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Tuesday, Texas Lietenant Governor Dan Patrick (R) issued additional Interim Charges for Senate Committees to consider ahead of the 89th Legislative Sessions. His first round of Interim Charges were issued back in April 2024.
What Are Interim Charges?
Interim charges are directives issued to a legislative committee by either the Lieutenant Governor, as the official who presides over the Texas Senate, or the Speaker of the House, as the official who presides over the Texas House of Representatives to study or focus on specific issues ahead of the next legislative session. The results of such studies will be published in an Interim Report which details the committee’s findings ahead of the next legislative session.
The 89th Legislative Session commences on January 14, 2025.
Lt. Gov. Patrick’s Statement
In adding to his Interim Charges, Lt. Gov. Patrick released the following statement,
“At the beginning of the 89th Legislative Session in January 2025, the Senate will hit the ground running to ensure the priorities of the conservative majority of Texans are accomplished, including school choice, continued property tax relief, and strengthening our power grid.”
Highlights
Some of the highlights from the overall list include:
- The Senate Business and Commerce Committee is tasked with examining the impact of the Federal Trade Commission’s rule on non-compete agreements on Texas employers. They must evaluate the balance between protecting employers’ interests and fostering employment mobility and innovation.
- The Senate Criminal Justice Committee is tasked with reviewing the collection and processing of rape kits by law enforcement and testing laboratories to ensure the timely processing of forensic evidence, as well as, studying the effects of organized retail crime and evaluating recommendations from the Organized Retail Theft Task Force, while also assessing trends in financial crimes, including payment fraud by transnational gangs, and recommending measures to strengthen financial crime investigations.
- The Senate Finance Committee is charged with examining changes in post-pandemic student enrollment, including shifts toward homeschooling and micro-schools, and recommending ways to address these trends. The Committee is also charged with assessing the effectiveness of the Texas Film Commission’s incentive program in promoting media production and local economic growth.
- The Senate Higher Education Subcommittee, a subcommittee of the Education Committee, is charged with examining the impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in higher education and proposing reforms to align them with workforce needs.
- The Senate State Affairs Committee is tasked with a litany of new charges, including:
- Evaluating current impeachment procedures in Texas and recommending improvements for fairness and transparency.
- Studying runoff election processes and suggesting reforms to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
- Examining the legality and impact of “lottery courier services” and recommend any legislative changes needed. Notably, the Texas Lottery Commission is under Sunset Review by the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission.
- Reviewing legislation to prevent the use of face coverings during protests to deter criminal activities. This issue could have huge potential free speech implications.
- Studying safeguards against noncitizen voting and recommending measures to prevent noncitizens from registering to vote.
- Assessing the current state of local government transparency and recommending ways to bolster public trust.
- Evaluating the Secretary of State’s election audit reports and recommending measures to secure Texas elections.
The full list of the additional Texas Senate 2024 Interim Legislative Charges can be found here:
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