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

• Review an analysis of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund that was included as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. (Council of State Governments, accessed April 7, 2021)
• Explore the water safety and quality guide from Consumer Reports. (Consumer Reports, updated April 2, 2021)
• Read about efforts to combat aquatic invasive species in Texas. (Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, April 7, 2021)
• Find lists of judges and clerks in Texas by county. (Office of Court Administration, accessed April 7, 2021)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on April 8, 2021 at 3:15 PM and has received 154 views. Print this entry.

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

• Review provisional 2020 mortality data for the U.S. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 31, 2021)
• Consider how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected plastic bag bans in the U.S. (Stateliness, March 30, 2021)
• Find education and academic resources for online learning. (LLRX.com, March 31, 2021)
• Read about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the workload of mothers. (Brookings Institution, March 30, 2021)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on April 1, 2021 at 3:15 PM and has received 200 views. Print this entry.

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

• Read about ways Supreme Court justices' tenure may be modified. (Congressional Research Service, March 24, 2021)
• Consider whether drone surveillance without a warrant could violate the Fourth Amendment. (Cato Institute, March 24, 2021)
• Explore new features of Congress.gov. (Library of Congress, March 22, 2021)
• Discover land-grant universities across the nation. (National Institute of Food and Agriculture, accessed March 25, 2021)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on March 25, 2021 at 3:15 PM and has received 289 views. Print this entry.

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

• Explore the economic impact of small airports all over Texas. (Texas Department of Transportation, ©2020)
• Review minimum wage state by state. (Pew Research Center, March 12, 2021)
• See governors' education proposals according to their State of the State addresses. (Education Commission of the States, 2021)
• Read the 2020 Internet Crime Report. (Federal Bureau of Investigation, March 17, 2021)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on March 18, 2021 at 3:15 PM and has received 384 views. Print this entry.

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

• Read about methods some states use to identify early signs of local economic distress. (Pew Research Center, March 4, 2021)
• See recommendations for what to do once you have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 9, 2021)
• Consider how absentee voting affected the 2020 election. (Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, March 2021)
• Review examples of defensive gun use that suggest the benefits of fewer restrictions on gun ownership. (The Heritage Foundation, March 10, 2021)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on March 11, 2021 at 3:15 PM and has received 351 views. Print this entry.

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

• Review tips to help stop robocalls and robotexts. (Federal Communications Commission, March 2, 2021)
• Explore state-by-state information related to vaccine distribution for people with disabilities. (Johns Hopkins University, accessed March 3, 2021)
• Read about how census data delays could affect elections in 2022. (Politico, March 1, 2021)
• Note that the USDA has issued a disaster designation for 23 counties in Texas related to the severe winter weather in February. (Office of the Texas Governor, March 3, 2021)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on March 4, 2021 at 3:15 PM and has received 463 views. Print this entry.

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

• Review The Legislative Process in Texas. (Texas Legislative Council, February 2021)
• Explore flood risk by street address or zip code. (First Street Foundation, accessed February 24, 2021)
• Read about how more women are holding seats in state legislatures. (Stateline, February 24, 2021)
• Consider a state-by-state guide on when and where to get a COVID-19 vaccination. (The Wall Street Journal, February 23, 2021)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on February 25, 2021 at 3:15 PM and has received 434 views. Print this entry.

Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of legislative committee hearings with links to agendas. Below are resources related to upcoming hearings.

February 25
House Committees on Energy Resources and State Affairs (Joint Hearing)
The Committees on State Affairs and Energy Resources will hold a joint public hearing to consider the factors that led to statewide electrical blackouts during the recent unprecedented weather event; the response by industry, suppliers, and grid operators; and changes necessary to avoid future power interruptions.

The committee will hear invited testimony only on:
- Statewide electrical blackouts-contributing factors and response

Senate Committee on Business & Commerce
Purpose: The purpose of this hearing is to examine extreme weather condition preparedness and circumstances that led to the power outages as directed by Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). The committee will also review generator preparedness and performance, utility outage practices, natural gas supply, and the reliability of renewable generation, as well as overall ERCOT system resilience.

March 4
Senate Committee on Jurisprudence   CANCELED
Purpose: The purpose of this hearing is to examine the legal responsibilities that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) owe to the people of Texas. The committee will review the legal framework for governance and oversight of these two entities, their relationship to one another under the law, potential legal liabilities, and the legal limits on increases to consumer electricity rates during an emergency.

The committee will also examine price gouging under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act and receive an update from the judiciary on how the judicial system is managing its operations during the ongoing statewide emergency.

Reports:

• "AG Paxton Sues Griddy, LLC Energy Company: Customers Hit with Exorbitant Energy Bills" (Press Release), Office of the Attorney General, March 1, 2021
• Energy Emergencies | The State Legislative Role in Planning and Response (PDF version), National Conference of State Legislatures, January 22, 2021
• Reliability Guideline: Generating Unit Winter Weather Readiness – Current Industry Practices – Version 3, North American Energy Reliability Council, Reliability and Security Technical Committee, approved December 15, 2020
• Report on Existing and Potential Electric System Constraints and Needs, Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), December 2019
• Modernizing the Electric Grid: State Role and Policy Options, National Conference of State Legislatures, November 2019
• The South Central United States Cold Weather Bulk Electric System Event of January 17, 2018, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and North American Electric Reliability Corporation, July 2019
• Scope of Competition in Electric Markets of Texas: Report to the 86th Legislature (Previous Scope of Competition Reports, 1997-2017), Public Utility Commission of Texas, January 2019
• 2018 Long-Term System Assessment for the ERCOT Region, Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), December 2018
• Dynamic Stability Assessment of High Penetration of Renewable Generation in the ERCOT Grid, Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), April 19, 2018
• Report on Extreme Weather Preparedness Best Practices (Mandated by SB 1133, 82nd Legislature, R.S.), Quanta Technology, LLC for Public Utility Commission of Texas, September 27, 2012
• Investigation of the ERCOT Energy Emergency Alert Level 3 on February 2, 2011, Potomac Economics, Ltd. for Public Utility Commission of Texas, April 21, 2011
• Report on Outages and Curtailments During the Southwest Cold Weather Event of February 1-5, 2011: Causes and Recommendations, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and North American Electric Reliability Corporation, August 2011
• The Story of ERCOT: The Grid Operator, Power Market & Prices Under Texas Deregulation (Includes a history of ERCOT), Texas Coalition for Affordable Power, February 2011
• Public Utility Commission of Texas (Sunset Review Documents for 2012-2013 Review Cycle, 83rd Legislative Session), Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, September 2009–July 2013
• Electric Reliability Council of Texas (Sunset Review Documents for 2010-2011 Review Cycle, 82nd Legislative Session – Includes History and Major Events within ERCOT's Self Evaluation Report, September 2009), Texas Sunset Advisory Commission, September 2009–July 2011
• Electric Utility Response to the Winter Freeze of December 21 to December 23, 1989: An Evaluation of the Actions Taken by Texas Utilities to Correct Technical Plant Equipment Problems, Public Utility Commission of Texas, Electric Division, November 1990
• Texas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 17, Deceptive Trade Practices
• The Joe K. Longley-Philip K. Maxwell Deceptive Trade Practices Act Collection: Legislative Archive 1973-2001 and the Mark L. Kincaid Papers, 1995-2015, Legislative Reference Library

Articles:

• "Extreme Winter Weather is Disrupting Energy Supply and Demand, Particularly in Texas," Today in Energy, United States Energy Information Administration, February 19, 2021
• "Texas' Electricity Resources: Where Power Comes From — And How It Gets To You," Fiscal Notes, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, August 2020

Legislative Reports
Search interim committee studies on various topics. Search by charge keyword or by the following subjects:

• Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)
• Electricity transmission and distribution
• Electricity supplies
• Natural gas
• Public Utility Commission of Texas
• Railroad Commission of Texas

Legislative Archive System
Search past legislation across sessions by subject from 1939-2019 in the Advanced Search:

• General Subject Index:
  • Business & Commerce--Trade Practices
  • Disaster Preparedness & Relief
  • Energy--Alternative Fuels
  • Energy--Conservation
  • Energy--Fuel Storage
  • Energy--General
  • Oil & Gas
  • Utilities--Electric
  • Utilities--Natural Gas
• Governmental Agencies:
  • ELECTRIC RELIABILITY COUNCIL OF TEXAS  (for bills from the 76th Legislature)
  • ELECTRIC RELIABILITY COUNCIL OF TEXAS (ERCOT)  (for bills from the 79th-86th Legislatures)
  • PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION
  • RAILROAD COMMISSION

The tile image, "electricity pylon" by fsse8info, is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. / Resized from original.

This entry was posted on February 23, 2021 at 1:00 PM and has received 1272 views. Print this entry.

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

• Locate the nearest warming center in your area. (Texas Department of Emergency Management, accessed February 17, 2021)
• Consider the long-term effects on the food supply chain in Texas from unprecedented winter storms. (Texas Department of Agriculture, February 16, 2021)
• Find information about the end of the driver's license expiration waiver. (Texas Department of Public Safety, February 12, 2021)
• Review winter storm resources and outages. (Public Utility Commission of Texas, ©2021)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on February 18, 2021 at 3:15 PM and has received 627 views. Print this entry.

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

• Be prepared for wintry weather. (Consumer Reports, September 4, 2020)
• Consider the Federal Aviation Administration's authority to require face masks on commercial flights. (Congressional Research Service, February 8, 2021)
• Read about how hospital price transparency could affect medical debt litigation. (Health Affairs blog, February 11, 2021)
• Explore states' policies related to barriers to employment after criminal conviction. (Council of State Governments, ©2021)

Librarians review and select articles from more than 1,000 print and online sources to compile a weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. View this week's Current Articles.

Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles by using our online form or by calling 512-463-1252.

This entry was posted on February 11, 2021 at 3:15 PM and has received 1435 views. Print this entry.