MORE ISSUES TO BE REVIEWED BY HOUSE COMMITTEES
As outlined in the previous week’s article, the Speaker of the House Joe Straus has released a list of interim committee charges for the standing committees of the Texas House of Representatives. These committee charges and the resulting recommendations that will be developed during the interim could form the basis for legislation to be considered during the next legislative session. House committees were each given several issues to study. Committee hearings will be held over the course of the interim period (2014) giving the public an opportunity to testify on a variety of issues. At the end of the interim, each committee will have the opportunity to submit a formal report to the Speaker of the Texas House with their recommendations on possible future legislation to be handled by the next Texas Legislature.
The following is a sampling of charges given to different House committees. If you would like a complete list of the study charges or if you would like more information about issues being studied by any particular committee, please don’t hesitate to call my Capitol office at 512-463-0672 or visit The Texas House of Representatives.
Here are some examples of charges given to the standing House committees:
House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety
• Assess the level of preparedness among critical infrastructure entities, state and local emergency planning organizations, first response efforts, and overall coordination of jurisdictions across the state. Include a review of the state’s role in preparing, resourcing, and coordinating with local emergency response, specifically in rural areas or areas that depend largely on volunteer response efforts.
House Committee on Human Services
• Examine crisis resources for individuals with co-occurring mental illness and intellectual/developmental disabilities. Identify strategies to serve individuals with complex behavioral and medical needs in the community.
• Monitor the implementation of Foster Care Redesign. Evaluate its impact on the child welfare system in areas of the state where redesign is underway, including transition from the legacy system, foster family retention and recruitment, placement stability, permanency, and child safety.
• Former foster youth have the benefit of free tuition and fees if they enroll in higher education, yet very few take advantage of this opportunity. Consider new strategies to support these youth and make recommendations to enroll and retain more foster youth in higher education. (Joint charge with the House Committee on Higher Education)
House Committee on Insurance
• Evaluate options to expand transparency in the health care marketplace and facilitate informed consumer choice. Monitor the implementation of prior legislation to encourage transparency and adequacy of health care provider networks. Review prior legislative attempts to achieve greater transparency and the effectiveness of regulatory efforts to minimize the negative impacts on consumers related to out-of-network service disputes.
• Monitor the status of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA). Consider options to enhance TWIA’s ability to serve its statutory purpose and to fairly and equitably serve its policyholders. Include an evaluation of TWIA’s operations, improved incentives for coverage by the private market, and effective use of reinsurance, bonds, and other financial devices.
• Examine opportunities to improve the resiliency of the Texas coast to withstand tropical storms. Study strategies to incentivize and encourage hazard mitigation, and consider the current state of building codes and how they might more effectively protect property and reduce losses. Examine the proper role of insurance in protecting the Texas coast. Coordinate as necessary with the joint interim committee created by HB 3459 (83R). (Joint charge with the House Committee on Land and Resource Management)
House Committee on International Trade & Intergovernmental Affairs
• Examine opportunities and innovations to increase international trade and investment in Texas. Review state and federal regulations to determine what can be done to ease tariff and non-tariff barriers in order to maximize trade flow.
• Quantify the impact of commercial ship traffic on smaller coastal waterways and find creative, pro-growth solutions that will allow all Texans access to the Gulf of Mexico.
If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
– State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces County (Part). He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
