Legislative Services

Burrows, Patrick Gathering Interim Charge Ideas

Speaker Dustin Burrows and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick sent letters to the chairs of House and Senate committees asking them to submit ideas for legislative study topics by Feb. 9 and 20, respectively. Committee chairs will propose topics of their own in addition to gathering proposals from committee members. Not all submissions will become interim charges, as the speaker and lieutenant governor have sole discretion to issue charges of their own and modify or discard proposals.

Interim charges are expected to be issued after the March 3 primary elections. Upon receipt, House and Senate committee chairs will schedule public hearings to discuss the charges and gather input from invited and public witnesses. After all charges are examined in public hearings, committees will summarize their findings and issue recommendations to the 90th Legislature. Many of the study topics will be the basis for legislation to be filed by returning and newly elected lawmakers.

First Two Regional Legislative Exchange Meetings Set

During the interim, TAC Legislative Services travels the state to convene regional meetings to hear directly from county officials about local priorities and challenges. These discussions help the Legislative Services team prepare for the public hearings on interim charges and for the next legislative session.

Legislative Exchanges are open to all county officials and their staff. The first meeting will be held Friday, March 6, at the Denton County Courthouse from 10 a.m. to 1p.m.

A second Legislative Exchange will take place on Friday, March 13, at the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office in Franklin. A third is scheduled for April 15 in Tom Green County; details are pending.

Visit county.org for more information and to register.

Special Session Addendum to Legislative Analysis Report Available

After each legislative session, the TAC Legislative Services team reviews enacted legislation for its impact on county government. Relevant measures are summarized and organized by subject in the biennial Legislative Analysis Report.

The 2025 report is available in a searchable, online format or in print via an online order form. The online edition has been updated with a special session addendum beginning on page 58.

Legislative Directory Available

TAC’s 2025-26 Legislative Directory remains available for order. The directory includes contact information for lawmakers, committees, county official associations and TAC’s Legislative Services team.

Order free your copies here.

Month in Review is a collaborative column from TAC Legislative Services.