The House Committee on State Affairs has published its report to the 82nd Legislature. Below is a summary of the recommendations.
Interim Charge 1—Review state compliance with federal law regarding undocumented immigrants. Evaluate the costs of services and benefits provided to undocumented immigrants by state agencies and local governments.
Recommendation:
1. The President and U.S. Congress should take immediate action to address reform to the system and secure our borders; the legal immigration system is a broken myriad of outdated rules and regulations.
Interim Charge 2—Examine state policy on “green” technologies for all state building and costs associated with such implementation.
Recommendation:
1. The state should continue to target relatively cheap and easy to implement technologies that foster greater efficiencies in how we plan new construction as well as update older buildings, while research is continued on more expensive “green” technologies.
Interim Charge 3—Monitor federal legislation and regulatory initiatives pertaining to climate change and its effects on utilities and consumers. Consider Texas’ response to proposals and make recommendations as to any further preparations.
Recommendation:
1. Continue to monitor federal legislation and agency rules that impact electricity generation, pricing and consumption.
Interim Charge 4—Examine the state’s portfolio of electric generation resources, including traditional sources, emerging renewable technologies, and energy efficiency. Determine whether the existing state regulatory programs and incentives are adequate to meet the energy needs of the future. Consider factors relating to reliability, requirements, for additional transmission, or auxiliary services. (Joint Interim Charge with House Committee on Energy Resources)
Recommendations:
1. When discussing goals and strategies to meet future demand, the Legislature must balance the needs of the state to encourage investment and a diverse fuel mix with the costs incurred by investors and consumers.
A complete copy of the report can be found by visiting: