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.

• May 14, 2024
  • Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
  • Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education
• May 15, 2024
  • Senate Commitee on Local Government
  • Senate Commitee on Veteran Affairs
  • Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs

May 14, 2024
Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
Charge: Cancer Prevention: Identify and recommend ways to address the growing impact of cancer on Texans by evaluating state investments in cancer prevention and screenings including, but not limited to, “CT,” “MRI, and “PET” scans. Study and make recommendations on funding adequacy for prevention efforts at the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).

• 2023 Annual Report, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, February 1, 2024
• An Economic Assessment of the Cost of Cancer in Texas and the Benefits of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and Its Programs: 2023 Update, The Perryman Group, November 30, 2023
• 2023 Texas Cancer Registry Annual Report, As Required by Texas Health and Safety Code, Section 82.007, Texas Department of State Health Services, September 2023
• An Audit Report on Grants Management at the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, State Auditor’s Office, September 2021
• 2018 Texas Cancer Plan, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, September 18, 2018
• An Audit Report on Performance Measures at the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, State Auditor’s Office, December 2017

Charge: Health Insurance: Examine the Texas health insurance market and alternatives to employer-based insurance. Identify barriers Texans face when navigating a complex health insurance market. Make recommendations that help individuals obtain health care coverage.

• Proposed Changes to State Medicaid Plans Could Shake Up Health Coverage for 1.8 Million Low-Income Texans, Texas Tribune, April 18, 2024
• The High Cost of Millions of Texans Losing Health Insurance Coverage, The Perryman Group, April 2024
• Basic Health Programs: An Alternative to Public Options?, The Commonwealth Fund, March 27, 2024
• Alternative Health Plans, Texas Department of Insurance, last updated January 22, 2024
• 2022 Census Data: The Uninsured Population of Texas and Uninsured Texans: Challenges & Policy Solutions, Every Texan, November 20, 2023
• State Public Option Plans Are Making Progress on Reducing Consumer Costs, The Commonwealth Fund, November 7, 2023
• Texas Mandated Health Benefits, Texas Department of Insurance, updated to reflect laws in effect as of September 1, 2023
• Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature, Select House Committee on Health Care Reform, January 2023
• The Uninsured in Texas, Texas Medical Association
• Who are the Uninsured?, Texas2036

Charge: Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services 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 25, relating to support for nursing-related postsecondary education, including scholarships to nursing students, loan repayment assistance to nurses and nursing faculty, and grants to nursing education programs.

Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education
Charge: Monitor the Ban on Discriminatory DEI Policies: Examine the implementation of Senate Bill 17, 88th Legislature, which bans discriminatory “DEI” initiatives at institutions of public higher education. Review and report on the progress each institution has made in aligning university policies and procedures with the provisions of Senate Bill 17, ensuring Texas college campuses foster equal opportunity and reward individual merit and achievement.

• UT-Austin Announces Round of Firings in Latest Step to Comply with Texas' DEI Ban, Texas Tribune, April 2, 2024
• Senator Brandon Creighton Announces Oversight on Senate Bill 17 Implementation (News Release) and Letters to University System Chancellors and Boards of Regents, Senator Brandon Creighton, Chairman, Texas Senate Committee on Education, March 26, 2024
• How State Anti-DEI Laws Are Impacting LGBTQ+ Students, Georgetown University, February 23, 2024
• Texas’ Ban on College Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Offices Takes Effect, Intercultural Development Research Association, January 2024
• DEI Versus the Declaration of Independence, Texas Public Policy Foundation, September 2023

Charge: Combating Antisemitism on Texas College Campuses: Review campus policies to prevent antisemitism. Study the oversight Texas institutions of higher education have over the formation and operations of student organizations, including access to campus facilities and use of campus property. Make recommendations to prevent antisemitism on college campuses, while protecting First Amendment rights.

• Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Ramps Up Actions to Counter Antisemitism on College Campuses and Protect Jewish Communities, The White House, May 7, 2024
• Executive Order GA-44, Relating to Addressing Acts of Antisemitism in Institutions of Higher Education, Governor Greg Abbott, March 27, 2024
• Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Takes Action to Address Alarming Rise of Reported Antisemitic and Islamophobic Events at Schools and on College Campuses, The White House, November 14, 2023
• Hate in the Lone Star State: Extremism and Antisemitism in Texas, Anti-Defamation League Center on Extremism, September 2023
• The Nexus White Paper: Understanding Antisemitism at its Nexus with Israel and Zionism, Nexus, May 27, 2023
• The U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, The White House, May 2023
• Study on Antisemitism in Texas, Prepared for the 2023 Legislature, Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission, November 1, 2022
• Confronting Campus Antisemitism: An Action Plan for University Administrators, American Jewish Committee
• Best Practices Guide for Combating Campus Anti-Semitism and Anti-Israelism, Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law

Charge: Campus Free Speech: Examine the procedures of Texas public institutions of higher education designed to protect the First Amendment free speech rights of faculty, staff, and students. Monitor and report on compliance Senate Bill 18, 86th Legislature, and make recommendations for any needed reforms.

• Spotlight on Speech Codes 2024, Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), 2024
• Speech on Campus, American Civil Liberties Union, December 18, 2023
• 2022 Free Speech in the Crosshairs: Bias Reporting on College Campuses, Speech First, September 19, 2022
• Interim Report to the 87th Texas Legislature (Charge 1 – Monitoring, SB 18), House Committee on Higher Education, January 2021
• Interim Report to the 86th Legislature (Charge 9 – Campus Free Speech), Senate Committee on State Affairs, December 2018

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May 15, 2024
Senate Committee on Local Government
Charge: Secure Texas Against “Squatters”: Review current laws relating to “squatters” or those claiming adverse possession of property. Make recommendations to streamline the process forthe immediate removal of “squatters” and to strengthen the rights ofproperty owners’.

• Abandoned Property (Adverse Possession), Texas State Law Library, last updated May 3, 2024
• Anxiety Over Squatters, Fueled by TikTok, Inspires a Wave of Legislation, Stateline, April 26, 2024
• Owning Your Piece of Texas: Key Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know (Chapter 7, Section III, Adverse Possession), Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, September 2023
• Interim Report to the 83rd Texas Legislature (Charge 2 – Adverse possession), House Committee on Business and Industry, December 2012
• Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.021 et seq., Limitations of Real Property Actions/Adverse Possession
• Texas Property Code Chapter 22, Trespass to Try Title

Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs
Charge: Veteran Mental Health: Review current programs that provide direct and indirect mental health services to veterans in Texas. Identify barriers to accessing mental health resources for rural veterans. Make recommendations to improve access to mental health support for all veterans.

• Service Members, Veterans, and their Families Technical Assistance (SMVF TA) Center, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, last updated March 14, 2024
• VA Mental Health: Additional Action Needed to Assess Rural Veterans’ Access to Intensive Care, U.S. Government Accountability Office, February 9, 2023
• Veterans Health Care: Staffing Challenges and Recommendations for Improvement, U.S. Government Accountability Office, May 17, 2023
• Improving Access to High-Quality Mental Health Care for Veterans (Proceeding of a workshop), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2023
• Annual Warrior Survey 2022 (Survey of mental and physical health, financial wellness, social connections, and spiritual well-being of wounded post-9/11 veterans), Wounded Warrior Project, 2022
• VA Research on Rural Health (Rural Mental Health), and VA Research on Mental Health, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, last updated January 15, 2021
• Texas Veterans Commission, Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, The University of Texas at Austin
• Texas Veterans and Family Alliance Grant Program, Texas Health and Human Services
• Veterans Mental Health Department, Texas Veterans Commission

Charge: Support Service Database for Texas Veterans: Review and report on the progress toward the creation of a single database to facilitate the seamless provision of veteran benefits by state agencies. Make recommendations to improve coordination among state, federal, and local agencies and others that provide benefits to veterans.

• Texas Veterans Portal, Texas Veterans Commission

Charge: Strengthen Support for Veteran Housing: Study the accessibility and affordability of veteran housing. Identify factors that contribute to veteran homelessness. Determine whether the Veterans Land Board has the tools necessary to maximize their assistance to eligible borrowers in home lending. Make recommendations to update state standards related to veteran home loans and housing.

• The 2023 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress: Part 1: Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness (State Estimates, Veterans Experiencing Homelessness), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, December 2023
• Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Topic II – Housing), House Committee on Defense and Veterans’ Affairs, November 2022
• Recommendations to Address Veteran Homelessness in Texas (scroll to Advisory Committee Reports at end), Veterans Services Advisory Committee, Texas Veterans Commission, July 3, 2021
• Veteran Homelessness (Includes local seasonal relief centers, related resources, and Texas state agency links on veteran housing and loans), Texas Veterans Commission
• Loan Programs, Veterans Land Board
• Housing & Loans, Texas Veterans Portal, Texas Veterans Commission

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.

• Free Financial, Managerial, and Technical Assistance for Public Water and Wastewater Systems, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, last modified May 2, 2024
• What is a Public Water System?, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, last modified February 21, 2024
• Proposition 6 and Texas Water Fund: Frequently Asked Questions, Texas Water Development Board, January 2024
• 2022 Texas Water Capital Needs Survey, Texas Water Infrastructure Network and Water Opinions, December 6, 2022
• Interim Report (Charge 1 – discussion of the state of water infrastructure in Texas in small systems), Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs, December 2022
• 2022 State Water Plan, Texas Water Development Board, adopted July 7, 2021
• 2021 Texas Infrastructure Report Card, Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, 2021
• Water & Wastewater Technical Assistance Hub and Water Line Infrastructure Survey, Texas Rural Water Association

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This entry was posted on May 8, 2024 at 2:30 PM and has received 209 views. Print this entry.

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 29, 2024
  • House Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies
• May 2, 2024
  • House Select Committee on Protecting Texas LNG Exports (Port Arthur)

April 29, 2024
House Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies
Charge: Examining the current state of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies and its uses by private actors in a modern society.
Determining the impact of the application of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies on various sectors of society.
Identifying policy considerations necessary to ensure the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

• Proclamation, Creation of House Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies, Speaker Dade Phelan, April 2, 2024
• What Is Generative AI?, McKinsey & Company, April 2, 2024
• Texas Lawmakers and Agency Leaders Experiment, Ponder Policies for an AI Future, Texas Tribune, March 26, 2024
• Artificial Intelligence 2024 Legislation, National Conference of State Legislatures, updated March 19, 2024
• Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council Appointed to Study Use of AI in State Government, Texas Department of Information Resources, February 26, 2024
• Artificial Intelligence in the States: Harnessing the Power of AI in the Public Sector, The Council of State Governments, December 5, 2023
• What Might Good AI Policy Look Like? Four Principles for a Light Touch Approach to Artificial Intelligence, Cato Institute, November 9, 2023
• What Is Artificial Intelligence? Legislators Are Still Looking for a Definition, Stateline, October 5, 2023
• Approaches to Regulating Artificial Intelligence: A Primer, National Conference of State Legislatures, updated August 10, 2023
• Growing Public Concern about the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Daily Life, Pew Research Center, August 28, 2023
• Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights: Making Automated Systems Work for the American People, Office of Science and Technology Policy, The White House, October 2022
• Combatting Online Harms Through Innovation, Federal Trade Commission, June 16, 2022
• Automation and Artificial Intelligence: How Machines Are Affecting People and Places, Brookings Institution, January 2019
• Rise of the Machines: Artificial intelligence and Its Growing Impact on U.S. Policy, Subcommittee on Information Technology, U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, September 2018
• Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative, Brookings Institution

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May 2, 2024
House Select Committee on Protecting Texas LNG Exports (Port Arthur)
Charge:
(1) Analyzing the applicable legal authorities under which the federal action was taken, including the Natural Gas Act of 1938, as amended (15 U.S.C. section 717 to 717z), and the Administrative Procedure Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. section 551-559);
(2) Assessing the potential economic, environmental, and social impacts of such federal action on the state;
(3) Identifying strategies to mitigate all adverse effects on the LNG industry. Texas's energy sector, and the state's economy as a whole; and
(4) Formulating recommendations for legislative, policy, or other remedial actions to address the challenges posed by the federal suspension of LNG export permits.

• Proclamation, Creation of House Select Committee on Protecting Texas LNG Exports, Speaker Dade Phelan, March 25, 2024
• Louisiana v. Biden (No. 2:24-cv-00406), U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana, Court Listener, last updated April 18, 2024
• Summary of LNG Export Applications of the Lower 48 States, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, U.S. Department of Energy, April 18, 2024
• Oversight of the Biden Administration’s Pause on Liquified Natural Gas Exports (Hearing), U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, April 18, 2024
• After the Pause: Understanding the Economic, Environmental, and Geopolitical Implications of Increased US Liquefied Natural Gas Exports, Resources, April 17, 2024
• Pros and Cons of Pausing Natural Gas Exports, Congressional Digest, April 1, 2024
• Pushing Pause on Liquified Natural Gas Exports: Can the Department of Energy Halt LNG Exports to Save the Planet?, The Federalist Society, March 27, 2024
• Unpacking the Misconceptions Surrounding the DOE's LNG Update, U.S. Department of Energy, February 8, 2024
• The Temporary Pause on Review of Pending Applications to Export Liquefied Natural Gas, U.S. Department of Energy, February 2024
• Implications of US Department of Energy Decision to ‘Pause’ Authorizations of Liquefied Natural Gas Exports May Extend Beyond Delays to Pending Projects, Akin (Law Firm), January 31, 2024
• An Unrefreshing Pause, The Perryman Group, January 31, 2024
• Biden’s ‘Pause’ on LNG Exports Is Impulsive and Destructive, Cato Institute, January 30, 2024
• Speaker Dade Phelan Blasts Biden Administration's Pause of LNG Export Projects; Letter to President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, Speaker Dade Phelan, January 29, 2024
• DOE to Update Public Interest Analysis to Enhance National Security, Achieve Clean Energy Goals and Continue Support for Global Allies, U.S. Department of Energy, January 26, 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
• LNG, The Perryman Group, September 13, 2023
• AEO2023 Issues in Focus: Effects of Liquefied Natural Gas Exports on the U.S. Natural Gas Market, U.S. Energy Information Administration, May 2023
• Annual Energy Outlook: AEO2023, U.S. Energy Information Administration, March 2023
• Texas Comptroller Energy Tour: Natural Gas Overview, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, 2023
• Texas' Energy Profile: A Review of the State's Current Traditional and Renewable Energy Capabilities, Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, September 2022
• Interim Report to the 80th Legislature: Oil, Gas, and Alternative Fuel Issues (Charge 4 in part – Liquefied natural gas terminals in texas and Appendix D – Onshore LNG Supply Terminal Projects Proposed for Texas), Senate Committee on Natural Resources, December 2006
• Interim Report to the 79th Texas Legislature (Charge 1 – LNG infrastructure and imports), House Committee on Energy Resources, November 2004
• Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, U.S. Department of Energy
• Texas State Energy Profile, Texas State Profile and Energy Estimates, U.S. Energy Information Administration
• Regulation, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, U.S. Department of Energy

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This entry was posted on April 24, 2024 at 3:15 PM and has received 397 views. Print this entry.

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 2-4, 2024
House Investigative Committee on The Panhandle Wildfires (April 2, April 3, April 4)
Pampa, Texas

Topics:
(1) factors contributing to the wildfires;
(2) allocation of resources to and effectiveness of wildfire disaster preparedness and response; and
(3) coordination between local, state, and federal governmental entites with regard to wildfire prevention, disaster preparedness, and response.

• Xcel Energy Acknowledges Role in Texas' Smokehouse Creek Wildfire, Texas Tribune, March 7, 2024
• In Texas, a Powerful Combination of Dry Land and High Winds Fuels Wildfires, NBC News, February 29, 2024
• Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery, Congressional Research Service, updated August 11, 2023
• Texas Wildfire Protection Plan, 2024-2025 Biennium, Texas A&M Forest Service, revised May 2023
• Federal Interagency Wildfire Response Framework, Congressional Research Service, April 21, 2023
• Forest Action Plan and Forest Action Plan Data Explorer, Texas A&M Forest Service, amended July 2021
• Bastrop – A Story of Wildfire and Restoration, Texas A&M Forest Service
• Confronting the Wildfire Crisis, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

This entry was posted on March 27, 2024 at 3:30 PM and has received 378 views. Print this entry.

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 18, 2023
State Water Implementation Fund for Texas Advisory
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 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
Topic: 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

This entry was posted on December 15, 2023 at 10:35 AM and has received 283 views. Print this entry.

Following each legislative session in Texas, organizations, state agencies, and other entities publish "wrap-ups" summarizing new laws and key legislative developments in areas ranging from education to real estate to water conservation. Wrap-ups can range from a simple list of bills to a detailed report that includes background information and expert analysis.

The LRL tracks legislative wrap-ups, as we find them to be an excellent research tool and summary of the topics covered during a particular session. Listed below is a short selection. To find other wrap-ups on a topic that interests you, check the websites of organizations or state agencies that focus on the issue, or contact the library for assistance.

• State Agencies
• Associations & Organizations

State Agencies

Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS)
Summary of Legislative Action on ERS Programs and Operations

Hogg Foundation for Mental Health – University of Texas
Summary of Mental Health and Substance Use-Related Legislation

Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC)
Summary of the 88th Legislative Session

Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
2023 TRS-Related Legislation Summary

Texas Commission on Fire Protection
Fire Protection-Related Legislation, 2023 (88th Legislative Session)

Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ)
Summaries of Selected Legislation Passed by the 88th Legislature, Regular Session

Texas Department of Insurance (TDI)
Worker’s Compensation Legislation Enacted

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
88th Texas Legislature: TDLR Related Bills

Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Texas Metals Program – 88th Legislation 2023

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
Delivering on Our Transportation Future: 88th Regular Legislative Session (2023) Summary of Enacted Transportation and General Government Legislation

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)
The 88th Legislature: A Texas-sized Investment in Higher Education

Texas Judicial Council (TJC)
Texas Judiciary Legislative Update – 88th Legislature

Texas Pension Review Board
Pension Bill Summaries – 88th Legislative Session

Associations and Organizations

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas
The 88th Texas Legislature's Regular Session

Environment Texas
How the Environment Faired at the Texas Legislature (88th Regular Session)

Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT)
Legislative White Paper: An Executive Summary for Community Bankers, July 2023

LeadingAge Texas
88th Legislative Session Summary – Sine Die Edition

National Rifle Association-Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA)
Texas Legislature Ends Regular Session After Passing a Trio of Pro-Second Amendment Bills & Rejecting Gun Control Measures

Texas AFL-CIO
88th Legislative Session Wrap-Up

Texas Association of Business (TAB)
88th Results: 2023 Legislative Session

Texas Association of Dairymen (TAD)
Sine Die Report: 88th Texas Legislature

Texans Care for Children
Texas Children and the 2023 Legislative Session: What the Texas Legislature accomplished for children and where it fell short

• Review of Policy Progress During the 2023 Texas Legislative Session: Maternal and Child Health
• Review of Policy Progress During the 2023 Texas Legislative Session: Child Protection
• Review of Policy Progress During the 2023 Texas Legislative Session: Early Learning
• Review of Policy Progress During the 2023 Texas Legislative Session: Children's Mental Health

Texas Classroom Teachers Assocation (TCTA)
Final Bill Summaries – 2023

Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA)
Recap of the 88th Texas Legislative Session

Texas District & County Attorneys Association (TDCAA)
TDCAA Legislative Update: 88th Regular Session, Week 20.1 (Sine Die Edition)

Texas Gun Sense
Texas 88th Legislative Session Report

Texas Humane Legislation Network
2023 Legislative Session

Texas Land Title Assotication (TLTA)
Texas Legislature 88th Session Results

Texas Library Association (TLA)
88th Legislative Session Wrap-Up

Texas Medical Association (TMA)
2023 Legislative Wrap-Up

Texas Municipal League (TML)

• 88th Regular Session Concludes; Governor Calls Legislators Back for Overtime (Legislative Update No. 23)
• First Called Special Session Ends; Second Underway (Legislative Update No. 26)
• Texas Legislature Passes Property Tax Relief Package Ending Special Session (Legislative Update No. 28)

Texas Pharmacy Association (TPA)
88th Texas Legislative Session

Texas Realtors (TR)
Building a Better Texas: Broadband Improvements and Water Infrastructure Top the List of REALTOR wins at the 88th Texas Legislature

Texas Water Conservation Association (TWCA)
88th Legislative Wrap Up

This entry was posted on September 13, 2023 at 11:30 AM and has received 919 views. Print this entry.

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 1, 2023
House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety and Work Session (Eagle Pass) CANCELED
Topic: Invited testimony only on Operation Lone Star, including from the following state and federal agencies:

Texas Department of Public Safety
Texas Military Department
Texas Division of Emergency Management
Office of the Governor
U.S. Customs & Border Patrol

• Interim Report 2022: A Report to the Texas Senate, 88th Texas Legislature, Senate Committee on Border Security, January 2023
• Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Charge II – Caseloads on the Texas-Mexico border), House Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues, January 2023
• Interim Report to the 88th Legislature (Charge 9 – Operation Lone Star), Senate Committee on Finance, December 2022
• Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Charge 2 – Caseloads on the Texas-Mexico border), House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence, December 2022
• Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Charge II – Border county operations), House Committee on County Affairs, November 2022
• Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Topic 1 – Monitor the activities of the Texas State Guard and the Texas National Guard participating in Operation Lone Star), House Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs, November 2022
• Border Crisis Update (Operation Lone Star), Office of the Texas Governor
• Operation Lone Star Border Support Mission, Texas Military Department
• Operation Lone Star, Texas Tribune

This entry was posted on August 29, 2023 at 10:45 AM and has received 478 views. Print this entry.

Sunday, June 18, 2023 was the last day the governor could sign or veto an enrolled bill from the 88th Regular Session. If neither action was taken, the bill became law without his signature.

88th Legislature, R.S., Statistics

The following bill statistics were calculated on June 20, 2023, at 4 p.m.

To see how these statistics have changed, please view our previous bill statistics blog posts:

• Bill Statistics, Two Weeks After Sine Die, June 12, 2023
• Updated Bill Statistics, June 5, 2023
• What's Next? Post-Session FAQ and Bill Statistics, 88th R.S.
• Bill Statistics, 133rd Day, 88th R.S.
• Bill Statistics & Upcoming Deadlines, May 15, 2023
• Bill Statistics & Upcoming Deadlines, May 8, 2023
• Bill Statistics & Upcoming Deadlines, May 1, 2023

You can also view lists of bills by the governor's action on Texas Legislature Online (TLO).

1. On TLO's homepage, click on the "Reports" link under Additional Searches.

 

2. Then click on the "General Reports" tab to see the lists of bills by the governor's action.

This entry was posted on June 22, 2023 at 12:35 PM and has received 1259 views. Print this entry.

Sunday, June 18, 2023, is the last day the governor can sign or veto an enrolled bill. If neither action is taken, the bill becomes law without his signature.

88th Legislature, R.S., Statistics

The following bill statistics were calculated on June 13, 2023, at 8:45 a.m.

Previous bill statistics posts:

• Updated Bill Statistics, June 5, 2023
• What's Next? Post-Session FAQ and Bill Statistics, 88th R.S.
• Bill Statistics, 133rd Day, 88th R.S.
• Bill Statistics & Upcoming Deadlines, May 15, 2023
• Bill Statistics & Upcoming Deadlines, May 8, 2023
• Bill Statistics & Upcoming Deadlines, May 1, 2023

This entry was posted on June 13, 2023 at 11:25 AM and has received 1141 views. Print this entry.

Sunday, June 18, 2023, is the last day the governor can sign or veto an enrolled bill. If neither action is taken, the bill becomes law without his signature.

88th Legislature, R.S., Statistics

The following bill statistics were calculated on June 5, 2023, at 10:50 a.m.

Previous bill statistics posts:

• What's Next? Post-Session FAQ and Bill Statistics, 88th R.S.
• Bill Statistics, 133rd Day, 88th R.S.
• Bill Statistics & Upcoming Deadlines, May 15, 2023
• Bill Statistics & Upcoming Deadlines, May 8, 2023
• Bill Statistics & Upcoming Deadlines, May 1, 2023

This entry was posted on June 5, 2023 at 3:20 PM and has received 1090 views. Print this entry.

Bill Statistics:

*Statistics as of May 30, 2023, at 3 p.m. See our bill statistics page to compare these numbers with historical statistics.

Post-Session FAQ:

What happens now?

The 88th Regular Session ended Monday, May 29, 2023. Bills that pass both the House and the Senate are sent to the governor to sign, veto, or allow to become law without his signature.

When the Legislature passes a bill, does it become a law right away?

No. Under Article 4, Section 14 of the Texas Constitution, bills passed by the Legislature must be submitted to the governor for approval. The governor can sign a bill, veto it, line-item veto an appropriation, or allow a bill to become law without his signature.

How much time does the governor have to act on a bill?

The deadline for the governor to act on a bill is contingent upon the point in time in which the bill is presented to the governor.


If a bill is sent to the governor during the legislative session, the governor has 10 days (excluding Sundays) to sign the bill or return the bill to the Legislature with objection. If after 10 days the bill is not returned to the Legislature by the governor with objections or he has not yet signed it, the bill becomes law as if the governor had signed it.


If the Legislature has adjourned sine die, or if the bill is presented to the governor less than 10 days (excluding Sundays) prior to final adjournment, the governor has 20 days (including Sundays) after the final day of the session to sign or veto the bill. If neither action is taken, the bill becomes law without the governor's signature (Texas Const. art. IV, § 14).


Sunday, June 18, is the 20th day following the final adjournment of the 88th Regular Session. It is the last day the governor can sign or veto bills passed during the 88th Regular Session. The LRL's vetoes database will be updated for the 88th Regular Session as we receive those documents.

If the governor approves a bill, when will it take effect?

The text of a bill may include effective date provisions requiring the bill to take effect immediately, to take effect on a specified day, or there may be no mention of an effective date. Different sections of a bill may have different effective dates.


According to Article III, Section 39 of the Texas Constitution, a bill cannot become effective until at least 90 days after the session ends unless the bill passes both chambers with a favorable vote by two-thirds of the members.


Monday, August 28, 2023, is the 91st day following final adjournment; bills that do not specify an effective date and those that did not have the two-thirds vote necessary to take effect earlier will take effect on Monday, August 28, 2023.


If a bill received the votes necessary to become effective immediately, it will take effect on the date of the last action necessary for it to become law. This could be when the governor signs it, when the governor files it with the Secretary of State without approving or vetoing it, or when the time for the governor to act expires, if the bill has not been approved or vetoed during that time.

What happens to bills that do not pass?

Bills that do not make it completely through the legislative process die with the end of the session and are not automatically refiled during the next session.

What about other types of legislation?

Joint resolutions that pass both chambers of the Legislature are filed with the Secretary of State, and will be on the ballot as a proposed constitutional amendment for the November 7, 2023, election.


Concurrent resolutions generally require action by the governor. Concurrent resolutions used for administrative matters in the House and Senate do not require approval from the governor.


Simple resolutions are passed by only one chamber of the Legislature, and do not require the governor's approval.

Where can I find more information about special sessions?

You can start with the LRL's FAQ about special sessions. The LRL website's section devoted to special sessions also includes historical information, links to statutory authority pertaining to special sessions, and more.

Sources:

• The Legislative Process in Texas, Texas Legislative Council, November 2022
• Dates of Interest | 88th Legislature, Texas Legislative Council

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