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Interim Hearings – Week of December 14, 2020

Dec 11

posted by TexasLRL in Interim hearings, 86th Session

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.

 

For recent posts on Interim Hearings, see Interim Hearings on the LRL homepage. The "Recent Entries" list on the left provides quick access to interim hearings posts from previous weeks.

 

Week of December 14
December 15
State Water Implementation Fund for Texas Advisory Committee
Topic: 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 Infrastructure Resiliency Fund Advisory Committee
Topic: 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.

This entry was posted on December 11, 2020 at 9:15 AM and has received 1207 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of December 7, 2020

Nov 30

posted by TexasLRL in Interim hearings, 86th Session

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.

December 7
Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
Topics:
COVID-19: Examine clinical best practices, including therapeutics, for treating COVID-19 patients at each stage of the disease. Monitor the status of vaccine development and distribution.

 

COVID-19: Analyze the procedures for collecting, modeling, and reporting data on COVID-19 tests, cases, hospitalizations, and fatalities. Examine the role of state agencies, local governments, and private entities.

 

Senate Committee on State Affairs CANCELED

 

Top

 

December 8
Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
Topic: COVID-19: Evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 public health emergency and the impact of the COVID-19 response on behavioral health, child abuse, family violence, long-term care residents, and delayed medical care.

 

Senate Committee on State Affairs
Charge: Study how governmental entities use public funds for political lobbying purposes. Examine what types of governmental entities use public funds for lobbying purposes. Make recommendations to protect taxpayers from paying for lobbyists who may not represent the taxpayers’ interests.

 

Charge: Study and recommend ways Texas can further protect the lives of the unborn, including fetal heartbeat legislation and any other law or regulation that protects life.

 

This entry was posted on November 30, 2020 at 1:10 PM and has received 1296 views. Print this entry.

House Committee Resources: Corrections

Nov 24

posted by TexasLRL in Committee Resources, 86th Session

House Committee Resources: Corrections
The committee has requested written submissions on the following topics. Below are resources related to those topics.

 

House Committee on Corrections
Charge 1: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 86th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following:

  • HB 374, which relates to meetings or visits between a defendant on community supervision and a supervision officer. Monitor community supervision and corrections department rules regarding the scheduling of meetings or visits with a defendant placed on community supervision. Examine the process by which community supervision and corrections departments implement newly adopted policies.

  • HB 650 and HB 3227, which relate to the welfare of confined females within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). Monitor TDCJ rules regulating treatment of incarcerated women. Examine the process by which the department facilitates the educational, medical, and wellness needs of incarcerated pregnant women.
  • HB 1191, which relates to an annual report concerning the number of inmates who have been in the conservatorship of a state agency responsible for providing child protective services. Monitor the TDCJ's collection of statistical information concerning the total number of inmates who have at any time been in the conservatorship of a state agency responsible for providing child protective services.
  • SB 1147, which relates to conditions of community supervision for certain driving while intoxicated offenses. Monitor the implementation of the legislation and provide recommendations to improve access to treatment for defendants convicted of driving while intoxicated.

 

House Committee on Corrections
Charge 2: Examine gaps in services and assess efforts to connect justice-involved veterans, senior citizens, and homeless populations to services while incarcerated and after release at both the local and state levels. Specifically, the committee should evaluate training and technical assistance provided by the Texas Veterans Commission to criminal justice agencies.

 

House Committee on Corrections
Charge 3: Examine the current parole revocation warrant ("blue warrant") procedure. Specifically, the committee should consider the monetary costs to the counties; using Risk Assessment Instruments and the Offense Severity Scale to evaluate static and dynamic factors associated with an offender's record in order to escalate high-risk revocation offenders to the Department of Public Safety for immediate detention; and creating an online list providing the number of outstanding "blue warrants" pending per county.

 

House Committee on Corrections
Charge 4: Evaluate funding provided to the TDCJ for the repair, maintenance, and upgrade of prison facilities. Determine areas of the facilities that are in most need of repair, maintenance, or upgrade and examine the costs associated with such repairs, maintenance, or upgrades. Examine the Correctional Managed Health Care Committee's administration of Hepatitis C treatment and procedures. Review the Community Justice Assistance Division's current compliance practices and examine current funding formulas for adult probation departments. Study the TDCJ's ownership of real property not being used for prison facilities, including the amount of property owned and its highest and best use.

 

House Committee on Corrections
Charge 5: Monitor the State Auditor's review of agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction.

This entry was posted on November 24, 2020 at 11:10 AM and has received 1847 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of November 23, 2020

Nov 23

posted by TexasLRL in Interim hearings, 86th Session

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.

 

November 23
House Committee on General Investigating (Dallas)
The committee will meet for consideration of, and possible action on, a complaint received by the committee under House Rule 15 and Housekeeping Resolution Article 9.

 

Under Article 9.03(j), Housekeeping Resolution, and Committee Rule 12, all committee proceedings on a complaint are completely confidential.

 

The committee may enter into an executive session to consider any matter authorized to be considered in an executive session under Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government Code, the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Housekeeping Resolution, and the committee's rules.

 

Senate Committee on Senate Chamber Review
Topic: Invited testimony on the history and procedure related to the placement of art and other decor in the Texas Senate Chamber

 

This entry was posted on November 23, 2020 at 9:05 AM and has received 1077 views. Print this entry.

House Committee Resources: Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Nov 20

posted by TexasLRL in Committee Resources, 86th Session

House Committee Resources: Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

The committee has requested written submissions on the following topics. Below are resources related to those topics.

 

House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Charge 1: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 86th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following:

 

Charge 2: Study opportunities to modernize and improve local and statewide data collection throughout the criminal justice system in Texas, including improving the collection and reporting of court records, to promote transparency and ensure uniform data collection processes. 

 

Charge 3: Study the Rule Against Perpetuities as used by trusts. Examine whether statutory changes are necessary and appropriate to make Texas more competitive and keep trust capital and estate planning businesses in Texas.

 

Charge 4: Monitor the State Auditor's review of agencies and programs under the committee's jurisdiction.

This entry was posted on November 20, 2020 at 10:40 AM and has received 1326 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of November 9, 2020

Nov 12

posted by TexasLRL in Interim hearings, 86th Session

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.

 

November 13

Senate Committee on Education

Charge: Digital Learning: Assess the Texas Virtual School Network and the new Texas Home Learning System to evaluate effectiveness of each and recommend model legislation to improve digital learning options for students, families, and educators.

 

Charge: Special Education: Evaluate ongoing strategies to continuously improve special education services for students in public schools, including methods for educating students in a remote setting, as well as the Texas Education Agency's corrective action plan. 

 

Charge: Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Education passed by the 86th 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:

 

Charge: Examine best practices by school districts and charters in providing education during the COVID-19 pandemic, including methods of delivery for education. Highlight the best practice responses to challenges such as a lack of electronic devices and broadband/internet connection, as well as methods utilized to ensure students maintain growth throughout the academic year.

 

This entry was posted on November 12, 2020 at 10:00 AM and has received 1179 views. Print this entry.

House Committee Resources: Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Nov 2

posted by TexasLRL in Committee Resources, 86th Session

House Committee Resources: Defense & Veterans' Affairs

The committee has requested written submissions on the following topics. Below are resources related to those topics.

 

House Committee on Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Charge 1: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 86th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following: 

  • HB 1326, which is the sunset legislation for the Texas Military Department. Examine the Adjutant General's policy outlining the director of state administration's responsibility for state administrative interests across all programs, including evaluating procedures for oversight of state employees and mitigating compliance risks.

    • Texas Military Department (Sunset Review Documents for the 2018-2019 Review Cycle, 86th Legislative Session), Texas Sunset Advisory Commission

 

Charge 2: Study the mental health treatment options available for all Texas veterans, including efforts to fill gaps left by federal government. Make recommendations for future legislation streamlining mental health treatment coordination among federal, state, and local agencies. 

 

Charge 3: Study the potential impact of eliminating Regional Military Sustainability Commissions as an ineffective tool in assisting Texas military installations and their host defense communities with protecting the missions, operations, readiness, and resiliency of military installations. Identify new and enhanced strategies to replace the Commissions with land use limitations or restrictions, regulatory strategies, annexation powers, contractual agreements, or other tools to preserve military use areas inside and outside municipal boundaries. 

 

Charge 4: Examine gaps in services and assess efforts to connect justice-involved veterans, senior citizens, and homeless populations to services while incarcerated and after release at both the local and state levels. Specifically, the committee should evaluate training and technical assistance provided by the Texas Veterans Commission to criminal justice agencies. 

 

Charge 5: Review the connection between the economic vitality of business and industry and the economic vitality of our military veterans transitioning into the workforce. Specifically, the committee should analyze barriers to military veterans transitioning from active duty to civilian life, the effectiveness of government transition and training benefits, and current and ongoing demand for veteran and military spouse employment from industry in Texas. 

 

Charge 6: Monitor the State Auditor's review of agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction. The Chair shall seek input and periodic briefings on completed audits for the 2019 and 2020 fiscal years and bring forth pertinent issues for full committee consideration. 

 

This entry was posted on November 2, 2020 at 9:40 AM and has received 2524 views. Print this entry.

House Committee Resources: Criminal Jurisprudence

Oct 27

posted by TexasLRL in Committee Resources, 86th Session

House Committee Resources: Criminal Jurisprudence

The committee has requested written submissions on the following topics. Below are resources related to those topics.

 

House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence

Charge 1: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 86th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following:

 

House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence

Charge 2: Study current practices and enforcement of criminal laws for non-violent Class C Misdemeanors. Examine the benefits of citations in lieu of arrests and fine-only offenses, the nexus between recidivism and "debtors' prisons," and all programs within the criminal justice system that levy fines, fees, and related penalties.

 

House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence

Charge 3: Review the overall state of indigent defense and delivery of services to indigent defendants in Texas under the Fair Defense Act and other applicable laws. Examine the procedures for the appointment of counsel, including public defender options for rural communities, the monitoring of workloads and performance of attorneys, and the funding of those services. Examine counsel options for indigent defendants during magistrate proceedings and the administration and funding of county indigent defense systems. (Joint charge with the House Committee on County Affairs)

 

House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence

Charge 4: Review trial court procedures in capital sentencing, and implementation applicable law in direct appeal and writ proceedings in capital cases, for compliance with constitutional protections and conflict of interest rules.

 

House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence

Charge 5: Monitor the State Auditor's review of agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction. The Chair shall seek input and periodic briefings on completed audits for the 2019 and 2020 fiscal years and bring forth pertinent issues for full committee consideration.

 

This entry was posted on October 27, 2020 at 9:30 AM and has received 1586 views. Print this entry.

Interim Reports

Oct 21

posted by TexasLRL in Interim reports, 86th Session

We've received interim reports to the 87th Legislature from the following committees:

Our Legislative Reports database will be updated as we receive additional reports. The database can be accessed on our website under Committees | Legislative reports.

 

Please note, reports within our database are listed by the Legislature that ordered a study rather than the Legislature that received the report. To search for reports ordered by the 86th Legislature and received by the 87th Legislature, select "86th - 2019" from the Legislature drop down menu in the Search for reports section of the page and click on Search.

 

 

Looking for a report from an earlier session? The LRL's Legislative Reports database also contains interim committee charges, interim committee reports, and other substantive legislative studies published in the House and Senate Journals back to 1846.

 

You can search for reports by Legislature, subject, and/or the name of the committee. You may also do a key word search within the report title and the charge text.

 

This entry was posted on October 21, 2020 at 9:45 AM and has received 1865 views. Print this entry.

Senate Committee Resources: Redistricting

Oct 21

posted by TexasLRL in Committee Resources, 86th Session

 

The Senate Select Committee on Redistricting is gathering information under Section 301.014 of the Texas Government Code. The committee has established a public input portal on its website: https://senate.Texas.gov/redistrictingcomment/.

 

This tool allows the public to submit written comments and attachments for the committee to review and consider regarding the upcoming redistricting process. Submissions received will be transmitted to members of the committee and any other senator who requests to review them.

 

 

This entry was posted on October 21, 2020 at 9:15 AM and has received 839 views. Print this entry.

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