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New & Noteworthy: August 2018

Aug 21

posted by TexasLRL in New to our collection

The Library is continually adding new books to its collection. Below are the six titles from our August 2018 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, contact the library at 512-463-1252, or use our PDF request form.

 

1. A Thirsty Land: The Making of an American Water Crisis
By Seamus McGraw
Examines Texas water policy alongside contemporary water concerns facing Texas and the rest of the nation. Addresses the experiences of a diverse group of Texans, to demonstrate how human nature, geography, and politics have contributed to convoluted water laws that have rendered Texas unprepared for the next significant drought or catastrophic flood.
University of Texas Press, 2018. 256 pages.
333.91009764 M178T 2018


 

 

2. Between Hope and Fear: A History of Vaccines and Human Immunity
By Michael Kinch
Presents a clear discussion of the science of immunity, the implications of vaccine denial, and real world outcomes of the failure to vaccinate. Addresses the complex reality that even seemingly small numbers of unvaccinated children and adults have the potential to allow some of the long since eradicated diseases to stage comebacks and pose serious threats to future generations.
Pegasus Books, 2018. 279 pages.
614.47 K574B 2018


 

 

3. Insane: America's Criminal Treatment of Mental Illness
By Alisa Roth
Contends that people with mental illness have been hurt by the American criminal justice system more than any other group. Points out that jails and prisons are ill-equipped and lack training to help people with mental illness, often leading to disastrous outcomes for the prisons and the imprisoned. Encourages coordinated and thoughtful reform by practitioners of law and medicine.
Basic Books, 2018. 280 pages.
364.38 R742IN 2018


 

 

4. Overcharged: Why Americans Pay Too Much for Health Care
By Charles Silver, David A. Hyman
Examines the current American health care system and advocates for a more consumer- and market-driven system that would lower costs. Proposes that Americans should select the health insurance plans and medical services that they use and pay for them directly as they would with other types of goods and services. Concludes that if consumers take charge of the health care payment system, providers will deliver more while charging less.
Cato Institute, 2018. 435 pages.
368.382 SI38O 2018


 

 

5. The Vanishing Middle Class: Prejudice and Power in a Dual Economy
By Peter Temin
Explores the decline of the middle class in the context of growing income inequality. Employs a dual economy model to examine the different experiences of the rich and poor in the criminal justice system, education, housing, and debt.
MIT Press, 2017. 166 pages.
339.2 T24V 2017


 

 

6. Texas Disasters: True Stories of Tragedy and Survival
By Mike Cox
Chronicles 21 Texas natural and man-made disasters, beginning with the sinking of three Spanish ships in 1554 and ending with the West fertilizer plant explosion in 2013. Details the events and people affected and describes the historical context within which the disasters unfolded.
Globe Pequot, 2015. 263 pages.
976.4 C839T 2015

This entry was posted on August 21, 2018 at 11:30 AM and has received 18 views. Print this entry.

Current Articles & Research Resources, August 16

Aug 16

posted by TexasLRL in Research Resources, Current Articles

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

  • Read about the leading causes of death in rural areas. (National Conference of State Legislatures, July 30, 2018)
  • Explore the economic outlook for the United States. (Congressional Budget Office, August 13, 2018)
  • Track hate and extremism throughout the country. (Anti-Defamation League, ©2018)
  • Consider how Americans feel about getting news from major internet companies. (The Knight Foundation, ©2018)

Members of the Texas legislative community may request the articles below here or by calling 512-463-1252. 

  • "Hard hitting." By Julianne Hill. ABA Journal: The Lawyer's Magazine, August 2018, pp. 16-18.
    Reports on litigation related to youth tackle football injuries. Notes several states have pulled or killed legislation proposing to ban the sport or prohibiting certain youth from participating in youth tackle football.
  • "Partial Medicaid expansions fall short of full Medicaid expansion with respect to coverage and access to care." By Jessica Schubel. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, August 13, 2018, pp. 1-10.
    Discusses recent proposals for partial Medicaid expansion in Arkansas, Massachusetts, and Utah, using section 1115 demonstration waiver authority.
  • "One school's fight to keep racial equity." By Stacy Teicher Khadaroo. Christian Science Monitor, August 6, 2018, pp. 18-20.
    Highlights City Garden Montessori, a charter school in St. Louis, and its mission to offer racial and economic diversity and an anti-bias, antiracist education. States it is one of 125 charter schools identified as "diverse by design" by the Century Foundation. Related information at: https://tcf.org/content/report/diverse-design-charter-schools/?agreed=1
  • "Academic-freedom statement alarms U. of Texas professors and sets off debate on campus." By Lindsay Ellis. Chronicle of Higher Education, August 3, 2018, p. A27.
    Highlights the argument over academic freedom carried out in court documents as part of the campus carry lawsuit brought by three University of Texas at Austin professors.
  • "Can a huge online college solve California's work-force problems?" By Karin Fischer. Chronicle of Higher Education, August 3, 2018, pp. A12-A15.
    Discusses the new California initiative to provide a wholly online community college, aimed at working adults, with the potential to become the largest provider of distance education in the nation. Explains the entity will only offer certificates or credentials, and not degrees. Highlights other online programs, such as Western Governors University.
  • "Commercialising autonomous vehicles: Gently does it." Economist, August 4th-10th, 2018, pp. 57-58.
    Highlights a six-month trial of self-driving minivans that began in Frisco, Texas this summer. Explains how startup Drive.ai, recognizing the limitations of today's technology, is making things simpler and safer by focusing on a limited area of the city and operating during daylight hours.
  • "Private equity: Healthy returns." Economist, July 28th-August 3rd, 2018, pp. 54-55.
    Explains why private equity and institutional investors are expanding into the health care market. Notes budget constraints are making governments more open to private capital and public-private partnerships.
  • "Texas landowners subsidize pipelines and powerlines." By Isaac Perez. Houston Business Journal, August 16, 2018, p. 42.
    Examines the efforts of several Texas organizations interested in reforming the eminent domain process.
  • "The health innovation we need." By Dave A. Chokshi. JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), August 7, 2018, pp. 427-429.
    Provides a broad view of health and health care innovation, with examples of possible innovations in the domains of care delivery, public health priorities, and the role of government.
  • "Why early childhood education matters and why we should pay for it." By Elizabeth U. Cascio. Milken Institute Review, Third Quarter 2018, pp. 13-23.
    Identifies roadblocks to government support of early childhood education and care [ECEC]. Discusses the need to create more incentives for state and local funding of ECEC.
  • "The border at work." By Jerry Kammer. National Review, August 13, 2018, pp. 31-33.
    Argues the immigration system will not improve until there is a commitment to worksite enforcement and creation of a worker-verification system impervious to fraud.
  • "Examining the costs of paid sick leave besides wages." By Tony Quesada. San Antonio Business Journal, August 10, 2018, p. 3.
    Discusses the effects a mandatory city-wide sick leave ordinance would have on employers.
  • "FEMA to play long-term role in recovery from Harvey." By Rachel Brasier and Jesse Thompson. Southwest Economy (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas), Second Quarter 2018, pp. 15-17, 20.
    Provides an overview of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's [FEMA] role in Hurricane Harvey recovery thus far, through public assistance and hazard mitigation grants. Notes future FEMA involvement will shift to long-term flood infrastructure improvements, including the "coastal spine."
  • "Hurricane Harvey: One year later." By Sean Price. Texas Medicine, August 2018, pp. 18-23.
    Describes the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and the ensuing public health issues and mental health challenges. Notes that Harvey's full impact will not be known soon due to the lack of resources dedicated to evaluation.
  • "Hurricane Harvey: The way back." By Joey Berlin. Texas Medicine, August 2018, pp. 24-29.
    Identifies lessons learned by physicians as they work to recover from Hurricane Harvey, such as the importance of removing computer equipment when evacuating, backing up patient medical records, and investing in supplemental flood insurance.
  • "Port of no return." By Michael Barajas and Sophie Novak. Texas Observer, August/September 2018, pp. 22-29.
    Examines how Port Arthur and its residents are recovering one year after the destruction of Hurricane Harvey. Argues that the recovery process is flawed and provides unequal recovery assistance to poor residents.

The Legislative Reference Library compiles this weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. Professional librarians review and select articles from more than 300 periodicals, including public policy journals, specialized industry periodicals, news magazines, and state agency publications. Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles using our online form.

This entry was posted on August 16, 2018 at 3:15 PM and has received 140 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of August 20

Aug 15

posted by TexasLRL in 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.

 

House Select Committee on Texas Ports, Innovation & Infrastructure (San Antonio)

Charge: Benefits and needs of Texas' Inland/Dry Ports

 

House Committee on Urban Affairs (Houston)

Charge: Housing needs in areas impacted by Hurricane Harvey and related flooding, including local, state and federal governments' responses, and changes in affordable and low-income housing needs

Charge: Recommendations to improve and accelerate the response to existing and future housing needs related to Hurricane Harvey and future natural disasters, including set-asides and how best to rebuild and revitalize

 

August 22

Senate Committee on Higher Education

Charge: Mandate reduction

Charge: Monitoring; specifically, updates on construction of facilities as a result of tuition revenue bonds and development and implementation of the Texas OnCourse program, and monitor the following:

  1. SB 2118, 85th Legislature, R.S., relating to authorization by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for certain public junior colleges to offer baccalaureate degree programs.
  2. HB 2205, 84th Legislature, R.S., relating to the State Board for Educator Certification, educator preparation programs, educator certification, issuance of certain teaching permits, and certain procedures for investigating educator misconduct.
  3. SB 887, 85th Legislature, R.S., relating to a requirement that certain participating institutions under the student loan program administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board provide loan debt information to certain students.
  4. SB 802, 85th Legislature, R.S., relating to a study and report regarding best practices in the transfer of course credit between public institutions of higher education.
  5. SB 810, 85th Legislature, R.S., relating to open educational resources.
  6. HB 2223, 85th Legislature, R.S., relating to developmental coursework offered by public institutions of higher education under the Texas Success Initiative.

 

August 23

House Committee on County Affairs (Dallas) 

Charge 1: Emergency response activities, impact of natural disasters on county finances; Charge 2: County ordinance-making and enforcement authority to deal with flood risk in unincorporated rural and suburban areas

Charge 3: Defendants' and inmates' behavioral health needs, mental health services upon release from the criminal justice system

Charge 5: Monitor agencies and programs under the Committee's jurisdiction and implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 85th Legislature

 

This entry was posted on August 15, 2018 at 3:15 PM and has received 157 views. Print this entry.

Resource Highlight: State Budget Timeline

Aug 14

posted by TexasLRL in Resource highlights, Legislative process

The LRL's state budget timeline has been updated to reflect the budget process for the 2020–2021 biennium. Currently, state agencies are in the process of developing strategic plans and Legislative Appropriation Requests (LARs). The LARs documents will be available in the Legislative Budget Board's database here.

 

You can click through the timeline to see what is scheduled to happen in each date range. The LRL will add links to budget bills and related documents as they are released.

 

Past budget timelines are available in PDF form just below the timeline, as well as a variety of other budget resources. Be sure to check back for updates as budget planning progresses for the upcoming biennium.

This entry was posted on August 14, 2018 at 3:15 PM and has received 116 views. Print this entry.

Current Articles & Research Resources, August 9

Aug 9

posted by TexasLRL in Research Resources, Current Articles

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

  • Explore sunset reviews of occupational licensing in Texas and other states. (National Conference of State Legislatures, July 2018)
  • Consider the quality and safety of tap water in the U.S. (NPR, July 27, 2018)
  • Note the deadline to apply for an emergency grant to repair Hurricane Harvey damage to historic sites is August 15. (Texas Historical Commission, accessed August 8, 2018)
  • Look up at the night sky this weekend to see the Perseid meteor shower. (Mashable, August 8, 2018)

Members of the Texas legislative community may request the articles below here or by calling 512-463-1252. 

  • "Tear gas to tweets." By Jessica Mendoza. Christian Science Monitor, July 30, 2018, pp. 24-30.
    Examines how protest movements have evolved since 1968, from attempts to raise public awareness to promoting change within government through increased representation. Comments that despite well-intentioned laws and changes in public opinion, these movements still tend to coalesce around race, gender, and inequality.
  • "The Dallas tech surge: Demand is climbing — and so are paychecks." By Brian Womack. Dallas Business Journal, July 27, 2018, pp. 12-14.
    Discusses the rising cost of business for tech firms in the Dallas-Fort Worth market.
  • "Pollution and the law: Prosecuting Flint." Economist, July 28th-August 3rd, 2018, pp. 21-22.
    Explains the types of lawsuits that have been filed in response to the Flint, Michigan water contamination crisis. Considers the extent to which government officials can be held accountable for their actions on the job.
  • "Electronic health records associated with lower hospital mortality after systems have time to mature." By Sunny C. Lin, Ashish K. Jha, and Julia Adler-Milstein. Health Affairs, July 2018, pp. 1128-1135.
    Suggests that national implementation of electronic health records [EHRs] in hospitals should yield improvements in mortality rates, but the investment will take time to be realized. Notes that small and nonteaching hospitals appear to have the most to gain.
  • "The role of community health centers in addressing the opioid epidemic." By Julia Zur, et al. Internet Resource, July 2018, pp. 1-12.
    Examines findings from a 2018 survey of community health centers on activities related to the prevention and treatment of opioid use disorder [OUD]. Reports that most community health centers have seen an increase in the number of patients with OUD in the past three years, but they face many treatment capacity challenges in responding to the opioid epidemic.
  • "COST's principles of state business tax conformity with federal tax reform." By Douglas L. Lindholm, Karla Frieden, and Ferdinand Hogroian. Journal of MultiState Taxation and Incentives, August 2018, pp. 14-19.
    Summarizes the Council on State Taxation's [COST] principles of state business tax conformity with federal tax reform. Argues states should carefully analyze potential revenue changes and tax policy implications.
  • "Polysubstance abuse among adolescents in a low income, rural community: Latent classes for middle- and high-school students." By Roderick A. Rose, et al. Journal of Rural Health, Summer 2018, pp. 227-245.
    Examines rural adolescent substance use, noting that opioid misuse is associated with initiation of illicit drugs prior to age thirteen. Observes patterns of younger adolescents in certain groups turning to prescription drugs and inhalants.
  • "Fixing the hole when the rains come in: How to narrow the gap between coverage and damage in catastrophe insurance." Milken Institute Review, Third Quarter 2018, pp. 46-53.
    Discusses risk management in catastrophe insurance. Considers costs of natural disasters and the role of public policy to incentivize private financial institutions to manage risk.
  • "School district crisis preparedness, response, and recovery plans — United States, 2006, 2012, and 2016." By Judy Kruger, et al. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), August 3, 2018, pp. 809-814.
    Examines school districts' implementation of policies to improve school crisis preparedness, response, and recovery plans. Notes that large districts (greater than or equal to 10,000 students) were significantly more likely than were small districts (less than or equal to 4,999 students) to provide funding for or offer crisis preparedness training for school faculty, staff members, and students' families.
  • "Harvey highlights Houston MUD bond development funding." By Laila Assanie and Michael Weiss. Southwest Economy (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas), Second Quarter 2018, pp. 3-7.
    Considers the possibility of funding new housing infrastructure with municipal utility district [MUD] bonds after the historic flooding from Hurricane Harvey. Discusses MUD creation, taxing powers, and the growing reach and influence of MUDs in the Houston housing market.
  • "Another use for drones: Investigating car wrecks." By Jenni Bergal. Stateline (Pew Charitable Trusts), August 6, 2018, pp. 1-5.
    Reports more police agencies are using drones to reconstruct vehicle accidents, reducing staff time and the time roads are closed. Notes some states that require police to get a search warrant to use drones for surveillance are adding exemptions for crash reconstruction.
  • "Bordering on empty." By Naveena Sadasivam. Texas Observer, August/September, 2018, pp. 12-21.
    Argues climate change is having a significant toll on the Rio Grande and the water infrastructure of the Rio Grande Valley. Discusses how hotter, dryer weather affects cities and towns, irrigation districts, and the agriculture industry in the area.
  • "Price-formation studies." Texas Public Power, July-August 2018, pp. 5, 7.
    Summarizes two recent reports from the Energy Regulatory Commission of Texas [ERCOT] that address the Public Utility Commission's Project to Assess Price-Formation Rules in ERCOT's Energy-Only Market. Related information at: http://interchange.puc.texas.gov/Search/Filings?UtilityType=A&ControlNumber=47199&ItemMatch=Equal&DocumentType=ALL&SortOrder=Ascending.  Reports at: http://www.ercot.com/content/wcm/lists/144930/Study_of_the_Benefits_of_Marginal_Losses_FINAL.pdf  and http://www.ercot.com/content/wcm/lists/144930/Study_of_the_Benefits_of_Real-Time_Co-optimization_FINAL.pdf

The Legislative Reference Library compiles this weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. Professional librarians review and select articles from more than 300 periodicals, including public policy journals, specialized industry periodicals, news magazines, and state agency publications. Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles using our online form.

This entry was posted on August 9, 2018 at 3:15 PM and has received 233 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of August 13

Aug 8

posted by TexasLRL in 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.
 

August 13

House Committee on Urban Affairs

Charge: Process of cleaning firefighters' equipment, and associated health risks

 

Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Relations

Charge: ETJ [extraterritorial jurisdiction] limitations and notice

Charge: Municipal Management District uniformity

 

August 14

Charge 2: Non-traditional methods of resolving legal disputes and interacting with the legal system; self-help resources, access to justice for unrepresented litigants, online dispute resolution 

Charge 4: Specialty courts 

Charge 5: Jurisdictional threshold 

Charge 6: Office of Court Administration's guardianship compliance program  

This entry was posted on August 8, 2018 at 3:00 PM and has received 248 views. Print this entry.

Dates of Interest for the 86th Regular Session

Aug 7

posted by TexasLRL in Legislative process

What are the key deadlines for the 86th Regular Session? Official deadlines will be set when the House and Senate adopt their rules, but until then, the Texas Legislative Council Drafting Manual provides a perpetual calendar (shown below) that can be useful. According to the Manual:

 

1st day of session: January 8, 2019

 

60-day bill filing deadline: March 8, 2019

 

Adjournment sine die: May 27, 2019

 

Post-session 20-day deadline for governor to sign or veto: June 16, 2019

 

Effective date (91st day after adjournment): August 26, 2019

 

  Table can be viewed in the Texas Legislative Council Drafting Manual. 

 

Other upcoming dates of interest include:

 

July–August 2018: State agencies develop strategic plans and associated Legislative Appropriations Requests (LARs). These are submitted to the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) and the Governor's Office of Budget, Planning, and Policy (GOBPP). View LAR submissions.

 

September–December 2018: Legislative Budget Board and the GOBPP hold hearings on each state agency’s strategic plan and LAR and prepare separate budget recommendations to be presented to the 86th Legislature (Texas Government Code §§ 322.007, 401.043–401.0445). See more budget deadlines in our timeline.

 

November 6, 2018: General election for federal, state, and county officers (Section 1, Article XVII, Texas Constitution; Texas Election Code § 41.001).

 

November 12, 2018: Bill prefiling begins (House Rule 8, Sec. 7 and Senate Rule 7.04(a)).

This entry was posted on August 7, 2018 at 3:00 PM and has received 267 views. Print this entry.

Current Articles & Research Resources, August 2

Aug 2

posted by TexasLRL in Research Resources, Current Articles

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

  • Read about precautions to take if wildfire smoke is in your area. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 31, 2018)
  • Review how much it costs to run a state's prison system, state by state. (24/7 Wall St., July 26, 2018)
  • Consider what states are doing to combat robocalls. (Stateline (Pew Charitable Trusts), July 25, 2018)
  • Examine the facts related to 3D printing of guns. (The Weekly Standard, July 31, 2018)

Members of the Texas legislative community may request the articles below here or by calling 512-463-1252. 

  • "Income-share agreements: Higher returns." Economist, July 21st-27th, 2018, p. 57.
    Reports some universities are working with investors to offer students a different approach to paying tuition and fees — "income-share agreements" [ISAs]. Explains ISAs spare students the higher payments associated with private loans and lower their debt burden.
  • "U.S. Supreme Court and schools: 2017-18." Education Week, July 18, 2018, p. 20.
    Summarizes recent United States Supreme Court rulings on K-12 education, including school funding, immigration, teachers' unions, and an assortment of First Amendment issues.
  • "Regional transportation council looking at possible projects." By Paul K. Harral. Fort Worth Business Press, July 16-22, 2018, pp. 8, 10.
    Details the North Texas Regional Transportation Council's consideration of transportation initiatives based on hyperloop technology.
  • "New approaches in Medicaid: Work requirements, health savings accounts, and health care access." By Benjamin D. Sommers, et al. Health Affairs, July 2018, pp. 1099-1108.
    Assesses views from low-income adults in Indiana, Ohio, and Kansas (representing three different Medicaid policies) on health savings accounts, work requirements, and Medicaid expansion. Finds that current Medicaid innovations may lead to unintended consequences for coverage and access to health care.
  • "The prospective role of charity care programs in a changing health care landscape." By Matthew Ralls, Lauren Moran, and Stephen A. Somers. Internet Resource, July 2018, pp. 1-5.
    Explores the current and future role of charity care programs [CCPs] in offering and organizing free- and reduced-cost health care to individuals. Notes that CCPs predict an increased demand for services but have concerns about funding.
  • "The natural gas grid needs better monitoring." By Gerad Freeman, Jay Apt, and Michael Dworkin. Issues in Science and Technology, Summer 2018, pp. 79-84.
    Explains that outages affecting the natural gas pipeline system are not well-documented, nor are they tracked by the federal government. Discusses the reliability of the natural gas pipeline system and how it affects electric power plants.
  • "Potential policy approaches to address diet-related diseases." By Michael F. Jacobson, James Krieger, and Kelly D. Brownell. JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), July 24/31, 2018, pp. 341-342.
    Suggests local, state, and federal jurisdictions, as well as private companies, take policy actions to address recent reports indicating higher obesity and sodium consumption rates.
  • "Lessons from the opioid epidemic: How public schools have become the safety net of last resort for traumatized children." By Zoe Carpenter. Nation, July 30/August 6, 2018, pp. 12-19.
    Examines the opioid crisis in West Virginia, the state with the highest rate of death by overdose: 43.4 overdose deaths per 100,000 compared with the national average of 13.3. Discusses the "atrophy of public services across small-town America," including the lack of counselors and family support in public schools and rural health clinics ill-equipped to handle addiction.
  • "McPolitics." By Yascha Mounk. New Yorker, July 2, 2018, pp. 59-63.
    Considers the transformation and homogenization of the two political parties into "nationalized" parties and away from an older system that saw interest and power at the local level. Argues nationalization has led to the "rise of two political mega-identities" and intense partisanship. Suggests common ground and moderation can still be found.
  • "Not just for lawyers: Environmental impacts of natural gas pipelines." By Ed Comer. Public Utilities Fortnightly, July 2018, pp. 42-45, 78.
    Discusses major legal disputes currently affecting the utility industry. Focuses on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's consideration of the environmental issues related to natural gas pipelines. Related information at:https://ceq.doe.gov/
  • "Underwater." By Jen Schwartz. Scientific American, August 2018, pp. 44-55.
    Explores the chronic and extreme flooding experienced in coastal communities along the Atlantic coast. Discusses buyout programs operated by local and federal governments to move people away from such areas.
  • "Power in the bank." By Daniel Shea. State Legislatures, July/August 2018, pp. 38-41.
    Points out the benefits of energy storage and the technology's limitations under current regulatory and market structures.
  • "Technology tests transparency." By Pam Greenberg. State Legislatures, July/August 2018, pp. 46-47, 49.
    Discusses how states are using technology to manage an increasing number of public records requests and to address the challenges new digital formats create.
  • "Home delivery: Where is all the new housing?" By Luis B. Torres and Wesley Miller. Tierra Grande, July 2018, pp. 2-5.
    Examines why new home inventories in Texas are below what is considered a balanced market. Attributes this imbalance, which is affecting housing affordability, to a variety of factors, including rising land prices, sluggish labor productivity, and regulations.

The Legislative Reference Library compiles this weekly annotated list of Current Articles of interest to the legislative community. Professional librarians review and select articles from more than 300 periodicals, including public policy journals, specialized industry periodicals, news magazines, and state agency publications. Members of the Texas legislative community may request articles using our online form.

This entry was posted on August 2, 2018 at 3:15 PM and has received 264 views. Print this entry.

Interim Hearings – Week of August 6

Aug 1

posted by TexasLRL in 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.

 

August 7

House Select Committee on Opioids & Substance Abuse

Charge:  Impact of substance abuse and substance use disorders on Texans who are involved in the adult or juvenile criminal justice system and/or the Child Protective Services system 

Charge: Specialty courts in Texas that specialize in substance use disorders 

 

August 8

House Select Committee on Opioids & Substance Abuse

Topic: Public testimony on all previously considered committee charges

 

House Committee on Public Education

Charge:  State mechanisms for identifying and rewarding educators

Charge: Charter school system in Texas

 

August 9

House Committee on Public Health and House Committee on Human Services (Joint hearing)

Charge: Children involved with Child Protective Services (CPS) due to substance abuse or mental illness

Invited testimony on residential child care facilities, particularly the number of licensed facilities, recent complaints received regarding treatment of children at these facilities, and the status of  pending licenses

 

This entry was posted on August 1, 2018 at 3:00 PM and has received 276 views. Print this entry.

Resource Highlight: 12th–15th Legislature Enrolled Bills Now Available

Aug 1

posted by TexasLRL in Resource highlights, Search tips, Legislation

Basic bill information for enrolled bills from the 12th–15th Legislatures (1870–1876) is now available in the Legislative Archive System (LAS). This includes bill numbers, captions, chapters numbers, and session law scans. We've also added the joint and concurrent resolutions that were published in the General and Special Session Laws to LAS from these sessions.

Enrolled bills from the 12th–15th Legislatures are accessible through both the direct search and the advanced search. When using the advanced search, select "View All" for the bill status.
 

Please note that enrolled bills from the following two sessions are only accessible through the direct search in LAS:

  • 12th Adjourned Session (Sept. 22, 1871–Dec. 2, 1871)
  • 14th 2nd Regular Session (Jan. 22, 1875–March 15, 1875)

For related information about these and other sessions, don't forget to check the session snapshot and the scanned House and Senate Journals.

Since LAS is a work in progress, complete information is not available for all bills and all sessions. Visit LAS' status page for more details about this ongoing project. For assistance using LAS, please contact the library.

 

 

This entry was posted on August 1, 2018 at 11:10 AM and has received 250 views. Print this entry.

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