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3 Document(s) [ Subject: Open Meetings Act, Texas ]
| Committee: | Senate State Affairs | |
| Title: | Interim Report | |
| Subjects: | Affordable housing | Age (Law) | Agriculture | Alcohol laws and regulations | Audits | Beverages | Bingo | BlackRock | Boycotts | Child welfare | Children's mental health | Citizenship | Compassionate Use Act, Texas | Countywide Polling Place Program | Distilleries | e-commerce | Election administration | Election security | Electioneering | Elections | Emergency shelters | Environmental, Social, and Governance | Farm Bill | Farm produce | Financial investments | Foreign real estate transactions | Freedom of speech | Gambling | Government transparency | Hemp | High tech industry | Homelessness | Immigrants | Impeachment | Investment of public funds | Ku Klux Klan | Landlords and tenants | Lottery Commission, Texas | Lottery.com | Marijuana | Minors | Natural gas industry | Oil industry | Open government | Open Meetings Act, Texas | Open records requests and decisions | Paxton, Ken | Political violence | Pornography | Primary elections | Product safety | Public demonstrations | Public Information Act, Texas | Public retirement systems | Real estate transactions | Runoff elections | School districts | Secretary of State, Texas | Securing Children Online through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act | Social media | State comparisons | Substance abuse | Texas Constitution | Texas Distilled Spirits Association | Texas history | Texas Lottery | Transitional housing | U.S. Constitution | Voter registration | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.88 ST29A | |
| Session: | 88th R.S. (2023) | |
| Online version: | View report [93 pages File size: 2,963 kb] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Maintaining Election Security: Identify threats to Texas’s election integrity, including those from "Big Tech" and foreign entities. Recommend ways to neutralize such threats. Additionally, evaluate the countywide polling place program in Texas. Make recommendations to address countywide polling issues, such as increased wait times, longer travel distances, supply shortages, and reporting irregularities. Evaluate current laws that prohibit political subdivisions and public school districts from using government resources for illegal electioneering. Make recommendations to strengthen these laws and put a stop to illegal electioneering. | |
| 2. | Social Media & Protecting Children: Study the impact of social media use on children. Review current mechanisms in place to protect minors online. Monitor the implementation of HB 18, 88th R.S., relating to the protection of minors from harmful, deceptive, or unfair trade practices in connection with the use of certain digital services and electronic devices, including the use and transfer of electronic devices to students by a public school. Make policy recommendations to further protect Texas children online. | |
| 3. | Protecting Texas Land and Assets: Evaluate strategic land and asset acquisitions in Texas by foreign entities that threaten the safety and security of the United States. Further, evaluate large-scale purchases of single-family homes by domestic entities and its impact on housing affordability for Texas families. Make recommendations to ensure Texans are secure from foreign threats and homes are affordable in our state. | |
| 4. | Responsible Investing: Study the impact of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors on our state’s public pensions, with a focus on proxy voting services. Make recommendations to ensure our state’s pension systems vote and invest in accordance with their fiduciary responsibility to maximize profit. Additionally, monitor the implementation of SB 13, 87th R.S., relating to state contracts with and investments in certain companies that boycott energy companies. Specifically, examine how a company is removed from the list of companies that boycott energy companies when the company ceases to boycott energy companies. Report on how frequently the list maintained by the comptroller is updated and make recommendations to ensure an ongoing accurate list. | |
| 5. | Banning Delta 8 and 9: Examine the sale of intoxicating hemp products in Texas. Make recommendations to further regulate the sale of these products, and suggest legislation to stop retailers who market these products to children. | |
| 6. | Impeachment Reform: Evaluate the constitutional and statutory impeachment procedures in our state. Make recommendations to ensure a fair and transparent process. | |
| 7. | Runoff Elections: Study the prerequisites, timing, and efficiency of runoff elections. Make recommendations to increase the efficiency and lower the costs of runoff elections. Examine the 50% vote threshold to avoid a runoff, particularly when four or more candidates are running for the same office. Report whether the vote percentage threshold should be lowered in some instances. | |
| 8. | Lottery: Study "lottery courier services," which allow their clients to purchase lottery tickets over the internet. Report on the number of couriers and the magnitude of sales from such services in Texas. Determine whether courier services are operating legally in Texas and whether a change in law is needed to respond to technological advancements to protect children in our state and to maintain original legislative intent. Recommend legislation to clarify Texas’s laws regarding online lottery sales. | |
| 9. | Unmasking Protestors: Study the use of face coverings and hoods designed to conceal the identity of those bent on committing crimes at protests. Recommend legislation to stop the chaos and destruction by those who attempt to commit crimes while concealing their identity during public gatherings. | |
| 10. | Stop Noncitizen Voting: Evaluate the current safeguards in place to prevent noncitizens from voting in elections. Recommend legislation to facilitate the removal of noncitizen voters from the voter rolls as well as legislation to prevent noncitizens from registering to vote in Texas. | |
| 11. | Beverages with THC: Evaluate Texas laws and regulations concerning THC beverage manufacturing and delivery. Report on the current regulations and safeguards Texas may or may not have in place for drinks with any amount of THC. Recommend legislation to protect Texas consumers. | |
| 12. | Public Trust in Government: Examine the current state of accountability, ethics, and transparency in local government. Recommend ways to bolster public trust in local government by strengthening the Public Information Act and Open Meetings Act. | |
| 13. | Addressing Homelessness: Study programs that address the homelessness crisis in Texas. Specifically, review programs like Haven for Hope and determine whether such programs could be a model throughout our state. Propose legislation to address the root causes of homelessness by expanding successful programs for cities of all sizes. | |
| 14. | Election Audit Reports: Evaluate the Secretary of State’s election audit reports. Make recommendations to secure our elections and ensure counties follow the law. | |
| 15. | Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on State Affairs passed by the 88th Legislature. Specifically, evaluate the impact of SB 2284, 88th R.S. relating to the sale of distilled spirits to ultimate consumers by the holder of a distiller's and rectifier's permit. Report whether the increased sale of distilled spirits has had a positive impact on economic development and public safety in this industry. | |
| Committee: | Senate State Affairs | |
| Title: | Interim Report | |
| Library Catalog Title: | Interim report to the 82nd Legislature | |
| Subjects: | Employees Retirement System of Texas | Financial investments | Fraud | Health care | Health care costs | Health insurance | Hospitals | Insurance agents | Insurance rates | Medically uninsured | Military personnel | Open government | Open Meetings Act, Texas | Public Information Act, Texas | Senior citizens | Teacher Retirement System of Texas | Voter registration | Voters | Voting by mail | Voting systems | Workers' compensation | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.81 ST29a | |
| Session: | 81st R.S. (2009) | |
| Online version: | View report [248 pages File size: 24,817 kb] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Upon passage of federal legislation relating to reform of the health care industry and health insurance industry, study the implications of such legislation on Texas, the health care industry, and public and private insurance. Study and monitor the implementation of the insurance regulatory changes, changes to high risk pool, and any other insurance mandates. Study the health care policy changes and the impact to the Medicaid and CHIP programs and the state budget. Assess the impact to all state uninsured and uncompensated care programs and county programs for the uninsured, including county property tax programs to pay for the uninsured. Make recommendations for the efficient implementation of programs. (Joint charge with Senate Health and Human Services Committee) | |
| 2. | Monitor the actuarial and financial conditions of the pension and health care programs administered by the Teacher Retirement System and the Employees Retirement System. Assess the effectiveness of pilot programs designed to encourage the use of clinical integration, payments for good outcomes, use of best practices, focus on wellness and prevention, and bundling of costs for episodes of care, and other health care savings initiatives. Make recommendations for expanding the pilot programs for use across all private and state sponsored health care, including the Medicaid program, as a means to improve Texans' health and provide more effective care that allows for assistance for the uninsured. (SB 7, SB 8 and SB 10, 81st Legislature) | |
| 3. | Study the implementation of the Healthy Texas program enacted by the 81st Legislature and the ongoing implementation of SB 1731, 80th Legislature, to determine if this program is effectively lowering health insurance costs and increasing access to health insurance for small business. Study and make recommendations about using this program to increase access to health insurance for sole proprietors. Review other states efforts to lower health care costs to small business owners and sole proprietors and incentivize small business owners and sole proprietors to purchase insurance. | |
| 4. | Examine best practices for increasing the affordability and availability of health insurance in the individual and small group market, including medical underwriting practices, rescission of coverage, cancellation of coverage, rate regulation, and reporting of medical loss ratios. | |
| 5. | Study how increased out-of-pocket costs for medications and treatment impact consumers' compliance with health care recommendations and how that response impacts overall health care costs. Review available research into value design programs. | |
| 6. | Study ways to improve the efficiency and accuracy of voter registration rolls, including the feasibility and security of online registration and automatic registration and the accuracy of verification and purging of voters. Recommend ways to ensure that deceased or otherwise ineligible voters are not included on rolls while also ensuring that all eligible applicants are efficiently registered. | |
| 7. | Study the transparency of organizational structures, policies and coverage associated with health insurance underwriters/agents and the relationship between underwriters/agents and policyholders. | |
| 8. | Study the sale of annuities in Texas, particularly to seniors. Evaluate the requirements relating to rescission of an annuity contract, payment of surrender fees, return of money, contract forms, including a standard contract form, buyer's guide, agent's commission and disclosure of an agent's commission. Make recommendations for legislation, if needed, and consider whether the insurance commissioner by rule may limit an agent's commission. | |
| 9. | Study the effect Texas hospital billing and collection practices have on the uninsured's and under-insured's access to hospital health care services, on the uninsured's and underinsured's economic circumstances, and on medical debt recorded as bad debt on hospital books and records. Assess whether hospital billing disparities involving pricing discounts between the uninsured and insured exist and make recommendations for any changes necessary. | |
| 10. | Study the adequacy of workers' compensation benefits in the following categories: lifetime income benefits, wage benefits for the high wage earner, and workers whose wage benefits stop before Social Security benefits begin. In order to determine the impact of increased benefits in one or more of these categories, work with the Texas Department of Insurance to develop a publicly accessible model to predict the costs related to those enhanced benefits, the effect of those costs on workers' compensation premiums, and whether enrollment in the workers' compensation system will be adversely impacted by increasing the benefits in one or more of the stated categories. | |
| 11. | Study whether subrogation claims by writers of workers' compensation policies should be limited or prohibited. Study the effect on workers' compensation premiums, if any, if subrogation claims by writers of workers' compensation policies are limited or prohibited. Consider the feasibility of developing a publicly accessible model to predict the impact on workers' compensation premiums, if any, if subrogation claims by writers of workers' compensation policies are limited or prohibited, while protecting confidentiality as required by law and study whether the impact on workers' compensation premiums, if any, would adversely impact enrollment in the workers' compensation system. | |
| 12. | Study and make recommendations regarding access to voting by members of the military serving in the United States and abroad, including the feasibility of electronic delivery of ballots. | |
| 13. | Study the Public Information Act and the Open Meetings Act to ensure that government continues to operate in a way that is open and transparent. The study should consider how advances in technology and the emergence of various forms of social media (e.g. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter) have affected communications by and within governmental bodies. | |
| 14. | Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on State Affairs, 81 st Legislature, Regular and Called Sessions, and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance, and/or complete implementation. | |
| Committee: | House Judiciary | |
| Title: | Interim Report | |
| Library Catalog Title: | Report of the Committee on Judiciary, House of Representatives, State of Texas, 67th Legislature. | |
| Subjects: | At-risk youth | Child custody | Child support | Courts | Historical records | Judicial Conduct, State Commission on | Juvenile crime | Juvenile justice system | Kidnapping | Open Meetings Act, Texas | Records management | Rules of evidence | Runaway children | Statutory revision | Truancy | Visitation rights | | |
| Library Call Number: | L1836.67 j898 | |
| Session: | 67th R.S. (1981) | |
| Online version: | View report [124 pages File size: 3,598 kb] | |
| Charges: | This report should address the charges below. | |
| 1. | Study Title II, Subtitle A and Title III of the Family Code, with a view toward recommendations modifying and expanding the statutes, including but not limited to: (a) parental kidnapping; (b) the disposition of juvenile cases (c) special issued in suits affecting the parent-child relationship; (d) mandatory requirements for court interpreters; and (e) grandparent visitation. | |
| 2. | Study the preservation of records of the courts of appeal and district courts. | |
| 3. | Study the rules of evidence for civil cases. | |
| 4. | Review the hearing and investigative processes of the Judicial Conduct Commission. | |
| 5. | Review the general rules of venue. | |
| 6. | Study the Open Meetings Act to determine if changes are necessary to make the Act more effective. | |
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