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

• See how child rights vary from state to state. (Human Rights Watch, updated September 7, 2023)
• Track news and developments related to state constitutions in the high courts across all 50 states. (Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, © 2023)
• Review Americans’ attitudes toward U.S. politics. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, updated September 12, 2023)
• Consider the role of Congress in regulating the use of AI. (U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions, accessed September 20, 2023)

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 September 21, 2023 at 3:15 PM and has received 33 views. Print this entry.

The Library is continually adding new books to its collection. Below are the titles from our September 2023 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. Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments, 88th Texas Legislature, November 7, 2023, Election
By Texas Legislative Council
Provides detailed information on the fourteen joint resolutions passed during the 88th Regular and 2nd Called Sessions of the Texas Legislature that propose amendments to the Texas Constitution. Includes background information, detailed analysis, comments from both supporters and opponents, and the text of each joint resolution to assist voters during the November election.
Texas Legislative Council, 2023, 75 pages
L1400.7 C766 2023

 

 

2. The Buying and Selling of American Education: Reimagining a System of Schools for All Children
By Susan Tave Zelman and Margaret Erlandson Sorensen
Explores the history of American education, including how various educational models are organized, governed, funded, and the results each produces. Discusses trends, such as the standards movement and school choice, and how they have shaped the educational landscape over the years. Offers ways to reform education to create a system that balances the needs of society with those of children and families. Argues that schools' most important focus should be on student needs and desires rather than those of adults in the general public.
Rowman & Littlefield, 2023, 277 pages
370.973 Z51 2023

 

 

3. Condensed Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments: 88th Texas Legislature, November 7, 2023, Election
By Texas Legislative Council
Presents a brief analysis for each of the fourteen joint resolutions proposed to amend the Texas Constitution that passed during 88th Regular and 2nd Called Sessions and will appear on the upcoming November election ballot. Includes the topic, a summary analysis, and a summary of comments made by supporters and opponents during the legislative process.
Texas Legislative Council, 2023, 15 pages
L1400.7 C766C 2023

 

 

4. Constitutional Amendments Proposed for November 2023 Ballot
By House Research Organization
Describes the process by which constitutional amendments are adopted. Provides information on each of the fourteen proposed amendments that will be submitted for voter approval at the November 7, 2023, general election. Includes background information, analysis, and arguments for and against each proposal.
House Research Organization, 2023, 33 pages
L1801.9 ST94 88-3

 

 

5. Merchants of the Right: Gun Sellers and the Crisis of American Democracy
By Jennifer Carlson
Examines how gun sellers’ responded to the 2020 surge in gun purchases by both conservative and atypical gun buyers due to the coronavirus pandemic, civil unrest, and heightened politics. Addresses gun sellers’ role in conservative politics, including their mobilization of conservative culture mainstays — armed individualism, conspiracism, and partisanship. Explores how conservative gun politics is shaping American democracy.
Princeton University Press, 2023, 272 pages
363.330973 C284 2023

 

 

6. Volatility in State Spending for Higher Education
By Jennifer A. Delaney, Editor
Compiles a collection of essays focusing on the consequences of volatility in state higher education funding and the reasons why higher education is particularly affected. Analyzes the risks of public colleges and universities operating in an uncertain financial environment, and the importance of funding predictability to institutions, students, families, and states.
American Educational Research Association, 2023, 354 pages
379.1 D337 2023

 

 

This entry was posted on September 20, 2023 at 4:25 PM and has received 54 views. Print this entry.

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

• Check data security breach reports. (Attorney General of Texas, accessed September 13, 2023)
• Review a federal appeals court decision related to public access to laws and rules. (Electronic Frontier Foundation, September 12, 2023)
• Consider the latest COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, updated September 12, 2023)
• Track overnight migration pattern forecasts of birds across the U.S. (BirdCast, accessed September 13, 2023)

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 September 14, 2023 at 3:15 PM and has received 116 views. Print this entry.

Following each legislative session in Texas, organizations, state agencies, and other entities publish "wrap-ups" summarizing new laws and key legislative developments in areas ranging from education to real estate to water conservation. Wrap-ups can range from a simple list of bills to a detailed report that includes background information and expert analysis.

The LRL tracks legislative wrap-ups, as we find them to be an excellent research tool and summary of the topics covered during a particular session. Listed below is a short selection. To find other wrap-ups on a topic that interests you, check the websites of organizations or state agencies that focus on the issue, or contact the library for assistance.

• State Agencies
• Associations & Organizations

State Agencies

Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS)
Summary of Legislative Action on ERS Programs and Operations

Hogg Foundation for Mental Health – University of Texas
Summary of Mental Health and Substance Use-Related Legislation

Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC)
Summary of the 88th Legislative Session

Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
2023 TRS-Related Legislation Summary

Texas Commission on Fire Protection
Fire Protection-Related Legislation, 2023 (88th Legislative Session)

Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ)
Summaries of Selected Legislation Passed by the 88th Legislature, Regular Session

Texas Department of Insurance (TDI)
Worker’s Compensation Legislation Enacted

Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
88th Texas Legislature: TDLR Related Bills

Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Texas Metals Program – 88th Legislation 2023

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
Delivering on Our Transportation Future: 88th Regular Legislative Session (2023) Summary of Enacted Transportation and General Government Legislation

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)
The 88th Legislature: A Texas-sized Investment in Higher Education

Texas Judicial Council (TJC)
Texas Judiciary Legislative Update – 88th Legislature

Texas Pension Review Board
Pension Bill Summaries – 88th Legislative Session

Associations and Organizations

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas
The 88th Texas Legislature's Regular Session

Environment Texas
How the Environment Faired at the Texas Legislature (88th Regular Session)

Independent Bankers Association of Texas (IBAT)
Legislative White Paper: An Executive Summary for Community Bankers, July 2023

LeadingAge Texas
88th Legislative Session Summary – Sine Die Edition

National Rifle Association-Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA)
Texas Legislature Ends Regular Session After Passing a Trio of Pro-Second Amendment Bills & Rejecting Gun Control Measures

Texas AFL-CIO
88th Legislative Session Wrap-Up

Texas Association of Business (TAB)
88th Results: 2023 Legislative Session

Texas Association of Dairymen (TAD)
Sine Die Report: 88th Texas Legislature

Texans Care for Children
Texas Children and the 2023 Legislative Session: What the Texas Legislature accomplished for children and where it fell short

• Review of Policy Progress During the 2023 Texas Legislative Session: Maternal and Child Health
• Review of Policy Progress During the 2023 Texas Legislative Session: Child Protection
• Review of Policy Progress During the 2023 Texas Legislative Session: Early Learning
• Review of Policy Progress During the 2023 Texas Legislative Session: Children's Mental Health

Texas Classroom Teachers Assocation (TCTA)
Final Bill Summaries – 2023

Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA)
Recap of the 88th Texas Legislative Session

Texas District & County Attorneys Association (TDCAA)
TDCAA Legislative Update: 88th Regular Session, Week 20.1 (Sine Die Edition)

Texas Gun Sense
Texas 88th Legislative Session Report

Texas Humane Legislation Network
2023 Legislative Session

Texas Land Title Assotication (TLTA)
Texas Legislature 88th Session Results

Texas Library Association (TLA)
88th Legislative Session Wrap-Up

Texas Medical Association (TMA)
2023 Legislative Wrap-Up

Texas Municipal League (TML)

• 88th Regular Session Concludes; Governor Calls Legislators Back for Overtime (Legislative Update No. 23)
• First Called Special Session Ends; Second Underway (Legislative Update No. 26)
• Texas Legislature Passes Property Tax Relief Package Ending Special Session (Legislative Update No. 28)

Texas Pharmacy Association (TPA)
88th Texas Legislative Session

Texas Realtors (TR)
Building a Better Texas: Broadband Improvements and Water Infrastructure Top the List of REALTOR wins at the 88th Texas Legislature

Texas Water Conservation Association (TWCA)
88th Legislative Wrap Up

This entry was posted on September 13, 2023 at 11:30 AM and has received 234 views. Print this entry.

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

• Explore a database of litigation involving artificial intelligence, including machine learning. (George Washington University, accessed September 6, 2023)
• Consider Customs and Border Protection (CBP) targets for scanning airline passengers at airports with facial recognition technology. (404 Media, September 5, 2023)
• Track changes to forests across the globe. (Global Forest Watch, accessed September 6, 2023)
• Review steps attorneys and staff should take if a threat is received. (Attorney At Work, August 1, 2023)
• Read a recent health alert related to a confirmed measles case. (Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), August 29, 2023)

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 September 7, 2023 at 3:15 PM and has received 204 views. Print this entry.

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

• Examine findings of recent data collection related to fatalities in the oil and gas extraction (OGE) industry. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, September 1, 2023)
• Explore teacher shortages in the U.S. by region and state. (Tuan D. Nguyen, et al., accessed August 29, 2023)
• Review guidance for state, local, and tribal leaders on extreme temperature weather incidents. (Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), August 2023)
• Read about characteristics of social media users who share misinformation online. (Harvard Kennedy School, Misinformation Review, August 25, 2023)
• Consider the U.S. housing market and whether it is in recession. (Congressional Research Service, August 21, 2023)

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 August 31, 2023 at 3:15 PM and has received 3090 views. Print this entry.

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

September 1, 2023
House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety and Work Session (Eagle Pass) CANCELED
Topic: Invited testimony only on Operation Lone Star, including from the following state and federal agencies:

Texas Department of Public Safety
Texas Military Department
Texas Division of Emergency Management
Office of the Governor
U.S. Customs & Border Patrol

• Interim Report 2022: A Report to the Texas Senate, 88th Texas Legislature, Senate Committee on Border Security, January 2023
• Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Charge II – Caseloads on the Texas-Mexico border), House Committee on Juvenile Justice and Family Issues, January 2023
• Interim Report to the 88th Legislature (Charge 9 – Operation Lone Star), Senate Committee on Finance, December 2022
• Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Charge 2 – Caseloads on the Texas-Mexico border), House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence, December 2022
• Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Charge II – Border county operations), House Committee on County Affairs, November 2022
• Interim Report to the 88th Texas Legislature (Topic 1 – Monitor the activities of the Texas State Guard and the Texas National Guard participating in Operation Lone Star), House Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs, November 2022
• Border Crisis Update (Operation Lone Star), Office of the Texas Governor
• Operation Lone Star Border Support Mission, Texas Military Department
• Operation Lone Star, Texas Tribune

This entry was posted on August 29, 2023 at 10:45 AM and has received 172 views. Print this entry.

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

• Explore state and federal laws related to video cameras in the courtroom. (Radio Television Digital News Association, © 2023)
• Consider prohibitions and exceptions related to broadcasting federal criminal proceedings. (Congressional Research Service, August 14, 2023)
• Read about how geology has shaped American history. (Library of Congress, accessed August 23, 2023)
• Review the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) final rule on “Cybersecurity Risk Management, Strategy, Governance, and Incident Disclosure.” (Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, August 17, 2023)

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 August 24, 2023 at 3:15 PM and has received 168 views. Print this entry.

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

• Examine the STAAR results for grades 3-8 for 2023. (Texas Education Agency, August 16, 2023)
• Review back-to-school traffic safety tips. (Texas Department of Transportation, ©2023)
• Read about smartphone surveillance. (lifehacker, July 20, 2023)
• Consider ways to reduce urban heat island effects. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, updated July 17, 2023)
• Explore the potential legal consequences of Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment. (University of Pennsylvania Law Review, August 14, 2023)

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 August 17, 2023 at 3:15 PM and has received 304 views. Print this entry.

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

• Review current and proposed state laws related to artificial intelligence (AI). (Electronic Privacy Information Center, August 3, 2023)
• Read about federal and state courts. (Congressional Research Service, August 2, 2023)
• Track heat-related illness throughout the country by jurisdiction and county. (HHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity / DOT National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, released August 9, 2023)
• Find ballot language and explanatory statements for the November 7, 2023, Constitutional Amendments Election. (Texas Secretary of State, accessed August 9, 2023)

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 August 10, 2023 at 3:15 PM and has received 217 views. Print this entry.