Senate Interim Committee Charges
Lt. Gov. Dewhurst has issued assignments for Senate interim committee studies. After conducting public hearings, the committees will prepare recommendations for the next legislative session. Due to the delayed primary, this process lags behind the normal schedule. However, public hearings will begin soon. We will post notice of these hearings on the Texas Association of Counties listerves. Please be prepared to present testimony at these hearings. Significant county issues include the following:
Transportation & Homeland Security Committee
- Analyze the financial and personnel situation at 911 or emergency call centers across the state. Determine if call centers can be run more efficiently and effectively. The committee shall consider the oversight of local and county officials in their findings and recommendations.
- Study current state statutes and agency rules regulating oversize and overweight vehicles. Evaluate the public safety benefit of enforcing these regulations and effectiveness in preventing roadway damage, including the cost of repair and maintenance to infrastructure associated with overweight vehicles. Provide recommendations that balance economic productivity, public safety, and protection and maintenance of roadways. Provide recommendations on the need for additional weights and measures training for law enforcement in this state.
- Study and make recommendations regarding the methods of financing for capital investment in the state’s transportation system. Examine ways to prevent further wear on our roadways and reduce congestion in the system. Consider the long-term impact of the accumulation of debt for transportation projects, as well as the total cost of vehicle ownership as a result of varying levels of congestion and road maintenance. Educate and inform the public regarding the seriousness of the transportation challenges to better engage the public in forming a solution. (Joint Charge with Senate Finance Committee)
- Review state, local and federal emergency preparation and response efforts as they pertain to protecting lives, property and natural resources from wildland fire.
- Consider ways to facilitate better communication, collaboration and response between all state agencies and stakeholders involved in wildfire prevention, mitigation and control.
- Review training of emergency responders to ensure that they have the appropriate skills to respond to wildfire events.
State Affairs Committee
- Consider the costs and benefits of the creation of liability protection for private companies and individuals when commissioned by the Texas Forest Service to assist in fighting a fire that is not on the company’s or individual’s own land. Examine whether state policy should prohibit an employer from terminating an employee who is a volunteer firefighter on the grounds that the employee missed work because the employee was responding to an emergency. Identify any appropriate limitations that should apply to such a policy.
- Examine the effectiveness of the Private Real Property Rights Preservation Act (Chapter 2007, Government Code), and whether it should apply to municipalities.
- Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on State Affairs, 82nd Legislature, Regular and Called Sessions, and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation.
Specifically, monitor the following:
- implementation of SB 100, relating to the implementation of the MOVE Act, and the impact on local and statewide elections and military voters;
Senate Select Committee on Open Government
- Evaluate the need for revisions to the Public Information Act to address changes in the performance of public functions and make recommendations for changes. Specifically, consider the following:
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- the use of new technologies and future technological advances as relates to the creation of public information;
- the extent to which the Public Information Act impacts third-party contractors with state and local government;
- the need to codify or clarify existing Attorney General opinions.
- Review record retention policies for state and local governments and make recommendations for improvements to record retention schedules and policies, including e-mail retention and archiving requirements. Consider the benefits and disadvantages of creating a uniform record retention policy.
- Study ways to define and address frivolous and/or overly burdensome open records requests. Include an analysis of appropriate cost recovery by governmental entities for expenses and time related to responding to requests, while ensuring the public has adequate access to public information.
Jurisprudence Committee
- Study the laws governing the transfer of judges and exchange of benches in district courts. Review the jurisdiction and qualifications of special judges. Monitor the implementation of legislation by the Supreme Court, Office of Court Administration, and State Bar of Texas to make changes in the courts and make recommendations for any needed improvements.
- Study the current array of criminal court costs and civil filing fees in light of the following suggested standards:
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- levels of financial funding from general governmental revenue;
- whether fees and miscellaneous charges should be set by the Legislature with recommendations provided by the appropriate judicial body and reviewed periodically to determine if they should be adjusted;
- whether fees and miscellaneous charges should be waived under certain conditions;
- whether fees and miscellaneous charges are easy to understand, with fee schedules based on fixed or flat rates;
- whether fees are earmarked and controlled by the court or deposited into the account of the governmental source providing the court’s funding.
Economic Development Committee
- Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Economic Development, 82nd Legislature, Regular and Called Sessions, and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation. Review the implementation of SB 1048, relating to public-private partnerships and analyze any recommendations made by the committee created by the Legislation.
Intergovernmental Relations Committee
- Analyze ways to better coordinate existing federal, state and local housing resources to increase access to affordable housing following a disaster.
- Review housing and development codes, and guidelines for structures in areas prone to natural disasters, and make recommendations on how these structures can be “hardened” to avoid loss.
- Investigate and evaluate communication options during evacuations and make recommendations for legislative action.
Criminal Justice Committee
- Study the law governing the Texas bail bond industry and determine local practices for the pretrial release of the accused. Determine the financial impact of various pretrial release options for the accused and the financial impact on counties for the failure to release pretrial.
- Evaluate existing comprehensive diversion and treatment systems within the state, including mental health treatment, to determine cost effectiveness, reductions in correctional populations, impact on healthcare systems, and the overall number of people treated effectively. Examine federal, state, and local collaborations and make recommendations for best practices to maximize effective use of funding and resources.
- Conduct a comprehensive review of school discipline practices. Specifically, review and make recommendations on:
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- The effectiveness of Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs (DAEP) and Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Programs (JJAEP) in reducing students’ involvement in further disciplinary infractions and in promoting positive educational achievement.
For more information, please call me at 1-800-733-0699.