87R Interim Reports

As the legislature heads into their 88th session, it’s important to consider the work the legislative committees have undertaken over the past year. Interim charges often offer a look into issues that will continue to be explored during the session. To date, the following interim reports have been published in 2022 (any recommendations highlighted below are merely sample excerpts from the committee reports and do not reflect the official policy or position of our office and staff):

House Agriculture and Livestock Report

· Provides recommendations on state law governing municipal regulation of farm and ranch land within city boundaries

House Business and Industry Report

· Discusses potential legislation that gives consumers more control over their data including mentions of a data broker registry

House County Affairs Report

· Recommends the legislature study the fiscal impact to the state and localities of increasing the recovery fee to counties for executing the right to habeas corpus from $50 to $90

House Culture, Recreation, and Tourism Report

· Praises TPWD’s work towards addressing the agency’s long-term deferred maintenance needs, capital construction priorities, land acquisition authority, and outdoor education programming opportunities

House Higher Education Report

· Urges the legislature to consider adopting legislation based on the findings from the Texas Commission on Community College Finance

House Human Services Report

· Promotes examining the feasibility of requiring HHSC to transition the interest lists for Medicaid waiver service programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities from a "first come, first served" model to a model based on level of need and immediacy of need

House Public Health Report

· Recommends DSHS continue to monitor and assess the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) opportunity and evaluate whether this new designation would serve to decrease health disparities in the rural areas of the state

House State Affairs Report

· Suggests legislation requiring local governments to follow the same requirements as state agencies and notify DIR in the event of a cybersecurity breach or suspected breach of system security

House Transportation Report

· Recommends that the legislature adopt a $200 flat fee for battery electric vehicles

House Urban Affairs Report

· Suggests one option the legislature should consider is establishing a $50 million revolving fund for the construction and rehabilitation of workforce housing, especially if construction worker training can be included

Senate Child Protective Services, Special Report

· Recommends the formation of a working group between the Department of Family and Protective Services, the Health and Human Services Commission, Department of Public Safety, Office of the Attorney General and local law enforcement to develop policies and recommendations for improving the processes for investigating allegations relating to criminal activities

Senate Finance Report

· Concludes that because the final rule for the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSFRF) Legislature may need to readdress some funding decisions made in SB 8 to ensure compliance with updated federal guidance. And for any remaining CSFRF funds unappropriated, the 88th Legislature should use these federal funds to make strategic, one-time investments to address pressing state needs.

Senate Health and Human Services Report

· Recommends the legislature reexamine funding for the Nursing Shortage programs and determine whether an increase would reduce the educational bottleneck and fund additional Graduate Medical Education slots to keep more Texas medical graduates in-state

Senate Veteran Affairs Report

· Recommends that the legislature explore treatment options for PTSD and consider creating a multi-modality treatment program that could include, but would not be limited to, traditional talk therapy, limbic system therapy, CBT and emotionally focused therapy

Senate Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs Report

· Makes no recommendations regarding permanently maintaining daylight savings time stating that until the states are given the authority by Congress to make changes, Texas only has one option, which is to observe permanent standard time the entire year

House The Robb Elementary Shooting, Investigative Report

Senate To Protect All Texans, Special Report