This entry was posted on May 15, 2012 at 8:00 AM and has received 54 views. Print this entry.

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.

• Read about the future of community colleges. (21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges, April 2012)
• Explore the relationship among housing costs, zoning regulations, and school performance. (Brookings Institution, April 19, 2012)
• Examine the financial health of the Social Security Trust Funds. (Social Security Administration, April 23, 2012)
• Note that more seniors are falling into poverty as they grow older. (Employee Benefit Research Institute, April 25, 2012)
• Review health care disparities among racial and ethnic minorities. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, April 20, 2012)
• See the links between mental illness and chronic physical illness. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, April 10, 2012)
• Consider the recent influx of unaccompanied immigrant children from Mexico. (The Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2012)

This entry was posted on May 10, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 102 views. Print this entry.

If you're following the Planned Parenthood vs. Texas case about the Women's Health Program, you may be interested in the key court documents, laws, rules and legislation listed below.

Key court documents

Planned Parenthood of Austin Family Planning, Inc., et al vs. Thomas M. Suehs, Executive Commissioner, Texas Health and Human Services Commission (1:12-CV-00322, Women's Health Program).

April 11, 2012: Original complaint (filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas)

April 11, 2012: Plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction

April 30, 2012: Order granting preliminary injunction (Judge Lee Yeakel, U.S. District Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas)

April 30, 2012: State's motion to stay preliminary injunction (filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit)

April 30, 2012: U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit grants state's motion to stay preliminary injunction

May 1, 2012: Planned Parenthood files motion to lift stay of preliminary injunction

May 4, 2012: U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit vacates  its April 30,2012 order granting stay of preliminary injunction. The case is being placed on the Court's oral argument calendar for the week of July 9, 2012.

*In an earlier, related case on March 16, 2012, Texas' attorney general sued the federal government to have federal funding restored to the Women's Health Program. See: State of Texas v. Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Original complaint (No. 6:12-cv-62)

Related legislation, laws and rules

SB 7, 82nd 1st Called Session (2011): Relating to the administration, quality, and efficiency of health care, health and human services, and health benefits programs in this state; creating an offense; providing penalties.

Laws and rules:

Texas Human Resources Code, Sec. 32.04 (c-1): Authority and scope of program; eligibility; demonstration project for women's health care services

Texas Administrative Code, Part 1, Women's Health Program §§ 354.1361-354.1364 (For background information, please see proposed rule text as adopted: Definition of 'affiliate,' Adopted rules, 1 TAC §§354.1361-354.1364) (Texas Register)

(Federal) 42 U.S.C. § 1396a, State plans for medical assistance, Subsection (a)(23), 'any individual eligible for medical assistance (including drugs) may obtain such assistance from any institution, agency, community pharmacy, or person, qualified to perform the service or services required,' Social Security Act § 1902(a)(23)

This entry was posted on May 9, 2012 at 8:00 AM and has received 183 views. Print this entry.

• Medicaid Transformation Waiver including overview, timeline, background resources, and proposed rules, Texas Health and Human Services Commission

• 2011 State Physician Workforce Data Book (November 2011), Health Care Reform and the Health Workforce, The Impact of Health Care Reform on Future Supply and Demand for Physicians: Updated Projections Through 2025 (June 2010), Physician Shortages to Worsen Without Increases in Residency Training (June 2010), and other Workforce Data and Reports, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Center for Workforce Studies
• Primary Care Physicians by County of Practice, Texas Department of State Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, September 2011
• "A Recipe for Medical Schools to Produce Primary Care Physicians," New England Journal of Medicine, February 10, 2011
• Supply Trends Among Licensed Health Professions, Texas, 1980-2011, Fifth Edition, Texas Department of State Health Services, Center for Health Statistics, January 2012
• Workforce Facts and Briefs including Current Geriatrician Shortfall by state, American Geriatrics Society, Workforce Policy Studies Center, July 2011

• No Financial Accountability: Why Texas K-12 Public Education Lacks Any Real Financial Accountability and the Implications for Both the Ongoing Public School Financing Litigation and the Future of Our State, Texas Education Accountability Project, March 2012
• "A Guide to the Texas School Finance Lawsuits," Texas Tribune, February 2012
• An Introduction to School Finance in Texas, Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, Revised January 2012
• School Finance, Texas Education Agency
• School Funding, Texas Public Policy Foundation
• Resources for the Current Texas School Finance System, Texas Association of School Boards

• Social Media Guidelines, Department of Information Resources, May 4, 2012
• "Social Media Still Has Skeptics in Government," Government Technology for States and Local Government, March 19, 2012
• Social Media Terms of Service Agreements and State Government, Council of State Governments, March 9, 2012
• 2012–2016 State Strategic Plan (Social Media), Department of Information Resources, November 1, 2011
• Friends, Followers, and Feeds: A National Survey of Social Media Use in State Government, National Association of State Chief Information Officers, September 2010
• Social Media Presence, Texas.gov

• "Border Business: El Paso's Commercial Market,” Tierra Grande, Texas Real Estate Center, Texas A&M University, April 2011
• Texas Center for Border Economic and Enterprise Development, Texas A&M International University
• "U.S. Border Cities See Profits in Bridges to Mexico," Governing, February 2011

• 2011 State Teacher Policy Yearbook: Texas, National Council on Teacher Quality, January 2012
• An Examination of Performance-Based Teacher Evaluation Systems in Five States, Institute of Education Sciences, February 2012
• Profile of Teachers in the U.S. 2011, National Center for Education Information, August 2011
• "New Teachers Struggling in Tough Market," Austin American-Statesman, April 6, 2011
• Ed School Essentials: Evaluating the Fundamentals of Teacher Training Programs in Texas, National Council on Teacher Quality, May 2010
• Completed Studies on Educator Certification and Standards, Texas Education Agency, last updated January 5, 2012

This entry was posted on May 7, 2012 at 5:01 PM and has received 132 views. Print this entry.

On May 5, 1862, the Mexican army, led by Texas native General Ignacio Seguin Zaragoza, defeated a much larger expeditionary French force near Puebla at the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe. The Cinco de Mayo holiday commemorates the victory and is also celebrated in Texas and throughout the Southwest. Zaragoza became a national hero in Mexico, but died of typhoid fever the following September.

The Zaragoza Birthplace State Historic Site was established near Goliad to honor the Texas-born General (Parks & Wildlife Code, Sec. 22.082). In 1961, the 57th Legislature authorized transfer of the Zaragoza birthplace site from Goliad County to the State Parks Board, and in 1971, the 62nd Legislature made the Zaragoza site a part of Goliad State Park. On September 13, 1980, the Governor of Puebla presented a 10-foot, 3,000 pound bronze statue of Zaragoza to Goliad State Park.

Celebrate the 150th anniversary by spending 36 Hours in Puebla, Mexico [New York Times, April 19, 2012] or checking out What's On in Puebla for the 150th Cinco de Mayo [All About Puebla].

Sources:
Ron Stone, The Book of Texas Days, Shearer Pub., 1984
Handbook of Texas Online, Texas native Zaragoza repels French army on Cinco De Mayo, May 5, 1862, Ignacio Seguin Zaragoza, General Zaragoza State Historic Site, and Goliad State Historical Park
Mary Love Bigony, "Two Nations Honor Texas-Born Hero,"Texas Parks and Wildlife, December 1980

General Ignacio Zaragoza, ca. 1850-1862
Courtesy of the Library of Congress

This entry was posted on May 4, 2012 at 8:04 AM and has received 132 views. Print this entry.

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.

• Consider nursing home emergency preparedness. (Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, April 13, 2012)
• Examine how migration patterns from Mexico to the United States have changed over the years. (Pew Hispanic Center, April 23, 2012)
• See the federal Homestead Act of the mid-nineteenth century and explore how the act shaped America. (Smithsonian, May 2012)
• Review the federal tax provisions expiring in 2012. (Congressional Research Service, April 17, 2012)

This entry was posted on May 3, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 121 views. Print this entry.

Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. The following may be helpful resources for upcoming hearings.

May 7th
House Committee on Appropriations - Subcommittee on Article II
Charge: Medicaid trends, implementation of cost-savings initiatives in health and human services, and changes in hospital reimbursement methodology

• Hospital Payment Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, May 3, 2012
• Medicaid Managed Care: Key Data, Trends, and Issues and A Mid-Year State Medicaid Budget Update for FY 2012 & A Look Forward to FY 2013, Kaiser Family Foundation, February 2012
• Medicare & Medicaid Trends in Health Care Sectors, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, last updated March 26, 2012

May 8th
House Committee on Appropriations - Subcommittee on Article III
Charge: Current practices for funding higher education capital construction projects

• Capital Expenditure Plans FY2012-FY2016Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, July 2011
• UTSA to Unveil Details on $120 Million Capital Campaign San Antonio Business Journal, April 12, 2012
• Financing Higher Education in Texas, Legislative Budget Board, January 2011
• State of Texas 2012-2013 Capital Expenditure Plan, Texas Bond Review Board, September 2010

Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
Charge: Cost-containment strategies across the Health and Human Services enterprise

• Health Cost Containment and Efficiencies: NCSL Briefs for State Legislators, National Conference of State Legislatures, updated March 2012
• "In Hopeful Sign, Health Spending Is Flattening Out," New York Times, April 28, 2012
• What Are the Biggest Drivers of Cost in U.S. Healthcare? (issue brief), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, July 2011

Charge: Implementation of health care quality and efficiency initiatives (SB 7, 82nd 1st C.S.), including Medicaid/CHIP quality-based payments, Texas Institute of Health Care Quality and Efficiency, Health Care Collaborative, and others; improving birth outcomes and reducing infant and maternal mortality

• Highlights of the 82nd Texas Legislature, Volume II, Administration, Quality, and Efficiency of Health Care - S.B. 7 (p. 916), Senate Research Center, October 2011
• Medicaid/CHIP Quality-Based Payment Advisory Committee and Briefing Document: Review of Performance Measures to Support a Quality-Based Payment Program, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, February 2012
• Quality-Based Payment and Delivery Reforms in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Annual Report, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, December 2011
• Texas Institute of Health Care Quality and Efficiency Board Members Announced, Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals, March 19, 2012
• Healthy Texas Babies - Infant and Maternal Health Data, Texas Department of State Health Services, last updated April 17, 2012
• Maternal and Child Health, National Conference of State Legislatures, updated January 9, 2012
• State of Texas Children 2012 (p. 7), Center for Public Policy Priorities/Kids Count, April 2012

May 9th
Senate Committee on Health & Human Services
Charge: Mental health system

• Crisis Point: Mental Health Workforce Shortages in Texas, Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, The University of Texas at Austin, March 2011
• Grading the States 2009: A Report on America's Health Care System for Adults with Serious Mental Illness, Texas report, National Alliance on Mental Illness, March 2009
• Interactive: Texas' Shortage of Psychiatrists, Mental Health Workers and Mental Health Workforce Shortage More Critical in Minority Communities, Texas Tribune, December 2011
• Mental Health: A Survey of State-Funded Delivery, Texas Public Policy Foundation, November 2011

This entry was posted on May 1, 2012 at 4:12 PM and has received 178 views. Print this entry.

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.

• Read about the Stanford Education Experiment and how it may change the landscape of learning. (Wired, March 20, 2012)
• Explore how social media affects politics. (Journal of Communication, February 29, 2012)
• See state-by-state equal pay rankings. (American Association of University Women, April 10, 2012)
• Examine the Department of Defense's role in securing the southwest border. (U.S. Government Accountability Office, April 17, 2012)
• Recognize the importance of the Hispanic consumer in today's markets. (Nielsen, Quarter 2, 2012)
• Consider the extreme variance in the cost of an appendectomy. (Washington Post, April 24, 2012)

This entry was posted on April 26, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 191 views. Print this entry.

Today's Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. The following may be helpful resources for upcoming hearings.

• "Save the Sand-Dune Lizard?," National Review Online, April 5, 2011
• "Cornyn Offers Amendment to Block Sand Dune Lizard Listing," Texas Insider, March 28, 2012
• Texas Conservation Plan for the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard, Texas Comptroller, February 13, 2012
• Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants: 6-month extension of final determination for the proposed listing of the dunes sagebrush lizard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, December 5, 2011
• Ecology, Management and Conservation of the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard (research studies and reports), Texas A&M University, last updated October 2011

• HHSC Gets Approval for Medicaid Improvements, Texas Health and Human Services Commission
• Medicaid 1115 Waiver - Texas Health Care Transformation and Quality Improvement Program, Texas Hospital Association
• Medicaid 1115 Waiver, Texas Association of Counties
• "Texas Lawmakers Working to Reform Medicaid," Texas Tribune, February 29, 2012
• Presentation to County Judges and Commissioners on Texas Healthcare Transformation and Quality Improvement Program 1115 Waiver Update, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, February 7, 2012
• California and Texas: Section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waivers Compared, Kaiser Family Foundation, December 2011

• How Government Regulation Affects the Price of a New Home, Economics and Housing Policy Group, National Association of Home Builders, July 5, 2011
• Regulatory Barriers Clearinghouse (affordable housing), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Policy Development and Research and HUD USER

• Affordability in Washington, DC (role of transportation costs in affordable housing), The Center for Neighborhood Technology, prepared for The District of Columbia Office of Planning, July 2011
• Housing an Aging Population – Are We Prepared?, Center for Housing Policy, April 2012
• State Policy Options to Support Sustainable and Equitable Development, Center for Housing Policy, September 2011

• Homeless and Runaway Youth (overview and research studies, state policy options, references), National Conference of State Legislatures, Updated April 2010
• Homeless Youth Count Map, National Alliance to End Homelessness, April 12, 2012

This entry was posted on April 24, 2012 at 8:24 AM and has received 305 views. Print this entry.

In this weekly post, we feature online articles and policy reports published recently, and other helpful research tools.

• Explore issues related to hydraulic fracturing under the Safe Drinking Water Act. (Congressional Research Service, April 10, 2012)
• Examine current and proposed chemical disclosure laws related to hydraulic fracturing. (Congressional Research Service, April 4, 2012)
• Check out a hydraulic fracturing guide to state legislation and state legislative issues. (National Conference of State Legislatures, April 2012)
• Consider where the natural gas derived from hydraulic fracturing is going. (Slate, April 11, 2012)
• Compare retail gasoline taxes state by state. (U.S. Energy Information Administration, April 11, 2012)
• Read about the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. (Congressional Research Service, April 2, 2012)
• Get the final rules related to air standards for the oil and gas industry, including air standards for natural gas wells that are hydraulically fractured. (Environmental Protection Agency, April 17, 2012)

This entry was posted on April 19, 2012 at 3:15 PM and has received 239 views. Print this entry.