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 16, 2024
House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
Charge: Monitoring: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 88th Legislature.
The committee will consider the implementation of:
HB 6, Relating to the designation of fentanyl poisoning or fentanyl toxicity for purposes of the death certificate and to the criminal penalties for certain controlled substance offenses; increasing a criminal penalty.
HB 611, Relating to the creation of the criminal offense of unlawful disclosure of residence address or telephone number.
HB 1221, Relating to authorizing the comptroller to release a reported owner's unclaimed property to the owner's crime victim in certain circumstances and payment by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice of certain amounts owed by an inmate.
HB 1442, Relating to the prosecution of certain criminal conduct involving a reckless driving exhibition or racing on a highway and to the forfeiture of contraband as a result of a reckless driving exhibition.
Charge: Protecting Survivors Against Crimes of Abusers: Examine the shift in criminalization of children by human traffickers into other criminal enterprises, such as aggravated robbery, as well as the Texas Penal Code definition of “duress” as an affirmative defense for survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence. Make recommendations to prevent the criminalization of survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence for the crimes of their abusers.
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September 17, 2024
House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Monitoring: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 88th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure the intended outcome of all legislation, including the following:
- HB 19, relating to the creation of a specialty trial court to hear certain cases; authorizing fees;
- HB 841, relating to certain judicial statistics and related information gathered by the Texas Judicial Council; and
- HB 2384, relating to court administration, including the knowledge, efficiency, training, and transparency requirements for candidates for or holders of judicial offices.
House Committee on State Affairs
Charge: Panhandle Wildfires: Evaluate the findings and recommendations of the Investigative Committee on the Panhandle Wildfires that are within the committee’s jurisdiction and develop related legislative solutions and other actions for preventing future wildfires and improving wildfire disaster preparedness, response, and mitigation.
NOTE: Testimony on this charge will include invited testimony relating to key barriers to broadband development in rural areas.
- How a Rural County in Texas Solved Its Broadband Problem, Governing, May 2, 2024
- A Report to the House of Representatives, 89th Texas Legislature, House Investigative Committee on the Panhandle Wildfires, May 1, 2024
- Interim Hearings – Week of April 1, 2024 (Blog), April 2-4 – House Investigative Committee on The Panhandle Wildfires, Legislative Reference Library, March 27, 2024
- Rural Texans, Internet Providers Worry That Feds’ Broadband Expansion Plan Will Have a Painfully Slow Rollout, Texas Tribune, February 14, 2024
- Interim Report 2022: A Report to the Texas Senate, 88th Texas Legislature (Charge 4 – Wildfires and Prescribed Burns), Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development, January 4, 2023
Charge: Economic Challenges Impacting Insurance Premiums: Examine the impact of current economic challenges on the escalating costs of insurance premiums, including factors contributing to the withdrawal of insurance providers from certain markets. Investigate solutions to help Texans more easily and affordably obtain property and casualty insurance coverage. Evaluate long-term strategies for shifting from state-funded insurance programs to sustainable private market alternatives.
- Improving the Market for Homeowners Insurance, Connecticut Insurance Law Journal, Volume 30, Issue 2, 2024
- Why Is the Cost of Auto Insurance Soaring in Texas?, WFAA, May 22, 2024
- Texas and Oklahoma Have the Highest Home Insurance Costs in the U.S., Axios Dallas, April 8, 2024
- Property and Casualty Insurance, Texas Department of Insurance
Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development
Charge: Enhancing Workforce Productivity: Study ways to increase the state’s workforce productivity, including access to childcare. Make recommendations, within existing resources, to maintain childcare availability to support a growing workforce. This charge is postponed until a later date. Please refer to the committee's notice of public hearing for more information.
- How Policymaking Can Address Urgent Child Care Challenges and Opportunities in Texas, LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin, March 2024
- Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Charge 1 – Agency Oversight: Childcare Legislation), House Committee on International Relations & Economic Development, November 2022
- Workforce Composition, Trends & Alignment, Texas 2036, April 2023, Jobs and Wages: Projections from Now Until 2030, Texas 2036, 2023
- National Database of Childcare Prices, U.S. Department of Labor
- Untapped Potential in TX: How Childcare Impacts Texas’ Workforce Productivity and the State Economy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, November 29, 2021
- Productivity, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Charge: Cement Production Plants: Examine the impacts of permanent cement production plants on local communities. Make recommendations to ensure they are strategically situated and uphold community standards while also fostering economic development.
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September 18, 2024
House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock
Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 88th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure the intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following:
HB 1750, relating to the applicability of certain city requirements to agricultural operations; and
HB 2308, relating to nuisance actions and other actions against agricultural operations.
Agricultural Product Regulations: Study the notice procedures and issuance of written stop-sale orders by the Texas Department of Agriculture and the seizure and destruction of infested, infected, or noncompliant products. Make recommendations to ensure the private property interests of Texas agricultural producers are appropriately balanced with the state’s public safety interests.
- FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) Final Rule on Produce Safety, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, current as of August 26, 2024
- Inspection and Enforcement Strategic Plan: Fiscal Year 2025, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Division, Texas Department of Agriculture, July 1, 2024
- Agency Strategic Plan: Fiscal Years 2025 to 2029, Texas Department of Agriculture, June 1, 2024
- Texas Office of Produce Safety, Texas Department of Agriculture
- Quarantines, Texas Department of Agriculture
House Select Committee on Youth Health & Safety
Charge: Monitor the programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 88th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure the intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following:
- HB 3, relating to measures for ensuring public school safety, including the development and implementation of purchases relating to and funding for public school safety and security requirements and the provision of safety-related resources.
Senate Committee on Education
The committee will receive a State of the State of Education and consider the following interim charges:
Charge: Reading and Math Readiness: Study current local, state, and national policies and programs that improve student achievement in reading and mathematics, with an emphasis on “early readiness” in grades preK-5. Make recommendations to ensure every student has a strong academic foundation in reading and math.
- Interim Hearings – Week of August 12, 2024 (Blog), August 13 – House Committee on Public Education (literacy and numeracy charge), Legislative Reference Library, August 7, 2024
- Legislatures Lead the Way With ‘Science of Reading’ Approach, State Legislatures News, National Conference of State Legislatures, August 2, 2024
- Solving for X in Texas: Math Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities for the Lone Star State, Texas 2036, April 2024
- The State of Readiness: Are Texas Students Prepared for Life After High School?, Texas 2036, George W. Bush Institute, March 21, 2023
- State Information Request: School Readiness and Outcomes, Education Commission of the States, July 7, 2022
Charge: Testing Reform: Review the state's current development and phase-in of the STAAR test redesign and ongoing innovative assessment reforms, including the Texas Through-Year Assessment Pilot (TTAP). Recommend ways to accelerate current testing improvement efforts and the development of a real-time testing program that meets the educational needs of Texas students.
- 2024-2025 Texas Through-year Assessment Pilot (TTAP) FAQs, Texas Education Agency, updated May 30, 2024
- Texas Will Use Computers to Grade Written Answers on This Year's STAAR Tests, Texas Tribune, April 9, 2024
- Initial Interim Report to the Eighty-Eighth Texas Legislature (Topic 3 – Modernizing assessment and accountability measures), House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment, August 2023
- 2022 Comprehensive Biennial Report on Texas Public Schools: A Report to the 88th Legislature from the Texas Education Agency (Chapter 2 – Student Performance), Texas Education Agency, December 2022
- STAAR Redesign, Texas Education Agency
Charge: COVID-19 Funding Oversight: Examine and report on COVID-19 how public schools spent federal funds since the beginning of the pandemic, including funds received under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), with a dual focus on demonstrated improved student outcomes and efficient use of taxpayer funds.
- Texas Schools Got Billions in Federal Pandemic Relief. It is Coming to an End as the School Year Starts, Texas Tribune, August 7, 2024
- Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Charge VI – COVID-19 and learning loss), House Committee on Public Education, December 2022
- Interim Hearings – Week of September 5, 2022, (Blog), September 9 – House Committee on Appropriations, Legislative Reference Library, September 1, 2022
- Texas Releases $11 Billion of $18 Billion in Federal Stimulus Money for Public Schools, Texas Tribune, April 28, 2021
- Texas School Districts Won’t Get Supplemental CARES Act Funds They Were Expecting; TEA Puts Money Towards State Funds, KVUE, updated June 11, 2020
- COVID-19 and Federal Grant Funds, COVID-19 Support: District Waivers, Finance & Grants, Entitlements (COVID-19 Funding), Texas Education Agency
- Education Stabilization Fund, U.S. Department of Education
Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Education 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 parent-approved health education.
Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Education 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:
- measures ensuring public school safety; and
- oversight of public school library procurement and content policies
Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
Charge: Children’s Mental Health: Review care and services currently available to the growing population of Texas children with high acuity mental and behavioral health needs. Make recommendations to improve access to care and services for these children that will support family preservation and prevent them from entering the child welfare system.
- Family Guide: Children's Mental Health Services, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, revised June 2024
- Children's Mental Health Strategic Plan (Presentation), Texas Health and Human Services Commission, May 17, 2024
- Texas Statewide Behavioral Health Strategic Plan: Progress Report, 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
- To Address Student Well-Being, States Increase Access to Mental Health in Schools, State Legislatures News, National Conference of State Legislatures, May 24, 2023
- Improving Access to Children's Mental Health Care, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last reviewed March 8, 2023
- Current Issues in Children's Mental Health: Round Table Report, Children's Commission, Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health, September 2022
Charge: Access to Health Care: Evaluate current access to primary and mental health care. Examine whether regulatory and licensing flexibilities could improve access to care, particularly in medically underserved areas of Texas. Make recommendations, if any, to improve access to care while maintaining patient safety.
- With Too Few Mental Health Providers, More Patients Turn to Primary Care, Texas Tribune, June 17, 2024
- Trends in Access to Mental Health Care State Policy, National Alliance on Mental Illness, May 2024
- Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) Application (Dashboard), Texas Health and Human Services, current as of February 26, 2024
- All Texas Access Report, As Required by Texas Government Code §531.0222(e), Texas Health and Human Services Commission, December 2023
- Texans' Experiences Affording and Accessing Health Care, Episcopal Health Foundation, October 2023
- 2023 Scorecard on State Health System Performance, The Commonwealth Fund, June 22, 2023
- A Guide to Understanding Mental Health Systems and Services in Texas, 5th Edition (Supplement to the 5th Edition, 2022), Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, 2020
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:
Initiatives to reduce Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse, as well as other cost containment strategies; and Medicaid managed care oversight and accountability.
Senate Committee on Transportation
Charge: Transportation Funding: Assess the implementation of funding appropriated by the 88th Legislature for aviation, maritime ports, international points of entry, existing rail line operations, and public transportation from non-dedicated state funds and federal funds and make recommendations to ensure these sectors meet current demands and are prepared for future growth.
- State Performance Dashboard – Texas, Federal Highway Administration, updated May 16, 2024
- Connecting Texas 2050: Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan, Texas Department of Transportation, July 30, 2024
- Investing in America: President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is Delivering in Texas, The White House, March 7, 2024
- Transportation Funding in Texas: Fiscal Years 2024-2025, Texas Department of Transportation, January 2024
- Delivering on Our Transportation Future: 88th Regular Legislative Session (2023) Summary of Enacted Transportation and General Government Legislation, Texas Department of Transportation, 2023
- Interim Report to the 88th Legislature (Charge 3 – Transportation Planning Urgency, Charge 7 – Seaport Infrastructure Needs), House Committee on Transportation, November 14, 2022
Charge: Autonomous Vehicle Safety: Evaluate autonomous vehicle operations, implementation, incident reporting, and accountability to law enforcement. Make recommendations to ensure public safety and transparency.
- Autonomous Vehicles Legislation Database, National Conference of State Legislatures, updated August 22, 2024
- Autonomous Vehicles: Sophisticated Attacks, Safety Issues, Challenges, Open Topics, Blockchain, and Future Directions, Journal of Cybersecurity Privacy, August 5, 2023
- Cruising Toward Self-Driving Cars: Standards and Testing Will Help Keep Autonomous Vehicles Moving Safely on the Road (Blog), National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation, January 18, 2023
- Interim Report to the 88th Legislature (Charge 6 – Commercial Trucking & Supply Chain Issues), House Committee on Transportation, November 14, 2022
- USDOT Automated Vehicles Activities, U.S. Department of Transportation, last updated March 28, 2022
Charge: Reviewing Historic Accomplishments in Transportation: Review the implementations and outcomes of key transportation funding and policy initiatives since the 84th Legislature. Report on trends or patterns to guide future planning and governance.
- Interim Report to the 88th Legislature, House Committee on Transportation, November 2022
- Interim Report to the 87th Texas Legislature, House Committee on Transportation, December 2020
- Interim Report to the 86th Texas Legislature, Senate Committee on Transportation, December 2018
- Interim Report to the 86th Texas Legislature, House Committee on Transportation, November 2018
- Interim Report to the 85th Texas Legislature, House Committee on Transportation, January 2017
- Interim Report to the 85th Texas Legislature, House Select Committee on Transportation Planning, January 2017
- Interim Report to the 85th Legislature, Senate Committee on Transportation, November 2016
- Interim Report to the 85th Legislature, Senate Select Committee on Texas Ports, November 2016
- Legislative Resources, Texas Department of Transportation
- Transportation Planning, Transportation Planning Publications, Texas Department of Transportation
Charge: The Future of Our Economy: Evaluate President Biden’s plan to transition to all-electric vehicles, and the impact on Texans and the state economy. Assess and report on the viability of the charging infrastructure, including the need for more charging stations and upgrades to the power grid, loss of gas tax revenue for transportation and public education, barriers to widespread adoption such as consumer costs for purchasing new vehicles and installing residential charging infrastructure, and the impacts to the oil and gas economy in Texas.
- Texas Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan, Texas Department of Transportation, September 29, 2023
- Electric Cars Face ‘Punitive’ Fees, New Restrictions in Many States, Politico, August 17, 2023
- Energy Transition Means More Than Just Additional Electric Vehicles, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, May 5, 2023
- Focus: Biden's Push for Electric Vehicles Hits Deep in the Heart of Texas, Reuters, April 19, 2023
- The Impact of Heavy-duty Vehicle Electrification on Large Power Grids: A Synthetic Texas Case Study, Advances in Applied Energy, April 19, 2022
- How Vehicle Electrification Affects the Gas Tax (Blog), Fehr and Peers
- The EV Transition Explained: A Deep Dive Into the Engineering Challenges of Making and Supporting Electric Vehicles at Scale, IEEE Spectrum
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September 19, 2024
House Committee on Pensions, Investments & Financial Services
Charge: Monitoring: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 88th Legislature. Conduct oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure the intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following:
- SB 10, relating to certain benefits paid by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
- HB 1666, relating to the commingling of funds by digital asset service providers; providing an administrative penalty.
Charge: ESG: Examine the ways in which environmental, social, governance (ESG) policies are contradictory to fiduciary duties and the resultant detrimental effect on investors.
- Texas Continues to Push Back Against ESG, But Is It Enough?, American Institute for Economic Research, May 23, 2024
- Politics Before Pensions: How New ESG Rules Expose Public Pension System Vulnerabilities, University of Colorado Law Review, Volume 95, Issue 3, 2024
- Government-Mandated ESG Disclosure: It’s Not Easy Being Green, Houston Law Review, Volume 61, Issue 4, April 29, 2024
- ESG Moving Forward: Lessons from the Past, Visions for the Future, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, March 19, 2024
- Advisory on Texas Law Prohibiting Contracts and Investments with Entities That Discriminate Against Firearm Entities or Boycott Energy Companies or Israel, Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton, October 18, 2023
- Fighting a Fossil Fuels Boycott: Texas Divests from Finance Companies with ESG Policies, Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, May 2023
- The ABCs of ESG Investing: Non-Financial Measures, Big Financial Implications, Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, May 2023
- Interim Report (Charge 3 – Investment Practices), Senate Committee on State Affairs, December 2022
Topic: Texas Investments: Examine how legislative changes affect the investment of public funds.
Topic: Pension Update: The committee will receive an update on the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System.
- Dallas Police and Fire Pension and Employee Retirement Fund: Investment Portfolio Review and Discussion, City of Dallas Ad Hoc Committee on Pensions, Commerce Street Investment Management, June 6, 2024
- Dallas Police & Fire Pension System Fund Evaluation Report, Dallas Police and Fire Pension System, Meketa Investment Group, March 31, 2024
- 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the Years Ending December 31, 2022 and 2021, Dallas Police and Fire Pension System, February 8, 2024
- Combining Financial Statements, Required Supplementary Information and Supplementary Schedule: December 31, 2022 and 2021, Dallas Police and Fire Pension System, February 1, 2024
- Guide to Public Retirement Systems in Texas (Dallas Police and Fire Pension System), Texas Pension Review Board, March 2023
- Interim Report to the 86th Texas Legislature (Charge 4 – Committee Jurisdiction and Legislation, H.B. 3158: Dallas Police and Fire Pension System), House Committee on Pensions, November 2018
- Dallas Police and Fire Pension System Operating Budget Summary for the Year 2024, Dallas Police and Fire Pension System
- Dallas Police & Fire Pension System – Combined Plan, Texas Pension Review Board
Topic: Pension Amortization Periods: The committee will receive an update on pension systems with infinite amortization periods.
Senate Committee on Border Security
Charge: Securing the Texas-Mexico Border:Examine the impact of transnational criminal activity on commerce including, but not limited to, organized crime fuel theft to fund criminal operations. Make recommendations to support and strengthen interagency border operations to combat criminal enterprises.
Charge: Support for Border Security Personnel: Consider the effect on personnel who have actively served or participated in Operation Lone Star and the impact of their service on their health and well-being, and their regular employment or assignments outside of Operation Lone Star. Study the challenges and barriers that affect the recruitment and retention of personnel engaged in border security efforts.
- GOP-Led States Have Pledged Hundreds of Troops and Spent Millions of Dollars to Help Texas Secure the Border This Year, States Newsroom, Stateline, and Texas Tribune, July 15, 2024
- Dan Patrick Calls for a Deep Dive into the Effects of Serving in Operation Lone Star, Austin American-Statesman, April 21, 2024
- 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 (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
Charge: Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Border Security 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 602, relating to the law enforcement authority of federal border patrol agents;
- Senate Bill 1133, relating to a program to compensate landowners for property damage caused by certain criminal activities; and
- Senate Bill 1484, relating to a border operations training program for peace officers employed by local law enforcement agencies.
Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
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 7, Third Called Special Session, relating to prohibiting a private employer from adopting or enforcing certain COVID-19 vaccine mandates; authorizing an administrative penalty;
- Senate Bill 24, relating to the powers and duties of the Health and Human Services Commission and the transfer to the commission of certain powers and duties from the Department of Family and Protective Services;
- Senate Bill 26, relating to local mental health authority and local behavioral health authority audits and mental and behavioral health reporting, services, and programs;
- Senate Bill 1849, relating to an inter agency reportable conduct search engine, standards for a person's removal from the employee misconduct registry and eligibility for certification as certain Texas Juvenile Justice Department officers and employees, and the use of certain information by certain state agencies to conduct background checks.
Sunset Advisory Commission
Consideration and possible action on the recommendations for the following agencies:
Staff presentation and public testimony:
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