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Interim Hearings – Week of June 27, 2022

Jun 22

posted by TexasLRL in 87th Session, Interim hearings

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 27, 2022
Senate Committee on Border Security
Topic: Review border security appropriations and their directed purposes. Invited testimony from the following:

  • Office of the Attorney General
  • Texas Division of Emergency Management
  • Texas Facilities Commission

Border Security: Appropriations and Reporting Requirements (Presented to House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee), Legislative Budget Board, May 2022

Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
Charge: Public Health Data: Review the processes for public health data collection and coordination by local and state entities as well as regional trauma centers. Identify any continuing barriers to the real-time dissemination of data concerning health care facility capacity-including data that can expedite timely care-and morbidity rates, as well as other information that can assist in public policy decisions.

Charge: Pandemic Response: Examine the impact of state and federal pandemic policies-including agency guidance, licensing and regulatory actions, and health care industry policies-on patient care and treatment delivery. Examine how regulatory guidance impacts the patient-doctor relationship. Recommend any changes needed to ensure Texas can develop its own data-driven guidance during public health emergencies.

 

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June 28, 2022
House Committee on Human Services
Charge: Examine the long-term services and support system of care in Texas. Study workforce challenges for both institutional and community services. Assess opportunities to improve patient safety at senior living facilities. Consider mechanisms to promote a stable, sustainable, and quality-based long-term care system to address current and future needs of the state.

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:

  • HB 3041, related to the implementation of the Family Preservation Services Pilot Program.

Charge: Monitor the current status of the state hospital system, including the forensic bed waitlist.

 

Senate Committee on Finance
Charge: Mental Health Delivery: Examine the state mental health service delivery system. Study the state's Comprehensive Plan for State-Funded Inpatient Mental Health Services and the Statewide Behavioral Health Strategic Plan and evaluate the existing state investments in mental health services and state hospital capacity. Review current forensic and civil mental health service waitlists, and recommend ways to improve coordination and outcomes to reduce waitlists. Explore and report on options for additional mental health service capacity, including building state hospitals in the Panhandle and Rio Grande Valley areas.

 

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June 29, 2022
House Investigative Committee on The Robb Elementary Shooting (Uvalde)
The committee will meet to hear invited testimony from law enforcement authorities and other affected parties related to the facts and circumstances of the events relating to the violent acts, shootings, and murders at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Because of the quasi-judicial nature of the committee's investigation and pursuant to House Rule 4, Section 12, witnesses will be examined in executive session.


Senate Committee on Business & Commerce
Charge: Broadband and Telecommunications: Study broadband and other telecommunications related issues impacting Texans, including:

  • Monitoring the implementation of House Bill 2911, 87th Legislature, relating to next generation 9-1-1 service and the establishment of a next generation 9-1-1 service fund.

Charge: Electricity: Study issues impacting the Texas electric grid, including weather preparedness and the natural gas supply chain. Evaluate potential benefits of real-time transparency of the intrastate gas market with respect to the functions of ERCOT and the Texas Energy Reliability Council.

 

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June 30, 2022
House Investigative Committee on The Robb Elementary Shooting (Uvalde)
The committee will meet to hear invited testimony from law enforcement authorities and other affected parties related to the facts and circumstances of the events relating to the violent acts, shootings, and murders at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Because of the quasi-judicial nature of the committee's investigation and pursuant to House Rule 4, Section 12, witnesses will be examined in executive session.

 

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This entry was posted on June 22, 2022 at 12:52 PM and has received 1943 views. Print this entry.

Happy Juneteenth!

Jun 17

posted by TexasLRL in Texas history

Juneteenth is a celebration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in Texas, and has been an official Texas holiday since 1979.

 

On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to announce the end of slavery in Texas, almost two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

 

The Major General's announcement, General Order Number 3, reads as follows: "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes, and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere."

 

Representative Al Edwards authored H.B. 1016, 66th R.S. (1979), declaring June 19th, Emancipation Day, an official Texas holiday. The Juneteenth historical marker (right) was installed in Galveston on June 21, 2014. In 2016, a monument dedicated to African Americans in Texas was unveiled on the Texas Capitol grounds (cover image).

 

Last year, Congress passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act (Public Law 117–17), making June 19 a public holiday. It was signed by President Joe Biden on June 17, 2021.

 

On July 22, 2021, the Texas Senate passed SR 19, 87th 1st C.S., recognizing Opal Lee, "the grandmother of Juneteenth," on the designation of Juneteenth as a national holiday.

 

Learn more about Juneteenth and the holiday's Texas origins in the Handbook of Texas Online.

 

You can also find more information about Juneteenth from the following resources:

 

 

This entry was posted on June 17, 2022 at 4:32 PM and has received 4054 views. Print this entry.

Current Articles & Research Resources, June 16, 2022

Jun 16

posted by TexasLRL in Current Articles, Research Resources

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

  • Review information related to school shootings by location. (Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS), accessed June 15, 2022)
  • Track air quality on Google Maps. (The Verge, June 9, 2022)
  • Explore statistics related to the Compassionate Use Program. (Texas Department of Public Safety, accessed June 15, 2022)
  • Read about how data brokers sell cell phone location data to the federal government. (Electronic Frontier Foundation, June 13, 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 June 16, 2022 at 3:15 PM and has received 605 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of June 20, 2022

Jun 15

posted by TexasLRL in 87th Session, Interim hearings

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 20, 2022
House Investigative Committee on The Robb Elementary Shooting (Uvalde)
The committee will meet to hear invited testimony from law enforcement authorities and other affected parties related to the facts and circumstances of the events relating to the violent acts, shootings, and murders at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Because of the quasi-judicial nature of the committee's investigation and pursuant to House Rule 4, Section 12, witnesses will be examined in executive session.

 

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June 21, 2022
House Committee on Defense & Veterans' Affairs CANCELED
Charge: Examine programs and funding streams connected to services that improve mental health outcomes for servicemen and women suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Topic: Update on Military Equipment available to local governments through the Texas Law Enforcement Support Office.

 

House Investigative Committee on The Robb Elementary Shooting (Uvalde)
The committee will meet to hear invited testimony from law enforcement authorities and other affected parties related to the facts and circumstances of the events relating to the violent acts, shootings, and murders at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Because of the quasi-judicial nature of the committee's investigation and pursuant to House Rule 4, Section 12, witnesses will be examined in executive session.

 

Senate Special Committee to Protect All Texans
The Committee will hear invited and public testimony on the following areas:

  • School Safety
  • Police Training
  • Social Media

Speaker Dade Phelan letter to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick letter to Speaker Dade Phelan (Uvalde response, mental health, school safety), June 13, 2022

 

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June 22, 2022
House Committee on State Affairs
Charge: Update on the continued progress of the proposed changes to the ERCOT market design.

 

Senate Committee To Protect All Texans
The Committee will hear invited and public testimony on the following areas:

  • Mental Health
  • Firearm Safety

Speaker Dade Phelan letter to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick letter to Speaker Dade Phelan (Uvalde response, mental health, school safety), June 13, 2022

 

Sunset Advisory Commission
Consideration and possible action on the recommendations for the following agencies:

Staff presentation and public testimony:

 

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June 23, 2022
House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety and House Select Committee on Youth Health & Safety
Charge #1: Study the implementation and impact of Senate Bill 11 (86th Legislature, Regular Session) and any other pertinent laws. Identify additional policies, protocols, and strategies that will help create a safer environment in schools and local communities.

Charge #2: Examine strategies to prevent acts of violence, including measures to enhance firearm safety in Texas.

Charge #3: Evaluate the preparedness of and coordination between state and local agencies, non governmental entities, and law enforcement for the prevention of and response to mass violence, including the content and efficacy of active shooter response training.

 

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:

  • SB 2, relating to the governance of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Office of Public Utility Counsel, and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas

Charge: Examine the efforts of power generation facilities to weatherize their facilities.

Charge: Review the status of projects intended to reduce transmission congestion within the electrical grid.

 

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This entry was posted on June 15, 2022 at 10:15 AM and has received 1294 views. Print this entry.

Current Articles & Research Resources, June 9, 2022

Jun 9

posted by TexasLRL in Current Articles, Research Resources

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

  • Consider how executive pay has climbed recently. (Institute for Policy Studies, June 2022)
  • Read about Americans' views on government. (Pew Research Center, June 6, 2022)
  • Review wildfire statistics. (Congressional Research Service, June 1, 2022)
  • Explore the U.S. Drought Monitor. (National Drought Mitigation Center, released June 9, 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 June 9, 2022 at 3:15 PM and has received 665 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of June 13, 2022

Jun 8

posted by TexasLRL in 87th Session, Interim hearings

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 13, 2022
Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development
Wildfires and Prescribed Burns: Examine ways to reduce the risk of and destructive impact of wildfires. Monitor the role the Prescribed Burning Board plays in controlled burns. Recommend practices and improvements that public and private landowners may use to reduce fire risks.

Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development passed by the 87th 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:

  • HB 1247, Relating to the development of and report on a tri-agency work-based learning strategic framework by the Texas Workforce Commission, the Texas Education Agency, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
  • HB 4110, Relating to the registration of metal recycling.

 

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June 14, 2022
House Committee on County 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 1545, relating to the continuation and functions of the Commission on Jail Standards;
  • HB 1906, relating to grants awarded to reimburse counties for the cost of monitoring defendants and victims in cases involving family violence; and
  • HB 2073, relating to quarantine leave for fire fighters, peace officers, detention officers, and emergency medical technicians employed by, appointed by, or elected for a political subdivision.

Charge: Study statutorily mandated services provided by sheriffs and constables and determine whether fee schedules are set at sufficient levels to allow for cost recovery without placing undue burdens on recipients of those services.

 

House Committee on House Administration
Topic: Interim budget for The Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary Shooting.

 

Senate Committee on Finance
Charge: Long-term Care Funding: Examine state investments in the long-term care system. Study nursing facility funding issues and the impact of the pandemic on capacity and delivery of care. Explore nursing facility quality metrics and recommend strategies to improve the sustainability of the long-term care workforce.

Charge: Medicaid: Monitor the financial impact of federal decision-making affecting supplemental Medicaid funding for Texas hospitals and health care systems, including negotiations between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Texas Medicaid agency regarding the state's 1115 Medicaid waiver and other federal proposals reducing supplemental funding streams for Texas.

 

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June 15, 2022
House Committee on Corrections and House Committee on County Affairs (Joint Hearing)
Charge: For individuals in county jails and TDCJ facilities, or on community supervision or parole, examine:

  • The availability of behavioral health services; and
  • The current treatment and recovery options available for those who are experiencing withdrawal from drug or alcohol use.

Make recommendations for best practices to address the needs of individuals requiring treatment.

 

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June 16, 2022
House Investigative Committee on The Robb Elementary Shooting (Uvalde)
The committee will meet to hear invited testimony from law enforcement authorities and other affected parties related to the facts and circumstances of the events relating to the violent acts, shootings, and murders at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Because of the quasi-judicial nature of the committee's investigation and pursuant to House Rule 4, Section 12, witnesses will be examined in executive session.

 

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June 17, 2022
House Investigative Committee on The Robb Elementary Shooting (Uvalde)
The committee will meet to hear invited testimony from law enforcement authorities and other affected parties related to the facts and circumstances of the events relating to the violent acts, shootings, and murders at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Because of the quasi-judicial nature of the committee's investigation and pursuant to House Rule 4, Section 12, witnesses will be examined in executive session.

 

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This entry was posted on June 8, 2022 at 10:00 AM and has received 1151 views. Print this entry.

Current Articles & Research Resources, June 2, 2022

Jun 2

posted by TexasLRL in Current Articles, Research Resources

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

  • Review the outlook for the 2022 hurricane season. (Congressional Research Service, May 31, 2022)
  • Discover the shelf life of many foods. (StillTasty, accessed June 1, 2022)
  • Search the land grant database. (Texas General Land Office, accessed June 1, 2022)
  • Explore COVID-19 data by county. (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, accessed June 1, 2022, updated daily)

 

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 June 2, 2022 at 3:15 PM and has received 717 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of June 6, 2022

Jun 1

posted by TexasLRL in 87th Session, Interim hearings

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 6, 2022
House Committee on Pensions, Investments & Financial Services
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 1585, relating to the operations and functions of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas; and
  • SB 1444, relating to participation in the uniform group coverage program for active school employees and to a study concerning health coverage for school district employees.

Charge: Review and evaluate the actuarial soundness of the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) pension fund.

Charge: Study benefit enhancements, including a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Teacher Retirement System (TRS) retirees.

 

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June 7, 2022
House Committee on Licensing & Administrative Procedures
Charge 2: Explore opportunities to strengthen and enforce laws to reduce illegal gaming and the proliferation of unlawful game rooms. Identify how cash-paying game rooms utilizing machines commonly known as "8-liners" have been allowed to proliferate and how the comptroller or other state agencies can assist law enforcement with ongoing investigations.

 

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June 8, 2022
House Committee on Business & Industry
Charge: Study the impact of organized retail crime on Texas businesses. Make recommendations for addressing the redistribution of stolen merchandise into the supply chain, including through online marketplaces, to protect Texas businesses and consumers. Make recommendations relating to transparency for online marketplaces and information that should be provided by sellers.

 

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June 9, 2022
House Investigative Committee on The Robb Elementary Shooting
The committee will meet to hear invited testimony from law enforcement authorities related to the facts and circumstances of the events relating to the violent acts, shootings, and murders at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Because of the quasi-judicial nature of the committee's investigation and pursuant to House Rule 4, Section 12, witnesses will be examined in executive session.

 

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This entry was posted on June 1, 2022 at 3:00 PM and has received 993 views. Print this entry.

Current Articles & Research Resources, May 26, 2022

May 26

posted by TexasLRL in Current Articles, Research Resources

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

  • Explore statistics on fatal and nonfatal injury, violent death, and cost of injury. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, September 4, 2020)
  • Read about the progress of investigations related to the January 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol. (U.S. Department of Justice, May 12, 2022)
  • Review the Fortune 500 rankings for 2022. (Fortune, ©2022)
  • Consider the effects data brokers have on privacy. (Popular Science, May 25, 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 May 26, 2022 at 3:15 PM and has received 599 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of May 30, 2022

May 25

posted by TexasLRL in 87th Session, Interim hearings

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 1, 2022
House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock
Charge 1: 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 2089, relating to the detection and mitigation of plant pests and diseases;
  • SB 1, Rider 27 (Department of Agriculture), which relates to determining methods to increase the number of grocery stores in food deserts; and
  • SB 1, Rider 28 (Department of Agriculture), which relates to the Experimental Use Program for feral hog abatement.

Overview of the Herd Certification Program, a summary of the USDA report findings.

Charge 2: Study the access of the state’s agricultural industry to available capital through loans, grants, or other sources. Make recommendations to ensure the agricultural industry has sufficient access to available capital, as well as how the Texas Department of Agriculture can educate farmers, agricultural producers, and others about available sources of capital.

Charge 3: Study the impact on agricultural operations of governmental and regulatory requirements and practices including those that prevent or prohibit an activity that is a normally accepted agricultural practice, and make recommendations to facilitate and encourage agricultural production in the state.

 

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This entry was posted on May 25, 2022 at 9:30 AM and has received 776 views. Print this entry.

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