2018

Select Committee on Property Tax Reform; Ways to Engage the Public

October 05, 2018| Legislative News

The Select Committee on Property Tax Reform, chaired by Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston), held its second meeting on Sept. 20 at the Capitol to hear interim charges. There were three major topics that the committee focused on during the hearing.

Senate Committee on Criminal Justice Meets

October 05, 2018| Legislative News

The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice chaired by Sen. John Whitmire (D-Houston) met on Sept. 12 to discuss interim charges pertaining to telemedicine in correctional facilities, successful re-entry programs, and review of state jails in order to improve outcomes.

Senate State Affairs Committee Reviews Court Costs and Fees

October 05, 2018| Legislative News

On Sept. 10, the Senate State Affairs Committee held a hearing on an interim charge directing the committee to examine “the structure of court fees and make recommendations to ensure statutory filing fees and court costs are appropriate and justified,” and to “provide recommendations for proper agency oversight of fee collection.”

Applications for Texans Feeding Texans are Due Nov. 1

October 05, 2018| Legislative News

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is once again accepting applications for its Texans Feeding Texans program, which provides grants to local governments and non-profit agencies to help feed senior and disabled Texans.

AG Opinions and Requests

September 07, 2018| Legislative News

TAC has highlighted recent Attorney General Opinions and Requests for Opinions of interest to counties.

Attend a Legislative Exchange in Bell, Hidalgo or Wise County this Fall

September 07, 2018| Legislative News

TAC’s legislative staff is traveling the state to hear from county officials about what they are interested in and concerned about as the 86th legislative session approaches.

Committees Release Reports with Recommendations on School Safety

September 07, 2018| Legislative News

Both the Senate Select Committee on Violence in Schools and School Security, chaired by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood), and the House Committee on Public Education, chaired by Rep. Dan. Huberty (R-Houston), recently released interim reports with recommendations focused on improving school safety.

GLO Issues Hurricane Harvey Report with Policy Recommendations

September 07, 2018| Legislative News

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush recently released a report capturing lessons learned from the Texas General Land Office’s (GLO) response to Hurricane Harvey, as well as 18 recommendations to improve both response and resiliency in future natural disasters.

2018 Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Election Security Grant Funds: Secretary of State Submits Proposal and Narrative on Using Funds

September 07, 2018| Legislative News

On March 23, Congress authorized $380 million in HAVA grant funding to be allocated to states for the purpose of providing improvements in elections security.

House Committee Examines Pretrial Risk Assessments, Bail Reform

September 07, 2018| Legislative News

The House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, chaired by Rep. Joe Moody (D-El Paso), recently held hearings on several of its interim charges, including its charge to monitor the work of the Office of Court Administration (OCA) on pretrial risk assessment tools for the Texas Judiciary and the use of such tools at various stages in the criminal justice process.

House County Affairs Meets in Dallas

September 07, 2018| Legislative News

The House Committee on County Affairs held a hearing on Aug. 23 where they discussed several interim charges important to counties, including mental health services and the impact of natural disasters on county finances.

Initial State Budget Hearings Underway

September 07, 2018| Legislative News

This month, more than 200 state agencies (including institutions) are going through joint budget hearings. The process involves the governor’s office, lieutenant governor’s office, the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) and both the Senate Finance Committee and House Appropriations Committee.

Moving from Mental Illness to Wellness

September 07, 2018| Legislative News

In January 2018, the Texas Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals held a joint hearing to gather input for the need of a statewide judicial committee on mental health.

Office of Court Administration Hosting Pretrial Summit Oct. 15-16

September 07, 2018| Legislative News

The Office of Court Administration is hosting a Pretrial Summit on Oct. 15 and 16 at the Texas Association of Counties Event Center in Austin.

Sunset Commission Hits "Delete" on Recommendation to Close 87 Driver License Offices

September 07, 2018| Legislative News

A resounding protest by county officials proved successful in defeating a DPS staff recommendation to close many driver license offices. The overwhelming outcry was picked up by media across the state last week just prior to the Sunset Commission’s meeting.

TAC Adds New Legislative Staff Members

September 07, 2018| Legislative News

Please welcome the newest members of the TAC Legislative team, Senior Legislative Manager Noe Barrios, and Legislative Manager Kelsey Bernstein.

TCEQ to Host First Annual Autumn Environmental Conference & Expo

September 07, 2018| Legislative News

Oct. 9-11, hundreds of engineers, environmental managers, consultants, and members of the regulated community will gather to receive updates on permitting rules, requirements, and regulations at the first annual Autumn Environmental Conference & Expo.


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