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Interim Hearings – Week of May 23, 2022

May 18

posted by TexasLRL in 87th Session, Interim hearings

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 23, 2022
Senate Committee on Finance
Charge: Property Tax Relief: Examine and recommend ways to reduce Texans' property tax burden.  Review and report on proposals to use or dedicate state revenues in excess of the state spending limit to eliminate the school district maintenance and operations property tax.

Charge: Tax Exemptions: Examine Texans' current tax exemptions and report on whether adjustments are merited because of inflation or any other factors.

 

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May 24, 2022
House Committee on Public Education
Charge 1: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th 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 1525 and HB 3 (86R), relating to public school finance and public education;
  • HB 4545, relating to assessment of public school students and providing accelerated instruction;
  • SB 1365, relating to public school organization, accountability, and fiscal management; and
  • SB 1716, relating to supplemental special education services and instructional materials for certain public school students.

Charge 2: Study the effects of COVID-19 on K–12 learning loss and best practices that exist to address learning loss. Monitor the implementation of state and local plans to address students' achievement gaps. Make recommendations for supporting the state and local efforts to increase academic development.

Charge 3: Examine the impact of COVID-19 on students' mental health, including the availability and workload of mental health professionals across the state and their role in the public school system. Make recommendations to reduce or eliminate existing barriers to providing mental health services in a traditional classroom setting or through teletherapy.

Charge 4: Examine the causes and contributors for chronic absenteeism in public schools and its impact on student outcomes. Consider techniques and approaches that have been utilized by public schools to identify students who are chronically absent and return these students to classrooms.

 

Senate Committee on Education
Charge: COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Educator Talent Pipeline: Examine the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the public school educator talent pipeline, staffing patterns and practices, and declining student enrollment and attendance. Review any policies and regulatory actions that prevent students from receiving instruction from a highly effective teacher. Monitor the impact of both the Teacher Incentive Allotment and non-administrator compensation increases directed under House Bill 3 (86th Legislature), as well as the teacher pay raises implemented in 2019. Explore innovative models to improve recruitment and make recommendations to maintain a strong educator workforce pipeline, while adapting resilient school strategies to meet emergent demands in public education.

Charge: Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Education passed by the 87th 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:

  • House Bill 3 (86th Legislature), relating to public school finance and public education;
  • House Bill 1525 (87th Legislature), Relating to the public school finance system and public education; and
  • House Bill 4545 (87th Legislature), Relating to the assessment of public school students, the establishment of a strong foundations grant program, and providing accelerated instruction for students who fail to achieve satisfactory performance on certain assessment instruments.

Charge: Bond Efficiency: Conduct a comprehensive review of the school district bond issuance process. Specifically, review public notice and disclosure requirements, the bond election process, procurement requirements, and how unused bond proceeds may be utilized. Study the best practices implemented by school boards and make recommendations to improve bond issuance efficiencies.

Charge: Homestead Exemption: Study the use and effect of the optional homestead exemption available to independent school districts. Examine and report on costs to the state if school districts receive incentives to increase the optional percentage exemption.

 

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May 25, 2022
House Committee on Business & Industry
Charge: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th 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:

  • SB 22, relating to certain claims for benefits, compensation, or assistance by certain public safety employees and survivors of certain public safety employees

Charge: Study workers’ compensation claims involving public safety employees described by SB 22. This study should include an analysis of medical costs, return-to-work outcomes, utilization of care, satisfaction with care, and health-related functional outcomes.

 

House Committee on Environmental Regulation
Charge: Evaluate the allocation of TERP funds for effective air pollution reduction programs. Review which existing programs are over or under-subscribed and identify unrealized opportunities that would further program goals.

Charge: Review recent passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Public Law No. 117-58), specifically funds that may bolster efforts to clean up polluted sites and plug wells and how federal funds can be used to complement state efforts on well plugging and pollution clean-up.

Charge: Monitor newly adopted and proposed federal regulations that could directly impact economic development, manufacturing, and industrial activities that fall within the jurisdiction of the committee, including regulations adopted or proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

 

Senate Committee on State Affairs
Charge: Human Trafficking: Examine opportunities and make recommendations to reduce the profitability of and demand for human trafficking in Texas. Determine ways to increase public awareness of the proliferation of human trafficking, as well as resources for victims and survivors. Monitor the implementation of House Bill 1540 (87th Legislature) and examine changes in arrest rates, judicial dispositions, and sentencing amongst offenders due to provisions of the legislation. Examine opportunities for attorneys to combat human trafficking in their local communities, including use of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act, to generate revenue for local law enforcement officials combating human trafficking. Make any other recommendations to prevent human trafficking.

Charge: Investment Practices: Study the investment practices of financial services firms and how those practices affect the state's public pensions. Make recommendations to ensure the state's public pension funds are not being invested to further political or social causes.

Charge: Privacy and Transparency: Review the current state laws that protect and secure individuals' biometric identifiers. Explore ways to protect against the use of biometric identifiers for unintended purposes without an individual's consent and make recommendations to the Senate. Study websites that closely resemble government websites or fraudulently represent companies that they are not, including websites that use names of state agencies or licenses. Make recommendations to ensure that Texans are not mislead, taken advantage, or defrauded, especially when they try to seek assistance from a state website.

 

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May 26, 2022
House Select Committee on Youth Health & Safety
Charge: Improving the ability of federal, state, and local governmental entities to address the needs of Texas youth through, among other things, expanded coordination between all programs and systems that serve youth and their families, including child protective services, mental health services, educational institutions, and the juvenile court system;

Charge: The expansion of prevention efforts and the strengthening of service systems to permit the behavioral health challenges faced by Texas youth to addresses closer to their homes, including efforts and systems that permit youth to remain in their classrooms and stay out of institutionalized healthcare and juvenile justice systems.

 

Senate Committee on Criminal Justice (Houston)
Charge: Automobile Parts Theft (Including Catalytic Converters): Review the effect of House Bill 4110 (87th Legislature), relating to the registration of metal recycling, and related catalytic converter theft legislation passed by the 87th Legislature. Determine what actions are needed to aid law enforcement and stop catalytic converter theft and its related violence.

 

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This entry was posted on May 18, 2022 at 2:00 PM and has received 1375 views. Print this entry.

Current Articles & Research Resources, May 12, 2022

May 12

posted by TexasLRL in Current Articles, Research Resources

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

  • Find electric vehicle charging stations. (Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. Department of Energy, accessed May 11, 2022)
  • Review recent county health rankings. (County Health Rankings & Roadmap, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, April 2022)
  • Read about surveillance conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). (Georgetown Law, Center on Privacy and Technology, May 10, 2022)
  • See where tiny plastic beads called nurdles are washing ashore. (Nurdle Patrol, accessed May 11, 2022)

 

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 May 12, 2022 at 3:15 PM and has received 752 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of May 16, 2022

May 11

posted by TexasLRL in 87th Session, Interim hearings

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 16, 2022
Senate Special Committee on Child Protective Services
Invited and written testimony only.

 

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May 17, 2022
House Committee on Insurance
Charge 1: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th 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

Charge 5: Study the impacts of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision in Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association and the federal No Surprises Act (2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Public Law No. 116-620) on the Texas insurance market.

 

Senate Committee on Finance CANCELED
Charge: Property Tax Relief: Examine and recommend ways to reduce Texans' property tax burden.  Review and report on proposals to use or dedicate state revenues in excess of the state spending limit to eliminate the school district maintenance and operations property tax.

Charge: Tax Exemptions: Examine Texans' current tax exemptions and report on whether adjustments are merited because of inflation or any other factors.

 

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May 18, 2022
House Committee on Insurance (continued from May 17)
If the committee does not complete its hearing of all invited testimony scheduled for its May 17th public hearing, it will reconvene after a recess to continue hearing invited testimony only on the posted interim charges.

 

Senate Committee on Business & Commerce
Charge: Supply Chain: Examine the causes and impacts of recent supply chain disruptions on the Texas economy and individual industries. Study the factors that weaken links in the supply chain and the extent the pandemic has exposed those vulnerabilities. Recommend actions to strengthen the supply chain in Texas and mitigate disruptions in the future.

Charge: Cybersecurity: Review current state and federal laws regarding cybersecurity protections and requirements for local governments, state agencies, and critical industries of our state. Make recommendations for legislation to improve resilience and protection against cybersecurity attacks and ensure the privacy protection of the citizens of Texas.

Charge: State Workforce: Study where state employees are located and the benefits and drawbacks of remote working. Evaluate the impact of the potential growth of remote work and proximity of employees to their place of employment on traffic studies over the next 10 years. Study and make recommendations for establishing uniform statewide standards for remote work. Study possible implications and standards for statewide recruitment and employment of remote state employees from all parts of the state.

 

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May 19, 2022
House Committee on International Relations & Economic Development
Charge: Agency Oversight: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th 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:

Charge: Economic Recovery: Monitor the state’s economic recovery and identify obstacles impeding the state’s economic recovery. Examine the economic impact of inflation on both employers and employees. Examine global supply chain disruptions on state commerce and the flow of trade at Texas ports. Explore opportunities to attract businesses to Texas that have outsourced elements of their supply chain to foreign countries.

Charge: Workforce: Evaluate labor shortages and Texas’ unemployment numbers. Identify initiatives within the Texas Workforce Commission to expand job training and apprenticeship opportunities to help meet labor demands. Identify opportunities to increase outreach and information regarding career development.

 

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This entry was posted on May 11, 2022 at 10:15 AM and has received 992 views. Print this entry.

Current Articles & Research Resources, May 5, 2022

May 5

posted by TexasLRL in Current Articles, Research Resources

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

  • Review data and statistics from Child Protective Services. (Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, accessed May 3, 2022)
  • Consider guidance related to caring for patients with a post-COVID condition. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, updated March 21, 2022)
  • Explore reports and publications on economic development in Texas. (Texas Economic Development & Tourism, Office of the Texas Governor, ©2022)
  • Track road conditions in Texas via TxDOT's Intelligent Transportation Systems. (Texas Department of Transportation, accessed May 4, 2022)
  • Read about organic foods. (Mayo Clinic, April 22, 2022)

 

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 May 5, 2022 at 3:15 PM and has received 846 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of May 9, 2022

May 4

posted by TexasLRL in 87th Session, Interim hearings

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 10, 2022
House Committee on House Committee on Licensing & Administrative Procedures
Charge 1: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all the associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure the intended legislative outcome of all legislation including the following:

Charge 3: Evaluate the qualifications for massage establishments, including gaps and loopholes in the application, monitoring, enforcement, and complaint processes that allow unlawful activity to occur. Consider the multidisciplinary and intergovernmental collaboration required to reduce illicit massage establishments and connect victims with services. Make recommendations to protect Texans against unlawful activity and victimization such as human trafficking.

 

Senate Committee on Higher Education
Charge: Workforce Education: Evaluate state efforts to support access to work-based learning and microcredential opportunities, including apprenticeships, industry-based certificates and certifications, as well as competency-based education. Assess the potential benefits of expanding access to work-based learning, apprenticeships, microcredentials, and industry-based certifications that are aligned to workforce needs and provide in-demand workforce skills and competencies. Evaluate existing resources and programs at institutions, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Texas Education Agency, and the Texas Workforce Commission to support these opportunities and ultimately reach Tri-Agency goals. Consider recommendations to standardize these programs in order increase postsecondary degree completions.

Charge: Enrollment Trends: Study the postsecondary enrollment trends across all sectors and levels of higher education in Texas, with a review on specific challenges to enrollment. Consider the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on direct high school-to-college enrollment, first-time college enrollment, transferability, and retention rates, as well as the overall impact on community college enrollment. Make recommendations on specific methods to address disparities and pandemic impacts relating to enrollment trends in order to achieve Texas' higher education goals in building a Talent Strong Texas.

Charge: Funding Permanent University Fund: Review the history and use of the Permanent University Fund for the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, and explore the creation of a new legacy fund to address the needs of all other higher education institutions in Texas. Make recommendations on methods to streamline other existing research funds and finance research academic institutions in Texas.

Charge: Teaching and Health Care Workforce Participation: Review financial aid and scholarship opportunities in Texas related to teaching, health care, and law enforcement, and examine methods to increase participation in these and other high-demand fields. In particular, study the participation rates of the Math and Science Scholars Loan Repayment Program, the Peace Officer Loan Repayment Program, and the Nursing Corps Loan Repayment Program, and make recommendations on ways to increase participation rates in each area.

Charge: Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Higher Education passed by the 87th 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 Committee on Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Charge: Water Utility Infrastructure: Evaluate the state's water infrastructure. Study and make recommendations on options to upgrade and update water infrastructure to address deferred maintenance, disasters, and water loss.

Charge: Water Supply: Review and make recommendations to complete specific projects identified in the 2022 State Water Plan. In light of recent changes to the global economy, consider the current regulatory process regarding innovative technology solutions to water supply needs, such as marine desalination, and make recommendations for their improvement.

 

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May 11, 2022
House Committee on Elections
Charge: Study the effectiveness of new poll watcher training required by SB 1 (87S2).

Charge: Examine the reporting of election results following an election to determine the reasons for any delays and inaccuracies in the initial reporting of elections results. Make recommendations to ensure that election results are reported in a timely and accurate manner following the closing of the polls.

 

Senate Committee on Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Charge: Rural Employment: Study and make recommendations on rural small business development and workforce needs. Consider and recommend innovative methods for business development in rural parts of the state.

Charge: Rural Immigration: Consider the Federal government's open border policies and practices of releasing illegal immigrants in rural areas of the state. Report on the impact to rural Texas, and their local ability to address social, health, and law enforcement needs.

Charge: Agricultural Theft: Study the impact of cattle theft on farming and ranching operations throughout Texas and recommend cost-effective measures to mitigate loss and increase security.

Charge: Agricultural Theft: Study the impact of cattle theft on farming and ranching operations throughout Texas and recommend cost-effective measures to mitigate loss and increase security.

 

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This entry was posted on May 4, 2022 at 3:00 PM and has received 952 views. Print this entry.

Current Articles & Research Resources, April 28, 2022

Apr 28

posted by TexasLRL in Current Articles, Research Resources

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

  • Review fire potential in Texas in the immediate short term. (Texas A&M Forest Service, April 11, 2022)
  • Explore air quality in the U.S. (American Lung Association, ©2022)
  • Find out how to get copies of birth and death certificates, marriage applications, and divorce records. (Texas Department of State Health Services, updated February 4, 2022)
  • Read about safely keeping backyard poultry. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Page last reviewed: March 30, 2022)
  • Consider the backlog of pending cases in immigration courts. (Congressional Research Service, April 25, 2022)

 

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 28, 2022 at 3:40 PM and has received 566 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of May 1, 2022

Apr 27

posted by TexasLRL in 87th Session, Interim hearings

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 3, 2022
House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety
Charge: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th 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:

Charge: Study incidents of law enforcement injuries and fatalities to determine those situations that pose the greatest risk to law enforcement. Make recommendations on best practices for increasing and preserving the safety and security of law enforcement officers, including those undercover.

Charge: Compare Texas' incident crime reporting requirements with those of other states and determine whether a standardized reporting requirement should be implemented for Texas law enforcement. Study opportunities to modernize and improve local and statewide data collection and dissemination throughout the criminal justice system to promote transparency and ensure uniform data collection processes.

Topic: Invited testimony from the Texas Division of Emergency Management to gather information on severe weather response and recovery.

Charge: Monitor the emergency operations at the Texas-Mexico border, including whether existing emergency management resources are sufficient to address a non-natural emergency, including and especially one involving a large geographic area and multiple thousands of people.

Charge: Review the increase in law enforcement personnel along the Texas-Mexico border. Determine whether law enforcement has sufficient resources to address the current or any anticipated circumstances. Determine whether law enforcement needs specific or individualized training or education on matters involving border security, human trafficking or other scenarios where unaccompanied minors are involved.

Charge: Monitor the recent surge in border crossings and make recommendations for enhancing the safety and security of law enforcement, civilian populations on both sides of the Texas-Mexico border, and those entering the United States.

 

Senate Special Committee on Child Protective Services
Invited testimony only.

 

Senate Committee on Transportation
Charge: Safety: Study the contributing factors leading to fatal crashes and make recommendations to prevent and reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

Charge: Driver's License Efficiency: Study the Department of Public Safety's driver's license program operations and make recommendations to improve the efficiency of services while maintaining individual privacy and security for Texans.

Charge: Alternatively Fueled Vehicles: Review the Texas Department of Transportation's plan for federal funding related to alternatively fueled vehicle infrastructure development. Examine the increase of private and public owned alternatively fueled vehicles registered in the state and make recommendations for road user fee fairness between alternatively fueled vehicles and gasoline and diesel vehicles.

 

Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs
Charge: State Veteran Cemeteries: Evaluate the current oversight of the Texas State Veteran Cemeteries to ensure that these sacred and essential grounds are being maintained, repaired, and treated with respect. Ensure that the needs of our veterans are being met by reviewing the number, location, and funding of the cemeteries. Examine and make recommendations for the financing mechanism for the Texas State Veterans Cemeteries to ensure sustainability.

Charge: Veteran Benefits: Explore and report on options to remove barriers for companies offering veteran benefits and consider policies that could leverage additional public-private-partnerships. Identify opportunities to connect veterans to existing business resources and available state services. Recommend ways to increase matching federal funding for veteran benefits. Review current law for consistency in eligibility for state veteran benefits and recommend any necessary changes.

Charge: Veteran Mental Health: Review the currently accepted forms of treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and consider the creation of a program which would require completion of a multi-modality treatment plan including traditional talk therapy, limbic system therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and emotionally focused individual therapy (EFIT).

Charge: Veteran Mental Health: Identify the training and resources available to urban and rural first responders when assisting veterans experiencing a mental health crisis. Make recommendations for how to best support first responders in these crisis situations.

 

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May 4, 2022
House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure the intended legislative outcome of all legislation.

 

Senate Committee on Finance
Charge: Inflation: Review and report on the effect inflation is having on the business community and state government, including state salaries, retiree benefits, the state economy, and cost of state services.

Charge: Inflation: Review and report on the impact of inflation on units of local governments' revenue collections and property taxpayers' tax bills, including the homestead exemption.

Charge: Russia Divestiture: Examine and report on options for state asset owners to divest their positions in companies that invest in the Russian Federation.

Charge: State Pension Reforms: Monitor the implementation of recent statewide pension reforms to the Employees Retirement System of Texas and the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

 

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May 5, 2022
House Committee on Higher Education
Charge: Review progress toward the goals of the 60x30TX plan, including institutional strategies for responding to changing workforce needs and demands, including workforce education, industry certification, and degree programs to address health care shortages.

 

House Committee on Human Services
Charge: Monitor federal decisions that may impact the delivery and financial stability of the state's health programs, including: the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' rescission of its prior approval of the State's 1115 Waiver, the state and federal negotiations of the Medicaid directed payment programs (including hospital finance methods), federal changes to the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Program and the exclusion of certain costs from the uncompensated care program authorized through the 1115 Waiver.

Charge: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure the intended legislative outcome of the Healthy Families, Healthy Texas initiative, including:

  • HB 133, relating to the provision of benefits under Medicaid and the Healthy Texas Women program; and·

  • Relevant provisions of HB 2658, relating to the administration and operation of the Medicaid managed care program, especially those provisions that relate to continuous eligibility for a child for Medicaid.

Charge: Monitor implementation of SB 1, Rider 30 (Health and Human Services Commission) and make recommendations for reducing the interest list for waiver services for individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and reducing associated staffing shortages.

 

 

This entry was posted on April 27, 2022 at 3:15 PM and has received 1096 views. Print this entry.

Current Articles & Research Resources, April 21, 2022

Apr 21

posted by TexasLRL in Current Articles, Research Resources

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

  • Read about the most recent development in student loan forgiveness. (U.S. Department of Education, April 19, 2022)
  • Get help with surprise medical balance billing. (Texas Department of Insurance, updated January 6, 2022)
  • Explore climate and environmental hazards in your area. (AreaHub, accessed April 20, 2022)
  • Review policy issues related to digital wallets. (Congressional Research Service, April 18, 2022)

 

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 21, 2022 at 3:15 PM and has received 531 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of April 25, 2022

Apr 21

posted by TexasLRL in 87th Session, Interim hearings

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 26, 2022
House Committee on Environmental Regulation
Charge: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th 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:

Charge: Evaluate the allocation of TERP funds for effective air pollution reduction programs. Review which existing programs are over or undersubscribed and identify unrealized opportunities that would further program goals.

 

House Committee on Public Education
Charge #2: Examine the impact, including any financial impact, to the Texas public school system of an increase in the number of children crossing the Texas-Mexico border. Review the history, any applicable precedents, and the legal landscape regarding the education of migrant children in Texas's public schools.

Charge #11: Review the impact of investments of the Permanent School Fund by the State Board of Education in businesses and funds owned or controlled by the Russian government or Russian nationals, and determine the need for investment restrictions. Consider the impact of any proposed investment restrictions on fund performance.

 

House Committee on State Affairs
Charge: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th 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 5, relating to the expansion of broadband services to rural areas

  • HB 1505, relating to attachments for broadband service on utility poles owned by an electric cooperative and establishing and funding a pole replacement program for deployment of certain broadband facilities

Charge: Study the status and adequacy of cyber security preparedness among state agencies and contractors. Make recommendations that enhance cyber security measures considering evolving threats to Texas' information technology infrastructure.

Charge: Review the impact of state government procurement of goods and services from businesses and other commercial entities owned or controlled by the Russian government or Russian nationals, and determine the need for restrictions on state government procurement. Consider the impact of any proposed procurement restrictions on state government efficiency and effectiveness and the state’s access to scientific and technological advances.

 

House Committee on Transportation
Charge: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 87th 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:

Charge: Study current and future transportation needs and consider improvements to ensure that Texas is adequately planning for the state's population growth forecasts. Evaluate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on transportation projects and investment decisions.

Charge: Study the impact of the increasing sale and use of electric and alternatively fueled vehicles on revenue predictions for the state highway fund. Recommend a road use revenue equalization methodology to create fairness and parity between gasoline, electric and alternatively fueled vehicles.

Topic: Review the state's work in transportation safety.

 

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April 27, 2022
House Committee on Business & Industry
Charge: Review operational changes and strategies employed by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to improve outcomes related to Unemployment Benefit Services, including application and payment processes, customer services, and fraud deterrence.

Charge: Study the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on unemployment trends, hurdles to workforce reentry, and industry-specific disruptions.

 

House Committees on Defense & Veterans' Affairs and Homeland Security & Public Safety (Joint Hearing)
Charge: Monitor the activities of the Texas State Guard and the Texas National Guard participating in Operation Lone Star. Consider any legal or logistical support that can be provided to these organizations to increase operational efficiencies in conjunction with the Department of Public Safety. Review and assess the inventory of these agencies. Make appropriate recommendations.

 

 

This entry was posted on April 21, 2022 at 2:10 PM and has received 1289 views. Print this entry.

New & Noteworthy Books and Reports: April 2022

Apr 20

posted by TexasLRL in New & Noteworthy

The Library is continually adding new books to its collection. Below are the titles from our April 2022 New & Noteworthy list.

Check out and delivery of New & Noteworthy titles is available to legislative staff in Capitol and District offices. To arrange check out and delivery of any of these items, you can submit an online request through the New & Noteworthy page on our website or contact the library at 512-463-1252.

 

1. The Mexican American Experience in Texas: Citizenship, Segregation, and the Struggle for Equality
By Martha Menchaca
Chronicles the long presence of Mexican Americans in Texas and their efforts to obtain social and economic equality, from the Spanish and Mexican periods to present day. Addresses property rights, citizenship, segregation, civil rights, and more, along with the Texas Legislature's role in these matters. Highlights the achievements of Mexican Americans, including their crucial part in challenging and disassembling exclusion laws in Texas.
University of Texas Press, 2022, 432 pages
976.4 M455M 2022

 

 

2. Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America's Public Monuments
By Erin L. Thompson
Describes recent developments in the national debate on public monuments in the United States, including Confederate monuments. Discusses the aesthetic, legal, political, and social issues involved, and the complex motivations of participants in current controversies over public monuments.
W. W. Norton & Company, 2022, 264 pages
725.940973 T468S 2022

 

 

3. Texas Ethics Laws: An Annotated Guide to Lobby and Campaign Finance Laws in Texas
By Andrew Cates
Provides a guide to frequently cited laws and regulations relating to campaign financing, conflicts of interest, lobbying, and governmental ethics. Includes historical background through practice notes, case law, Attorney General and Ethics Commission opinions, as well as cross-references to the Texas Administrative Code.
Independently published, 2022, 502 pages
328.33 C283T 2022

 

 

4. How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America
By Clint Smith
Reflects on how the history of slavery is memorialized in the United States by visiting and collecting the stories about monuments and landmarks connected to those events. Explores the narratives and legacy of slavery through research, interviews, and the author's personal experience as a Black man. Includes a chapter on celebrations of Juneteenth in Galveston, the passage of HB 1016, 66th Legislature, R.S., making Juneteenth an official Texas state holiday, and a profile of former Representative Al Edwards Sr.
Little, Brown and Company, 2021, 336 pages
973.0496073 SM642H 2021

 

 

5. Identified with Texas: The Lives of Governor Elisha Marshall Pease and Lucadia Niles Pease
By Elizabeth Whitlow
Presents a dual biography of former Texas Governor Elisha Marshall Pease and his wife Lucadia Niles Pease. Explores their professional and personal lives from 1812-1905, including Pease's years in Texas’ first three Legislative sessions, his two terms as Governor, life in Austin during the Civil War, and his gubernatorial appointment during Reconstruction. Highlights Lucadia's independent travels and marriage to Pease, noting she considered herself a "women's rights woman" and supported her daughter's desire to attend college.
University of North Texas Press, 2022, 432 pages
976.4 W613ID 2021

 

 

6. Judging Inequality: State Supreme Courts and the Inequality Crisis
By James L. Gibson and Michael J. Nelson
Analyzes the levels of political, economic, and social inequality in the United States by documenting – in the State High Court Inequality Database – nearly 6,000 decisions made by 50 state supreme courts from 1990 to 2015. Focuses on the influential role of the state supreme courts in shaping inequalities on issues including educational equity and adequacy, LGBT rights, and workers' rights. Argues that state courts are playing an increasing role in U.S. politics and policy creation.
Russell Sage Foundation, 2021, 356 pages
342.73085 G448J 2021

 

 

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