Due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and challenges in scheduling public hearings at this time, certain House Committees are conducting necessary oversight functions through an information-gathering process under Section 301.014, Government Code. Below are the committee notices requesting responses by mid-September. A complete list of house committee RFIs can be found here.
Insurance: Sept. 8th – Response due from interested parties and the public
Charges:
- Oversee the implementation and rulemaking of: HB 259 (which prohibits certain practices related to the delivery, issuing of delivery, or renewing of named driver policies), HB 1900 (which amends the TWIA operations and funding practices), HB 2536 (which requires certain reporting requirements for drug manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers, and health insurers on certain pharmaceutical practices), SB 422 (which requires insurers that do not provide flood coverage in their policy to disclose that the policy does not cover flood events), SB 1264 (which prohibits surprise billing and creates an arbitration system to settle balance bills), SB 1852 (which requires certain disclosures for insurers that offer short-term limited duration plans), SB 1940 (which extends to August 31, 2021, TDI’s authority to revise and administer the temporary health insurance risk pool to the extent federal funds are available).
- Study the adequacy of the state’s insurance laws on regulating the introduction of insurtech products into the Texas insurance market.
- COVID-19 and Hurricane Hanna related questions:
- How prevalent is price gouging related to COVID-19 testing?
- What steps are being taken in order to prevent surprise medical billing associated with COVID-19 treatment?
- How many business interruption claims have been filed during the COVID-19 pandemic?
- What is the anticipated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health insurance premiums and the health insurance market moving forward?
- Has there been a decrease in auto insurance claims during the COVID-19 pandemic?
- What are preliminary estimates of damage and claims associated with Hurricane Hanna?
Ways & Means: Sept. 14th – Response due from interested parties and the public
Charges:
- Conduct oversight of all associated rulemaking of legislation including HB 4347 (relating to the use of hotel occupancy, sales, and mixed beverage tax revenue for qualified projects).
- Study and consider possible methods of providing property tax relief, including potential sources of revenue that may be used to reduce or eliminate school district maintenance and operations property tax rates.
- Study the role of the local option sales and use tax.
- Evaluate the status of, examine options for tax credits, and make recommendations on regulatory or statutory changes for, water recycling and reuse efforts in the oil and gas industry in Texas and elsewhere.
Elections: Sept. 18th – Response due from interested parties and the public
Charges:
- Oversee the implementation and rulemaking of HB 933 (which requires certain election information to be posted on the Secretary of State’s/county’s website), HB 1421 (relating to strengthening of the cybersecurity of the state’s election infrastructure), HB 2504 (which modifies ballot access requirements) and HB 4130 (which requires the SOS to develop procedures for adequately certifying electronic poll books).
- Make recommendations for establishing best practices for conducting an election during a declared disaster.
- Evaluate election laws with the purpose of strengthening voter integrity and fair elections; including a study of the voter registration process and an evaluation of the state’s curbside voting protocols.
Transportation: Sept. 18th – Response due from Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Texas State Auditor’s Office, the Legislative Budget Board, other interested parties, and the public
Charges:
- Oversee the implementation and rulemaking of: HB 803 and SB 198 (relating to toll project financial reporting and use payments), SB 282 and SB 962 (relating to the funding for the State Highway Fund), and SB 357 (relating to outdoor advertising signs).
- Study the state’s transportation and road safety efforts in support of the Texas Transportation Commission’s goal of ending traffic deaths in the state by 2050.
- Study the technology and safety aspects of autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles and the potential for dedicated freeway and surface lanes for public transportation, autonomous vehicles, and semi-autonomous vehicles.
- Study the state’s seaport infrastructure and the infrastructure at land ports of entry to facilitate international trade and economic growth.
- Make recommendations to maximize 3 the economic flow of goods and products to and from seaports and study the feasibility and economic impact of dredging and widening Texas ports.
- Make recommendations to reduce border wait times, facilitate economic growth, and expedite trade.
COVID-19 Related Questions:
- How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected state agencies, interested parties, and the public as it relates to transportation matters?
- What transportation issues are anticipated to arise in the future as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic?
- How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the ability of the transportation state agencies to accomplish their mission and to serve the public in an effective and efficient manner.
Human Services: Sept. 25th – Response due from interested parties and the public
Charges:
- Examine innovative approaches and delivery models to reduce health care costs for both patients and taxpayers.
- Study the impact that “direct care” health care models may have on Medicaid beneficiaries for acute care and mental health services, including potential cost savings and improvement in quality metrics.
- Examine efforts other states have made seeking to implement direct care models, particularly in Medicaid or in charitable health care delivery.
- Examine the long-term services and support system of care in Texas.
- Study workforce challenges for both institutional and community services, with a focus on home- and community-based services in the state’s STAR+PLUS program.
- Review what impact funding provided by the 86th Legislature to increase the base wage for community attendant services and the increased funding for rate enhancements have on workforce retention and quality.
- Review community alternatives to institutional care available through programs like the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.
- Examine the adequacy of Medicaid reimbursements for nursing facilities, including existing incentive-based payment models and the Quality Incentive Payment Program.
COVID-19, and Subsequent Budget Changes, Related Inquiries:
- Review the state’s response to the pandemic, specifically as it relates to the effects of the emergency regulations that prohibited visitations of residents of long-term care facilities.
- Review and make recommendations concerning the emergency waivers of regulations of long-term care facilities during the pandemic.
- Review how Texas is preparing for state and federal budgetary changes that impact state health services, specifically the next phase of the 1115 waiver, Texas’ Targeted Opioid Response Grant, CMS and Medicaid Services proposed Medicaid Fiscal Accountability rule, and the Healthy Texas Women Section 1115 Demonstration Waiver.
Natural Resources: Sept. 25th – Response due from interested parties and the public
Charges:
- Conduct oversight of all associated rulemaking of legislation including: HJR 4/SB 7/SB 8 (relating to statewide and regional flood planning and mitigation), HB 720 (relating to appropriations of water for recharge of aquifers and use in aquifer storage and recovery projects), HB 721 (relating to reports on aquifer storage and recovery and aquifer recharge projects), HB 722 (relating to the development of brackish groundwater) and HB 807 (relating to the state and regional water planning process).
- The Committee will also monitor: HB 723 (relating to the requirement that the TCEQ obtain or develop updated water availability models for certain river basins) and updates to Groundwater Availability Models by the TWDB.
- Study the efforts of the TCEQ, the TWDB, and the PUC to incentivize, promote, and preserve regional projects to meet water supply needs and encourage public and private investment.
- Monitor the joint planning process for groundwater and the achievement of the desired conditions for aquifers by groundwater conservation districts.
- Monitor the State Auditor’s review of agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction including audit reports on selected groundwater conservation districts and SB 1289 provisions relating to financial assistance on construction projects.
- Looking for testimony for emerging issues in groundwater and surface water interaction, specifically in areas of increasing competition for scarce resources.
- Looking for testimony for the status of water markets in Texas and the potential benefits of and challenges to expanded markets for water.