Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has released the third round of interim charges for the Texas Senate to consider during the 89th interim. Details on previously released interim charges can be found in HillCo articles covering the first round of interim charges and the second round of interim charges. Patrick made the following statement upon issuing the charges:
“Today, I released an additional seven interim charges for Texas Senate committees to study in preparation for the 90th Texas Legislature, reflecting issues facing Texans for the Senate to study. We released 74 charges earlier this year, many of which have already had public Senate hearings.”
“Come January, the Senate and I will advance the priorities of Texas’ conservative majority.”
The third round of interim charges can be found here (PDF) and are copied below:
Business and Commerce Committee
- Preventing Unfair Online Ticket Sales Practices: Evaluate the operations of online ticket platforms, and recommend ways to improve consumer price transparency throughout the ticket purchase process. Identify ways to protect Texans from unfair or deceptive practices, especially within the secondary ticket market. Consider what changes, if any, should be made to the state’s consumer protection laws to ensure a fair, competitive, and accessible live entertainment ticket marketplace.
Religious Liberty Committee
- Studying the Current State of Religious Liberty: Compare and contrast state laws protecting religious liberty with federal laws, including Article 1, Section 6 of the Texas Constitution – Freedom of Worship – and the Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Make recommendations to ensure all Texans have the right to practice their religion, free from discrimination or government interference. Determine if additional protections are needed to ensure religious liberty is protected in Texas.
- Educating Texans on Religious Liberty: Examine ways to educate Texans about their sacred and constitutionally guaranteed right to religious liberty. Make recommendations to inform and remind Texans of their religious liberty rights in all settings, including, but not limited to: education, workplace, government, and healthcare.
- Monitoring Senate Bill 1049 (89th Legislature), relating to excused absences from public school for the purpose of attending a released time course.
State Affairs Committee
- Protecting Minors Online: Study online gaming platforms that target minor children. Determine which gaming platforms advertise to minors, whether the advertisements are appropriate, and whether the platforms have sufficient age verification and youth protections. Make recommendations to prevent minors from accessing violent and sexual content in games. Additionally, make recommendations to prohibit communications between minors and adult strangers on gaming platforms.
- Protecting Texas Families: Study the unnecessary burden placed on Texas children and families who suffer from inefficient or inconsistent divorce and child custody proceedings. Identify inefficiencies in these proceedings that result in unpredictable timelines, unnecessary delays, repetitive child evaluations, or other needless complications. Make recommendations to ensure Texas families have access to fair and consistent procedures in family courts and truly prioritize the best interests of children.
Water, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs Committee
- Managing the Pecos River Basin: Study water availability, flow decline, and administrative challenges within the Pecos River Basin. Evaluate the current purpose, operations, and function of the Red Bluff Water Power Control District and its constituent irrigation districts. Review state accounting under the Pecos River Compact, the implementation of environmental flow standards, and assess the anticipated discharges and beneficial reuse of treated produced water in the basin. Make recommendations to modernize special district governance, enhance interstate coordination, and ensure long-term basin reliability.
