility construction projects. Assess and report on the effectiveness of spending on mental health services.
- Texas Statewide Behavioral Health Strategic Plan: Progress Report, Fiscal Year 2023, As Required by the 2024-25 General Appropriations Act, House Bill 1, 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, (Article IX, Section 10.04(c)), Statewide Behavioral Health Coordinating Council, December 2023
- All Texas Access Report, As Required by Texas Government Code Section 531.0222(e), December 2023 (Initiative regarding local mental health authority planning and strategy implementation); All Texas Access Metrics Dashboard, Texas Health and Human Services
- Coordinated Statewide Behavioral Health Expenditure Proposal, Fiscal Year 2024, As Required by the 2024-25 General Appropriations Act, House Bill 1, 88th Legislature, Regular Session, 2023 (Article IX, Section 10.04), Texas Health and Human Services, September 2023
- State of Mental Health in America 2023, Mental Health America, November 29, 2022
- Changes to Texas State Hospitals, Texas Health and Human Services
Charge: Monitor Infrastructure Funds: Monitor the appropriations supporting, and implementation of, the following legislation passed during the 88th Legislature, Regular or Special Sessions, and approved by voters, amending the Texas Constitution:
- Texas Energy Fund: Senate Bill 2627 and Senate Joint Resolution 93, 88th Legislature, Regular Session;
- Texas Water Fund: Senate Bill 28 and Senate Joint Resolution 75, 88th Legislature, Regular Session;
- Centennial Parks Conservation Fund: Senate Bill 1648 and Senate Joint Resolution 74, 88th Legislature, Regular Session; and
- Broadband Infrastructure Fund: House Bill 9 and House Joint Resolution 125, 88th Legislature, Regular Session.
Senate Committee on Local Government
Charge 1: Local Government Spending of Directly Distributed Federal Funds: Examine how local governments spend funds directly distributed to them by the federal government, such as Harris County's use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to set up a guaranteed-income pilot program. Make recommendations to ensure that the spending of such funds is transparent, accountable, and within the legitimate purposes for local governments under Texas law.
- Local Government ARPA Investment Tracker, Brookings Institution, updated June 11, 2024
- Guaranteed Income: A Primer for Funders, Springboard to Opportunities, The Center for High Impact Philanthropy, Asset Funders Network, and Economic Security Project, May 2022
- ARPA Local Relief Frequently Asked Questions, National League of Cities
- State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Uplift Harris, Harris County
Charge 2: Extra-Territorial Jurisdictions: Study issues related to the implementation of Senate Bill 2038 and House Bill 3053, 88th Legislature, and make recommendations to secure and enhance the protection of landowners' property rights.
- The ETJ Opt-Out Bill: A Seismic Shift in Land Development, Texas Bar Journal, State Bar of Texas, July/August 2024
- A Review of the Impacts of Senate Bill 2038 on Land Use and Water Supplies in Central Texas, Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, May 2024
- Interim Report: A Report to the Texas Senate, 88th Legislature (Charge 8 – Extraterritorial jurisdictions), Senate Committee on Local Government, 2022