The Texas Legislature meets in Regular Session for 140 days in odd-numbered years. During the even-numbered years, the committees of the Senate and House of Representatives conduct hearings, prepare reports, and draft legislation on issues assigned by the lieutenant governor and speaker of the house. Although many other subjects will be addressed in the 8,000 bills introduced during the Regular Session, these interim charges provide insight into the priorities of the legislative leadership.
Below is a summary of the most important county-related issues. The County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas will monitor these hearings, present testimony and other information, and report the recommendations to our Commissioners courts.
TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK
Study the detection and management of invasive species and insects impacting Texas agriculture, including New World Screwworm.
APPROPRIATIONS
Monitor and oversee the implementation of appropriations bills including funding for the following:
- Maintaining existing property tax relief and significantly increasing the homestead and business personal property tax exemptions;
- Providing grants to support rural law enforcement and prosecutors;
- Supporting and expanding rural health care;
- Addressing water infrastructure, supply issues, and flood mitigation projects; and
- Improving local rail grade crossing separation projects.
CRIMINAL JURISPRUDENCE – Rural Criminal Justice Workforce Development
Study the feasibility of developing partnerships with Texas-based law schools to strengthen the pipeline of criminal prosecutors and defense attorneys serving rural and underserved areas of the state.
ELECTIONS – Integration of Early and Election Day Voting
Monitor the implementation of S.B. 2753 relating to the integration of early voting by personal appearance and election day voting, including the manner in which election returns are processed, and other related changes.
Monitor the working group led by the Texas Secretary of State (SOS) in conjunction with counties.
Monitor the statutorily required SOS report and its recommendations for proper implementation.
Identify any administrative, funding, or operational issues that may warrant legislative consideration.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
Subcommittee on County and Regional Government – Strengthening County Law Enforcement
Study the ability of counties to recruit, train, and retain officers.
Study the disparities between counties in provisions relating to the funding of, contracting with, and employment for law enforcement agencies, and evaluate solutions to strengthen county law enforcement
Medical Examiner Expansion
Evaluate the number of counties that maintain medical examiner offices and those that rely on justices of the peace. Assess how this framework affects the consistency, timeliness, and professional quality of death investigations across counties and consider potential statutory reforms to strengthen statewide capacity.
Subcommittee on State-Federal Relations – Discontinuation of Penny Production
Study the impact on local governments following the discontinuation of penny production. Consider the necessity of providing local governments with administrative guidance applicable to implementing this change.
LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Municipal Utility Districts
Consider the proliferation of municipal utility districts (MUDs) and evaluate their impact on housing attainability and affordability, as well as challenges associated with managing growth.
Review the methods by which MUDs are created and identify best practices to ensure sufficient oversight exists.
Housing Affordability
Examine how the following factors may improve housing attainability and affordability.
Fees: Examine the collection, use, and oversight of fees imposed by local governments, including impact fees, utility connection charges, permit and inspection fees, and drainage or stormwater fees. Evaluate whether sufficient financial transparency exists and if such fees are used in accordance with their legal authority.
Third-Party Review: Study methods to expedite the safe permitting of construction projects to increase housing supply. Review the ongoing implementation of recent legislation regarding the use of third-party reviews of plats and property development plans, permits, and similar documents, and the inspection of an improvement related to such a document. Examine methods that have proven successful in other states and recommend statutory changes to expedite the permitting of residential housing projects.
NATURAL RESOURCES
Data Center Water Use and Conservation
Examine the total water usage of data center operations in Texas, including direct and indirect uses.
Evaluate regulatory, permitting, and infrastructure considerations for water-efficient data center development, particularly in water-stressed regions.
Consider policy options to optimize water resources and enhance water stewardship in the data center sector.
PUBLIC HEALTH
H.B. 18, relating to the establishment and administration of certain programs and services providing health care services to rural counties.
H.B. 3000, relating to a grant program to provide financial assistance to qualified ambulance service providers in certain rural counties.
Texas Rural Health Transformation Program
Study the implementation and impact of federal funding awarded to Texas under the Rural Health Transformation Program.
STATE AFFAIRS
Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
Review the application of current state law as it relates to state and local disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
Review state agency and local government requirements related to training, licensing, education, coordination, and mass fatality operations.
Identify beneficial disaster management practices to improve the coordination of communications between governmental entities and streamline response and recovery efforts, including those related to intergovernmental command structures.
Battery Storage and Safety
Examine the current rules and regulations regarding battery storage and safety.
Strengthening Interoperable Communications
Examine the establishment of a formal Interoperability Council to coordinate a statewide emergency communications strategy, set interoperability standards, support regional systems, and improve coordination among local, state, and federal first responders.
Data Centers
Study the development of data centers in Texas, including the importance to global competitiveness and national security.
Evaluate the direct and indirect economic growth potential fostered by in-state data center development, including growth multiplier effects and economic diversification.
Review the existing regulatory framework governing data center development and recommend proposals to streamline regulations while enabling communities to plan and manage growth responsibly.
TRANSPORTATION
Subcommittee on Transportation Funding – TxDOT
Examine the formula funding and discretionary funding categories used by the Texas Department of Transportation to allocate dollars for planning and construction of projects.
Examine the adequacy of current funding revenue to meet projected transportation needs.
Evaluate continuing the County Transportation Infrastructure Fund grant program, and assess its benefits to rural road infrastructure and public safety.
Recommend ways to improve transportation-related funding, allocation methodologies, and transparency.
WAYS AND MEANS
Local Government Spending
Examine local government spending and debt practices, including the use of certificates of obligation, to determine the overall impact on property tax rates.
Evaluate other revenue sources, such as fees, utilized by local units of government to facilitate increased spending.
Make recommendations to improve the long-term affordability for Texas families by limiting the growth of local government spending.
SELECT COMMITTEE GOVERNMENTAL OVERSIGHT
Safeguarding Taxpayer Funds
Study how local governments appropriate public funds to, or otherwise contract with, third-party consultants and nongovernmental organizations for services, including those related to health and human services, public safety, and homelessness policies.
TEXAS SENATE
BUSINESS AND COMMERCE
Managing Data Center Growth
Study the adequacy of current statutory, regulatory, and infrastructure frameworks to meet the rapidly increasing demand from large electric loads, such as data centers.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Addressing Juvenile Violence
Study the growing violence among juveniles both in communities and state and county secure facilities.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Strengthening Crisis-Related Mental Health and Homelessness Services
Determine the state’s authority and procedures for providing public mental health services and the intersection of those services with homelessness and addiction.
Evaluate the effectiveness, consistency, and outcomes of competency restoration for criminally charged individuals awaiting trial, as well as processes for civil inpatient and outpatient commitments.
Make recommendations to prioritize the most acute populations for treatment in order to reduce public safety threats.
SELECT COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND AND BORDER SECURITY
Combating Criminal Activities on Oversize and Overweight Routes
Evaluate the movement of oversize and/or overweight commercial vehicles transporting hazardous materials throughout the Texas border region.
Review past accidents related to overweight fuel trucks and determine their overall impact on public safety, both on and off roadways.
Make recommendations to deter transportation companies from overloading fuel trucks and to enhance public safety along oversize and overweight routes in Texas.
NATURAL RESOURCES
Protecting Texas From Wildfires
Study the state’s wildfire prevention and mitigation strategies. Evaluate the effectiveness of fuel management practices, including prescribed burns and mechanical thinning, to reduce fuel loading on public and private lands.
WATER, AGRICULTURE, AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Assessing the Water Demands of Energy-Intensive Technologies
Examine the current water consumption rates for high-consumption cooling technologies, including data centers.