Interim hearings – Week of October 7, 2024

Today’s Committee Meetings on the LRL website is a calendar of interim committee hearings with links to agendas. Below you will find resources regarding upcoming interim hearings.

October 8, 2024

Texas Energy Fund Advisory Committee
Topic: Review the operation, function, and structure of the Texas Energy Fund.

Texas lawmakers question agency’s ability to oversee $5 billion energy loan program after initial outage, Texas Tribune, September 16, 2024

Public Utility Commission of Texas Denies Application for Texas Energy Fund Loan Program (press release), Public Utility Commission of Texas, September 4, 2024

Midterm Hearings – Week of August 26, 2024 (Blog), August 27 – Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, Legislative Reference Library, August 21, 2024

Public Utility Commission of Texas Receives 72 Applications for Texas Energy Fund Loan Program (press release), Public Utility Commission of Texas, July 29, 2024

Public Utility Commission of Texas Sees Strong Industry Response to Texas Energy Fund Loan Program (Press Release), Public Utility Commission of Texas, June 1, 2024

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October 9, 2024

Senate Finance Committee
Indictment: Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program: Review the 88th Legislature’s expenditure of funds appropriated to the Texas Film Commission for the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program (TMIIIP) and assess the effectiveness of the program in promoting media production and stimulating local economies through job creation and business growth. Analyze application trends before and after appropriation, paying attention to high-profile or large-scale productions. Additionally, review other states and international incentive programs and evaluate Texas’ workforce and educational needs in media production. Make recommendations to improve TMIIP transparency and improve Texas’ competitive position.

Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program (TMIIIP) Paid Projects Through August 31, 2024, Department of Economic Development and Tourism, Office of the Governor, September 1, 2024

Amid the success of ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘Mayor of Kingstown’, Texas wants to make Lasso into more cinema with new subsidies and a strengthened crew base, Variety, May 16, 2024

Texas has earmarked $200 million in incentives for media production. How did we get here?, KERA News, July 18, 2023

Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, Economic Impact, Texas Film Commission

Cost: School Enrollment Trends: Study post-pandemic trends in student enrollment and explore the possible causes behind the shift in student enrollment, including the increase in homeschooling, microschools, and other options for parents. Provide recommendations to ensure that parents and educators have the tools and resources necessary to respond to expected changes in enrollment and to ensure that every child receives the best educational options available for learning.

Demographic Trends and Their Implications for Public Schools, Texas Demographic Center/Texas Association of School Boards, June 13, 2024

Enrollment in Texas Public Schools, The Annie E. Casey Foundation (continues through the 2022-2023 school year)

Where are they? Enrollment Trends in K-12 Education, Texas Public Policy Foundation, August 2022

Enrollment Trends (Annual Reports), Texas Education Agency

Student Enrollment Reports (campus, district, region, or state), Texas Education Agency

Growth of Homeschooling in Texas (in press) and Texas Home School Map (analytics tool with data on student withdrawal from public schools), Texas Home School Coalition

Texas Student Enrollment Dashboard, Commit Partnership

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October 10, 2024

Senate Criminal Justice Committee
Charge: Shoplifting: Study the effects of organized retail crime in Texas and other states. Evaluate the reporting and legislative proposals of the Statewide Organized Retail Theft Task Force. Provide recommendations to protect the safety of Texas retail workers and business owners.

Criminal Justice Data: Organized Retail Crime, Congressional Research Service, May 2, 2024

Myth vs. Reality: Trends in Shoplifting, Brennan Center for Justice, March 7, 2024

Organized Retail Crime: An Assessment of a Persistent and Growing Threat, National Retail Federation, updated November 29, 2023

Shoplifting trends: what you need to know, Criminal Justice Council, November 2023

The Rise of Organized Retail Crime in America, Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy, Texas A&M University, October 2023

Glenn Hegar, Texas Comptroller, Makes Appointments with Statewide Task Force to Combat Organized Retail Theft (news release), Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, September 5, 2023

Detecting and Reporting the Illicit Financial Flows Associated with Organized Theft Groups (OTG) and Organized Retail Crime (ORC): A Comprehensive Educational Guide for Law Enforcement and Financial Crime Investigators, ACAMS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 2022

Indictment: Financial Crimes: Evaluate trends in financial criminal activity in Texas, including the tax impact on consumers, financial institutions, local economies and businesses. Determine the extent of payment fraud by transnational criminal gangs. Study the impact of the Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC). Make recommendations that will improve penalties for check and payment fraud and identify ways to strengthen investigations into financial crimes in Texas.

Charges: Supporting Victims of Sexual Assault: Investigate the collection and processing of “rape kits” by law enforcement agencies and testing laboratories. Make recommendations to ensure that forensic evidence collected from victims of sexual violence is processed in a timely manner.

San Antonio Police Department: Audit of Property & Evidence Room, Project No. AU23-029 (Audit of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Kits or “Rape Kits,” Agenda Item 4, Commission on Audit, June 11, 2024), Office of the City Auditor, City of San Antonio, 16 May 2024

88th Legislative Session Update: Sexual Assault Reform: Closing Gaps in Services and the Criminal Justice System, Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, September 2023

Austin Police Department Assessment: Comprehensive Review of Reported Sexual Assault: Final Report, Police Executive Research Forum, November 7, 2022

End the Backlog: Texas (Rape Reform), Joyful Heart Foundation

Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) Audits (includes 2020 Report on the HB 8 Audit of Unanalyzed Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits and 2024 Quarterly HB 8 Audit Report Updates), Texas Department of Public Safety