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your partner in legislative research
Legislative Reference Library of Texas
your partner in legislative research

Interim Hearings - Weeks of November 19 and 26, 2012

Nov 16

posted by TexasLRL in Interim hearings, 82nd 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 19th

Senate Committee on State Affairs

Charge: Workforce retention program or deferred retirement option plan (DROP) for Texas Department of Public Safety peace officers

 

Charge:  Health reimbursement accounts and Medicare exchanges for Medicare eligible participants currently covered by and receiving health coverage through the Employees Retirement System, the Teacher Retirement System, the University of Texas, and Texas A&M University

 

Topic: Long-term sustainability of the Employees Retirement System group insurance program and the Texas Public School Retired Employee group insurance program pursuant to 2012-2013 General Appropriations Act, Article I, Employees Retirement System Rider 13 and Article III, Teacher Retirement System Rider 16

 

Topic: Pension benefit studies submitted to the Legislature regarding Employees Retirement System and Teacher Retirement system pension plans pursuant to the 2012-2013 General Appropriations Act, Article IX, Section 18.03

 

November 26th

Senate Committee on Open Government

Charge: Public Information Act revisions

 

Charge: Security of electronic information

 

Charge: Government records retention

 

Charge: Frivolous or overly-burdensome open records requests

 

November 28th

Senate Committee on Natural Resources

Charge: Water rate jurisdiction

 

November 29th

House Committee on Ways & Means

Charge: Property and margins tax issues

 

Senate Committee on Government Organization 

Charge: Cost-effectiveness analysis in state agency rule making

 

Charge: Protection of state information and electronic data

 

This entry was posted on November 16, 2012 at 2:51 PM and has received 2888 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, November 15th

Nov 15

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • Check out the latest from the American Community Survey. (U.S. Census Bureau, October 25, 2012)
  • Examine student loan debt and its economic effects. (Center for American Progress, October 25, 2012)
  • Get an explanation of the fiscal cliff. (The Atlantic, November 9, 2012)
  • See what consumers can expect now from the federal health care law. (Kaiser Health News, November 8, 2012)
  • Read about ship recycling in Brownsville. (Fast Company, October 24, 2012)
Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers!
There will be no Week in Review during the week of November 19.
The next Week in Review will be posted Thursday, November 29.

This entry was posted on November 15, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 1847 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings - Week of November 12, 2012

Nov 9

posted by TexasLRL in Interim hearings, 82nd 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 12th (Dallas), November 13th (San Antonio), and November 14th (Houston)

House Interim Committee on Manufacturing

Charge: Taxes, incentives, regulations, and infrastructure as they relate to manufacturing in Texas

House Interim Committee on Manufacturing

November 12th (Texas Instruments, Dallas), November 13th (Toyota Manufacturing Texas, Inc., San Antonio), and November 14th (Port of Houston Authority, Houston)

Work Sessions – tours for members and staff

 

November 12th

 

 

November 13th

  • Commission Decisions

    • Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs 
    • State Pension Review Board
    • Office of Fire Fighters' Pension Commissioner
    • Port of Houston Authority
    • State Employee Charitable Campaign Policy Committee
    • Texas Commission on the Arts
  • Staff Presentation and Public Testimony
    • Texas Board of Architectural Examiners
    • Texas Board of Professional Engineers
    • Self-Directed Semi-Independent Agency Project Act
    • Texas Education Agency

 

This entry was posted on November 9, 2012 at 3:58 PM and has received 2523 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, November 8th

Nov 8

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • Read about the Electoral College and how it works today. (Congressional Research Service, October 22, 2012)
  • Explore the Electoral College and materials related to each states' electors. (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, accessed November 7, 2012)
  • Find employment resources online. (LLRX.com, November 4, 2012)
  • Track annual estimates of arrests over the past two decades. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, October 31, 2012)
  • Check out state-by-state and local tax burden rankings. (Tax Foundation, October 23, 2012)
  • Get tips for managing student loan repayment. (Consumer Federation of America, November 5, 2012)

This entry was posted on November 8, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 1926 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings - Week of November 5, 2012

Nov 2

posted by TexasLRL in Interim hearings, 82nd 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 7th, 8th, and 9th

House Interim Committee on General Revenue Dedicated Accounts

Charge: Examine the growth of constitutionally and statutorily dedicated accounts and their use in the budget, consider recommendations to reduce the state's reliance on such accounts for budget certification, and identify ways to maximize the use of dedicated funds

Specific accounts to be considered include:

     5050 9-1-1 Service Fees

     5064 Volunteer Fire Department Assistance

     5084 Child Abuse Neglect and Prevention Operating

     5085 Child Abuse Neglect and Prevention Trust

     5111 Designated Trauma Facility and EMS

     5137 Regional Trauma

     5144 Physician Education Loan Repayment Program

     0151 Clean Air

     0655 Petroleum Storage Tank Remediation

     5000 Solid Waste Disposal Fees

     5071 Emissions Reduction Plan

     0009 Game, Fish, and Water Safety

     5100 System Benefit Fund

 

 

November 7th

House Committee on Ways & Means

Charge: Tax administration in Texas, including tax appeals and procedural requirements

 

November 8th

Joint Select Committee on Economic Development

Charge: State and local economic development policy

 

This entry was posted on November 2, 2012 at 4:20 PM and has received 2227 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, November 1st

Nov 1

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • Review Medicaid program spending and a 50-state survey of Medicaid budgets. (Kaiser Family Foundation, October 25, 2012)
  • Consider the gender gap in pay and when it starts. (American Association of University Women, October 2012)
  • Explore state laws regarding universal mandated child maltreatment reporting policies. (Child Welfare State Policy Advocacy and Reform Center, September 20, 2012)
  • Read about how Hurricane Sandy could affect the upcoming election and the legal issues that may arise. (Poitico, October 29, 2012)
  • Find coverage of major political issues prior to the upcoming election. (OnTheIssues.org, accessed October 31, 2012)
  • See where those who work from home live. (The Atlantic, Cities, October 11, 2012)

This entry was posted on November 1, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 1624 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, October 25th

Oct 25

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • Read about Americans without health insurance. (Kaiser Family Foundation, October 2012)
  • Explore the efficacy of federal funding programs for rural water infrastructure. (Government Accountability Office, October 2012)
  • Consider how difficult it is to gauge the effect of states' voter laws. (The Wall Street Journal, October 19, 2012)
  • See how income stagnation is affecting upcoming elections. (The New York Times, October 23, 2012)
  • Examine whether retraining the jobless results in employment. (ProPublica, October 10, 2012)
  • Chart ups and downs in the housing market and creation of new households in the wake of the Great Recession. (The Atlantic, Cities, October 23, 2012)
  • Check out a visual depiction of the benefits of working from home. (Fast Company, October 19, 2012)

This entry was posted on October 25, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 1621 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of October 29, 2012

Oct 23

posted by TexasLRL in Interim hearings, 82nd 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.

 

October 30th

Senate Committees on Criminal Justice and Education  (Joint Hearing)

Charge: School discipline practices, Alternative Education Programs (DAEP), and Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs (JJAEP)

 

Senate Committee on Criminal Justice (upon adjournment of Joint Hearing with Education)

Charge: Prescription drug abuse trends

 

Charge: Implementation of SB 321, 82nd R.S., Relating to an employee's transportation and storage of certain firearms or ammunition while on certain property owned or controlled by the employee's employer

 

Senate Committee on Education (upon adjournment of Joint Hearing with Criminal Justice)

Charge: Monitor implementation of legislation, specifically, the following:

 

November 1st

Topic: Windstorm insurance in this state

 

This entry was posted on October 23, 2012 at 8:09 AM and has received 2746 views. Print this entry.

Week in Review, October 18th

Oct 18

posted by TexasLRL in Week in review

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.
  • Explore the 2013 State Business Tax Climate Index. (Tax Foundation, Fiscal Year 2013)
  • Read about the fees lawmakers are considering to raise money for roads in Texas. (The Texas Tribune, October 16, 2012)
  • Consider how choosing what to study in college affects lifetime earnings. (U.S. Census Bureau, October 10, 2012)
  • Examine a state-by-state review of laws affecting unaccompanied homeless children. (National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty / National Network for Youth, September 2012)
  • See resources to help check the facts during this election year. (LLRX.com, October 16, 2012)
  • Track which bad health habits Americans can't seem to quit. (Scientific American, October 15, 2012)

This entry was posted on October 18, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 2138 views. Print this entry.

New: State Symbols on Pinterest

Oct 15

posted by Admin in LRL news

In 1901, Texas legislators designated the Bluebonnet (Lupinus Subcarnosus) the Official State Flower. Shortly after that, in 1919, they named the Pecan Tree the State Tree of Texas. Since then, more than 60 state symbols have been designated, ranging from Official State Footwear (cowboy boot) to Official State Cooking Implement (cast iron Dutch oven).
 
See the entire collection of state symbols on our new Pinterest page, "State Symbols of Texas." For each symbol we included an image and linked to the resolution or bill that designated it.
 
Screenshot of State Symbols Pinterest board
 

This entry was posted on October 15, 2012 at 8:21 AM and has received 7736 views. Print this entry.

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